Gbamin fined and banned for drink-driving

SO... What the Fuck!!? Anyone read this Gbamin news? 8 August – less than a week before the season starts he crashes his car in Manchester at 5am. Toothache my arse!

Ahh fair doos, David, he probably hit the accelerator with his bad leg rather than the brake owing to being distracted by his toothache for which he had had a few universal painkillers and not being used to driving on the proper side of the road. I mean, it could be worse, he could have hit a petrol pump while driving a newly met young lady home.

It's just one of dem songs

Shocking! I'd always just assumed he was chauffeured everywhere by ambulance.

Any good will this guy once had is well and truly up in smoke now. Injury after injury. Self isolating. Toothache. Now this.

And the fans had a go at James….

Surprised his leg didn’t snap on the pedal. Possibly sums up the brands era.

Any body taken the trouble to read the story before jumping in and thinking the worst of the lad?

Not condoning drink-driving in any way. But this was not the result of an all-night bender. He cooperated with the police and the other driver at the scene. Assumed full responsibility for his actions. Expressed genuine remorse.

I'll wager some TWers have been done for worse drink-driving offences than this.

You have to wonder about the mindset of these players, they've got unimaginable resources compared to 90% of the population and yet rather than call a cab, chauffeur, limo, helicopter or whatever mode of transport a millionaire might choose they get behind the wheel pissed. Not to mention the fact that this particular millionaire's stock is pretty low with his employer right now owing to the fact that he can't do the job he's very handsomely paid for.

It's been a frustrating time for Gbamin regarding his injuries and instances like this do happen often at a inopportune time. Seems to have conducted himself well in dealing with the situation, accepting and acknowledging wrong. Hopefully this will be a wake up call for him as he continues to try to recover enough to play.

a week before the season, when he's finally trying to shake off this injury hoodoo, and he's driving along the motorway drunk at 5am. That's not bad luck, you've got to be pretty unprofessional to find yourself busted like that.
No wonder he can't get fit.

What a dickhead, Drunk behind the wheel, is it any wonder people are piling in, it doesn’t matter what any poster has or hasn’t done, this fella has been here 3 years, he finally starts to reach fitness then gets done drink driving a week before the season starts, why don’t they pay for taxi’s or drivers for the night? No sympathy from me he could have killed or seriously injured someone, Steve@7 I completely agree

He has been a fool and hopefully learned his lesson . It is good news he didn’t hurt anyone as a result of drinking and driving and unbelievably amazing news he didn’t hurt himself.

He had one drink apparently. Hardly makes him a drunk.

I'll bet this news went down like a cup of cold sick with Benitez. From the way he made a point at the last presser of saying he didn't drink, I think he might be a bit of a puritan on such things with his squad.

What was the one drink Paul? Half a pint of whisky?

No sympathy whatsoever, and yes Jay, I have read the story - I just don't believe that he'd gone to bed and was woken up, then got up to take his mate home. This seems like fabrication to rank alongside the defence put forward by a certain Liverpool supporter back in 2005!
When I was working, I would undoubtedly been sacked for an offence such as this - he should be too.
As for the claim that he's on £25k pw, that is admitted to be after tax - and no doubt all other deductions. £25k is no doubt the net amount that hits his bank account every week. Any £25million player who's on such a "paltry" amount would be sacking his agent!

PS - if he'd only had one drink, had gone to bed and was still 50% over the limit hours later, it must have been a very large one!

From the figures I've seen he was tested at 52 micrograms of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
That could amount to one drink too many. A pint, or maybe a single measure of spirits.
Not excusing the fact that he was somewhat naive/thoughtless/however you want to word it but at 52 micrograms etc etc he wouldn't have been drunk or anywhere near it.
Still a silly mistake but not the hanging offence some are making it out to be, and yes still wrong.

And I bet there are literally thousands of Evertonians who drive home from the game "slightly" over the limit.

Rich or poor, famous or not, there is a significant proportion of the population that constantly believe that the rules don't apply to them, as they think that it's for other people to obey the rules, there are also many more people who make rash and terrible, judgment calls in the heat of the moment, which can lead to catastrophic consequences.

