FOOTBALL star Sammy Ameobi escaped a driving ban, but was fined £750 for speeding after he claimed there were ”no trains” to catch to his new club. The Nottingham Forest midfielder, 26, faced a two-month ban after hitting 80mph in a 40mph zone in his £189,000 Mercedes supercar last October. Ex-Bolton Wanderers winger Ameobi also […]
FOOTBALL star Sammy Ameobi escaped a driving ban, but was fined £750 for speeding after he claimed there were ”no trains” to catch to his new club.
The Nottingham Forest midfielder, 26, faced a two-month ban after hitting 80mph in a 40mph zone in his £189,000 Mercedes supercar last October.
Ex-Bolton Wanderers winger Ameobi also got six points on his licence after appearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
The ex-England under-21 player was fined £750 and ordered to pay costs of £75 and an £85 victim surcharge.
Ameobi joined Newcastle United’s youth academy in 2008, making 70 appearances and scoring two goals in seven years.
He had loan spells at Middlesbrough, Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers.
He joined Bolton full-time in 2017, making 65 appearances and netting eight goals.
Ameobi left Bolton in the summer following a dispute over unpaid wages.
The winger signed with Nottingham Forest on a one-year deal.
His two older brothers, Shola and Tomi, also played for Newcastle United.
He said he needed his 186mph AMG S 63 Auto as there was ”no other way” to drive 160 miles to Nottingham Forest from his home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Ameobi told Manchester Magistrates Court: “I regret what I did. It was stupid and reckless and I guess being late for work isn’t an excuse to do that.
“But prior to this I had zero points on my license. I know I messed up but also I have just moved to Nottingham – I’m working there now me and my fiancé have moved too.
There’s no really other way to get to there with trains and stuff other than driving so it would be a problem if I wasn’t able to drive
Sammy Ameobi
“There’s no really other way to get to there with trains and stuff other than driving so it would be a problem if I wasn’t able to drive.”
He added: ”I really need my car because of the nature of my job. We do a lot of work in the community working with kids in hospitals and stuff.”
Ameobi claimed there would be a ”problem” travelling to the Championship outfit even though there are regular trains from Newcastle to Nottingham via Sheffield.
According to the Trainline website, there are 39 trains from Newcastle to Nottingham on an average day.
Journeys last as little as two hours and 53 minutes, but it takes an estimated three hours to get from Newcastle to Nottingham by car.
The incident occurred on October 8, 2018 when Ameobi was still playing for Bolton.
He was thought to be late for morning training when a speed camera clocked him speeding along the A6 Broad Street, in Salford.
A JP at the court told him “we understand it was a one off,” but warned Ameobi “who knows what could have happened”.
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