​Derby County have fined Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett six weeks' wages and ordered them to perform 80 hours of community service.


A team bonding session on 24 September - in which alcohol was permitted in moderation - ended with Lawrence crashing his car into a lamppost after he, Bennett and captain Richard Keogh continued drinking once many of their teammates had left. The latter sustained a serious knee injury that will keep him out of action until the start of next season.

Mason Bennett

Bennett is the youngest player to ever represent the ​Rams, having made his debut in 2011 at the age of 15, whilst Lawrence joined the Midlands outfit from ​Leicester City in 2017.


An official statement on the ​club's website read: "Derby County Football Club has completed the disciplinary hearing regarding Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett in respect of their involvement in the events of last Tuesday evening, which resulted in both of them being arrested and scheduled to appear in court on 15th October.


"Irrespective of the outcome of that process, the club will not tolerate any of its players or staff behaving in a manner which puts themselves, their colleagues, and members of the general public at risk of injury or worse, or which brings the club into disrepute.


"Both Lawrence and Bennett are therefore being fined the equivalent of six weeks’ wages – the maximum contractual limit - and will serve an additional 80 hours of community and rehabilitation, which will include a drink aware course. The club will be making no further comment regards this matter."

Richard Keogh

There had been speculation that ​the pair could be sacked by the Rams following the incident last month, with the crash leading to fears 34-year-old Keogh may never play again due to the nature of his injury and the skipper's age.


Lawrence and Bennett, 25 and 23 respectively, were released on bail by local authorities, but will learn attend a court hearing on 15 October to decide what additional punishment the duo should receive.

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