This lad is lucky that he didn't hurt himself or others by his foolish actions, he broke the law and was caught out, the courts have dealt with him and like any other person, he's allowed to continue on with his life, hopefully, he has learned his lesson.

Talk about the ToffeeWeb Temperance Society..

Steve @18
The Everton committee comprised a number of people who were active in the Temperance Movement - a group who were against alcohol consumption on the grounds that much social misery at the time was caused by drink. As a result, the Temperance Movement actively fought against breweries and tried to get alcohol banned. Mahon was the organist of St Domingo Chapel and the chapel was renowned for its anti-drink stance, as were the minister, the Reverend Ben Chambers, and Will Cuff, the choir master who would later become Chairman of Everton. John Houlding, however, was a brewer.

how Everton came to move

Extremely Ironic as the club's performances over the years have turned quite a lot of us to drink at times.

As he was driving, perhaps he'd had a pint of traffic lights

No tolerance for over the limit and/or drug affected drivers be they shelf stackers or millionaire footballers. I know a family devastated by loss as a result of such recklessness and the idea Gbamin didn't cause the accident cuts no ice. If fully aware he might have pre-empted the other drivers actions and avoided the accident

An old taxi driver once said to me "good drivers drive the other fellas vehicle as well as their own" not possible with senses dulled by chemicals.

Sack him

Got caught driving home the morning after, when he run into another car. Noone to blame but himself. Rafa a non drinker and Spainish will have a uncompromising view regarding alcohol. I do think that Gbamin insurance policy will be being looked at, though I do think Gbamin has probably learnt a lesson and will have got alot of grief.

Don't drink and drive. I went out for a meal with my son two weeks ago in Glasgow at the start of college term. He had a pint and thought he could drive. I said you might be over the limit or not, but if you had a accident even if under the limit it could count against you and why take the risk of any possible grief. I drove back to the hotel. Told him never to drink and drive.

On a different note, for which I make no apology. Would those that pledged to donate to Derek Knox's collection for Cancer Research and haven't yet done, do so please?
Derek's put a lot of effort into the collection and also the ToffeeWeb get togethers.
So if you pledged to support the charity please do it, and if you didn't then do it anyway.

It's good to know that once we finally part company with Delph, we have his ready made replacement.

what a window that was. Delph, Gbamin, Kean and Iwobi. People talk about money, but a hundred million just doesn't go that far these days, ask Marcel. Thank god we nailed him down for another three years, I just hope Benitez isn't trying to undermine him behind his back, with his 'look at me' free transfers.

Some totally OTT comments on here today. Good old ToffeeWeb.

More points on his licence than he's got for Everton..

RSPCA should clobber him for hitting a jaguar. I am pretty sure they're a protected species.

Kieran... so are footballers!

Anyway, yeah, he did something monumentally stupid, accepted responsibility and is paying the price -- not the least of which, as Kevin #13 points out, would be the likely fury of his boss. Well-deserved fury, in my opinion.

I just wonder, however, how much of the venom here is based on the fact that he's not a contributor on the pitch. If the offender were Mina or Duke or Dom, would anybody be saying, "sack him"?

Mike, the contributors on the pitch are not the ones who get done for drunk driving. Gbamin is in the company of Delph, Darren Gibson, and Shandy Andy

And Jeffers, Rooney …

Yep, Peter, Rooney was 3X over the limit, far worse than Gbamin. He was scoring some goals at the time. Don't remember any suggestions here that he be sacked.

New he was over the limit, could have bought a taxi never mind hired one for his friend. Having lost someone close through drink driving, the pricks that seem to think it's no big deal should maybe think what it was like for my friend's parents who were woken at 2 am by police to tell them their son was dead because of a drunk driver.

If you're over the limit ban them for life. It's not a mistake – it's driving when you know you're over the limit.

We're stuck with this guy until his contract runs out, aren't we? Never offloading him.

Totally sick and tired of this blood-sucking leech.

One of the worst transfer windows ever that, Kevin M, and came after Everton had just finished the season with 8 clean sheets in their last 11 games, and had also looked to be developing into a decent team.

Tony,

It really is absolutely horrendous. How much are that lot worth now? I reckon we'd get £10 million for Iwobi if we're lucky and he could be persuaded to leave. the rest? There is a significant danger Kean comes back to us in 2 years and then leaves for nowt. The others, the less said the better.

And then on top of that, how many decent performances have we had from any of them? You can count them on the fingers of one hand. Brands has blown close to £200M in fees and wages just in that window, and we've had nothing to show for it.

No defence for this muppet so can people stop trying to trivialise it, just read Geoff at #33.

Personally I think this prick should have his contract ripped up and be legged.

Mike Gaynes 29

"If the offender were Mina or Duke or Dom, would anybody be saying, "sack him"?"

In a heartbeat. Ditto if it were Maradona, Pele or Messi in their pomp playing in blue – some things are beyond parochial idiocy.

While most sports people would stay clear of putting alcohol inside themselves, it seems to be the favourite pastime of footballers. I think of all sports people that have been banned through being over the limit, 80% must be footballers.

Maybe seeing the clubs spend fortunes on media training for young players, maybe they should set aside some of that money to educate their young players about alcohol and drugs as both seem prevalent in players.

The only interesting element in this story is that the club lied to the fans. What's new?

He earns plenty of dosh – so let's over-react to a minor offence.

No wonder he’s an Evertonian, because I’m sure he was made a director after that window Kevin, but failure doesn’t come into it once someone stands on you at Everton, muttering those famous words about you being one of us.

I'd sack Mina for drinking milk...Think of all those goals we would stop conceding.

Darren, you just made me laugh out loudly in front of the wife!!!

Tony, yes indeed. Finch Farm seems stacked with mediocrities who aren't producing the goods. If you prove your loyalty to certain people, it seems to be a job for life, regardless of the product.

Very cosy down there it seems to me.

Think it's all been about said. There was some years ago, at least one transport operation in the Manchester area that was set up for 24-hour guaranteed response, diplomatic executive travel. They handled the business of many footballers amongst others. Also in Liverpool. It will all exist today for sure, just about everywhere.

Must cost in relative terms, little more than a pair of underpants to the average Premier League footballer. No need to get into these situations.

Large old fine though; unusual.

Honestly time to get rid of him. Another poor poor purchase. Injury prone and taking us for a drunk ride.

Eddie, the offence is only minor because of the end result being he didn't end up killing someone. It's dealt with now so yes, draw the line. However, time is up and he needs to get himself up to speed and ready to play.

We also of course carry Delph and Tosun but other than that a lot of wages have been cleared and that means we can hopefully start again and improve the squad from here.

As Tony has said, we have been in the same position a few times over the last few years now, thinking we could be on the verge of something with a few quality additions. Then he goes and spoils it all by saying something stupid like lwobi, we need you.

Back to basics with this Rafa guy. Could be a good thing in the long run to clear out as much crap as we can. Make space so we can give the kids a glimmer. Then bring in the right players, at the right price. It's oh so simple, l've heard.

Will Everton be insured for paying long term injured players like Gbamin, their wages or does this only happen when players get injured on international duty?

Ridiculous, Jay (6), I don't care if it was a bender or not... He was over the limit and hit another car. Inexcusable, like your post. Your last line of comment is gobsmacking.

There seems to be a problem with the discipline and injuries with players Everton sign. It makes you wonder do they do an extensive look into the player's background before they are signed?

Dennis Stevens #3,

Made me laugh. Will do for a while, I believe. Keep up the funny remarks.

But why can't these stars pay a driver?

Also, Gbamin will never play for us again. His glass physique won't allow for him playing top level, so he'll see the contract out and then start a band... or something. But playing conscetutive matches for Everton... No Way!

"He had one drink apparently. Hardly makes him a drunk." It could have been a 'Yard of Ale' contest, Paul H @12, yet I suppose it could be regarded as 'one drink'.

Steve Hopkins @ 7, Nail, spot on head there, mate, with that post.

Regardless of this story or not, we need to move him on.

Yes he's had horrendous luck with injuries but we couldn't build a team around Darron Gibson and Gbamin is much the same.

The fee we paid, the wages he's on and the fact he's been here 2 years and hasn't made five starts is beyond belief really.

Gbamin, Delph, Tosun, all stealing a wage and have done for too long, we need to find a solution to these three players so they are no longer our problem.

Whatever the rights, wrongs and grey areas, the club should take this opportunity to sack this waste of space. It would free up cash for spending on one or more actual footballers.

If we'd fired this bum a year ago we could have perhaps kept Virginia - who is certainly an improvement on Begovic - or bought one of the others whom “Financial Fair Play” restrictions made impossible.

Off-topic: Has anyone noticed how Derby County is being destroyed (multiple points deductions) because of technical financial rules, while the “Shite Six” have now been told that they don't even have to pay the pitiful fines imposed for trying to destroy the sport?

Drinking more than the legal limit is of course stupid and reckless and should not be condoned but calling him a waste of space and other names seems typically intolerant and ununderstanding to me.

The lad has had two horrific injuries and by all accounts has showed an exemplary work rate and attitude to try and get back to playing over the last few years.

This late night incident was certainly his fault and he should be held accountable but the same cannot be said for his lack of time on the playing fields.

Charles, can't ever see it changing unfortunately, there has always been a Set of Rules which certain teams or Clubs seem to be exempt from. Also a parody of that in life, where certain groups seem to enjoy immunity from almost everything bar murder, and even then a Super Barrister (which is affordable to them) gets employed. Stinks 😒 really!

Charles #55, if you had or have a member of your family who has unfortunately had a series of serious injuries / illnesses keeping them out of work, would you want other people referring to them as a "waste of space"? a "bum"?

Tony (49) yes clubs can take insurance out against their players being injured. They can also build into contracts that wages are reduced after an agreed number of months of injury. Just depends on what both parties will agree to.

What about disciplinary action or even dismissal. He hasn’t played injury or not and is costing the club and the fans a fortune. He has disrespected everything our club and supporters stand for. Mistake or not.

He's a young lad who made a serious error of judgement and the law has dealt with it. I'd extend the ban to a lot more than that but we all make mistakes and how many of us didn't do the same in our youth?

As for calling him a waste of space he has had two very bad injuries which can happen to anyone. I'd say give him a break but that's the last thing he needs, another bad injury!

It's not automatically an offence that allows a contract to be terminated. There needs to be an obvious impact on the employee's role. The club would have to prove this was gross misconduct to have any chance of not paying his contract up.

They would also have to demonstrate the potential damage to the club's reputation. It would get very messy. I assume we'd rather get him back on the pitch and take it from there.

Internal disciplinary action is something else. I expect, based on what happened with other players, that he will be hit with a club fine on top of that imposed by the court. I think Rooney lost two weeks wages.

As Will says (46), it seems such a huge fine for just being over the legal limit.

I'm not condoning drink driving by any means; why was the fine so high? Is there a reason?

Dave,

The fine is based on the individuals income/expenditure. I think it's uncapped as well.

Dave A, good point there, but are we assuming that the £25k was imposed by the Courts, it may be the Club that have imposed this, which may be due to a reflection on the Club's image. He obviously will now have a problem getting to Finch Farm each day, and will need to employ a Driver or get a member of family to do it.

As Steven Hopkins mentioned, the money he has, getting a taxi on the night in question, which he could easily afford would have averted all this. I know it's easy to be wise in retrospect or have Darren Hindsight, but you know what I mean. :-)

I was cautious about jumping on this one.

I tend to lean towards it being a young lad who's made a mistake that many others do. That doesn't make it right, but life is littered with personal mistakes as much as it is successes.

But. he lives in the bubble of the modern professional footballer, so there's more outrage and criticism. This has probably been compounded by the fact he's pretty much been injured for just about the entirety of his contract at Everton so this is generating further frustration and criticism from the Everton fan base.

It does however seem a large fine. Is that the legal one? If so based on his salary (so relative)? Or is it what the club has fined him? Sorry, questions. No answers!

Thanks Peter, so hopefully a few more million to take off our outgoing’s to help us with FFP!

I do not have one ounce of pity of anyone who gets in acar after having a drink. It is okay saying was only one drink or only just over the limit.

It could be he had quite a few drinks and waited til 5 am, thinking most would be out of his system by then. You could then say "Well, at least he had the sense to not drive earlier, when more alcohol could have affected him more."

Either way, no-one should get behind a wheel after having drunk alcohol, it is just not worth putting someone else's lives at risk.

Danny that’s the court fine. His solicitor said that Gbamin’s net income was £25k per week. They will have provided proof of this amount.

I'm not having a go at our Director of Football, Marcel Brands again… honestly but he does have a knack for signing hugely expensive, injury prone players, suspect in temperament and weak of character.

Jean-Philippe Gbamin is another of those whose value has plummeted as he's only managed to play one or two games since his arrival. The Board of Directors need to look at these awful signings!

Oops, I forgot: Brands is on the board!

If he's had a few drinks, gone to bed and drove in the morning then, whilst not excusing it, it is a naive mistake.

However, it doesn't ring true that he only had one drink.

Many years ago I used to manage pubs and at the end of a 14 hour shift I'd sit down with a couple of pints of low strength lager (4% max) for a couple of hours with my staff. I never had more than 1 pint per hour and never more than 2 in total. Sure enough, I got pulled over at 3 am one night and breathalysed, I blew 18 µg, well within the 35 µg limit. So to blow 52 µg after one drink does not ring true to me.

John #70 and others.

Gbamin had played 200 games in 6 seasons for Lens and Mainz - hardly the sign of an injury prone footballer.

Think we have to give Brands a pass on this one.

Brent, I understand your sympathy for Gbamin and it shows you in a good light. However, this man is supposed to be a footballer and has been paid an enormous salary for a very long time for which he has done precisely nothing.

He is indeed "a bum" and a "waste of space".

I have far more sympathy with some poor kid who has had his entire youth consumed after being signed by Everton at the age of 11 or something, who has learned nothing apart from football, and at the age of 18 is "let go".

In any sensible commercial operation, he would have been fired at the latest after the first season he was unavailable.

And as for driving while pissed (as has been noted, it wasn't marginal) that should constitute grounds for immediate dismissal.

Okay, Charles. I'm disappointed with the lads drink / drive cock-up. And he's had terrible luck re injury. It's just that I wouldn't call him a bum and waste of space because of injuries. I might about his driving error though!

Haha Brent! It looks as though we have reached some kind of agreement with a few bits sticking out at the sides!

I'm not sure this has ever happened on the internet before. I'd better go and lie down.

And tuck those side bits in, Charles!

With respect Stephen #72 but Gbamin‘s 91 senior appearances for Lens and 86 for Mainz 05 are irrelevant as I'm referring to his Everton career. Three appearances since 2019 is appalling by any standard.

We all know excessive consumption of alcohol is detrimental to sports performance. Gbamin's doing himself no favours at all if his aim is to try to get back to full fitness. Furthermore, drink-driving calls into question his moral turpitude and current psychological frame of mind.

John, indeed, and the lad mightr very well have had mental issues dealing with successive serious injuries. There has been sympathy for other players who have travelled to foreign shores to ply their trade, especially during lockdowns etc.

Surely we should be prepared to cut this kid some slack and refrain from calling him a "bum" etc.

There are some pious contributors on here. It seems to me that some are jealous of any young feller earning big bucks and some who have been frustrated at his injury record and can't wait to stick the boot in.
He did wrong and will be punished.

I hope the man gets properly fit and does a job for us.

I certainly wouldn't call him a bum or a waste of space because he's had the misfortune to have picked up successive injuries.

What I would question is his value to his employer. In most other occupations his contract would have been terminated after a couple of months.

Why is football so different?

John #77.

Of course his appearances for his previous two clubs are relevant, they are the basis on which he was signed. I presume as well that he passed his medical.

For once, I can't for the life of me see how Brands can be blamed for Gbamin's injury problems since he arrived at Everton.

In fairness to Gbamin he's making amends by hiring an unemployed guy as his driver while he's banned. " I'd like to thank Jean-Phillipe for giving me this opportunity " said Fabian Delph.

Pat, I hear his car only has a reverse gear.