Exeter City football manager Gary Caldwell has been banned from driving - despite claims a disqualification will make it "extremely difficult" for him to recruit new players for his struggling squad. The former Scotland international was clocked at excess speed on two occasions - putting him over the automatic 12-point limit for totters.
He agreed he "doesn't have the best" driving record and it was pointed out in court that he now has as many points on his licence as the team has in the league. But he argued that any ban would impact on his ability to travel the country to meet potential new players during the January transfer window.
Magistrates said that while it might make his job harder it did not amount to exceptional circumstances. It is another blow to Caldwell, whose team lost 7-0 at the weekend. He was handed six penalty points and banned from driving for six months.
Read more:
Anger erupts among Devon hospital staff over car park 'chaos'
Devon woman spends inheritance money from dad's death on sperm donor
Exeter Magistrates Court was told that Caldwell, aged 41, of Alderley Edge in Cheshire, was clocked by a speed camera driving his Audi A6 at 79mph on the M5 in south Gloucestershire on December 22. He was also recorded doing 47mph in a 40mph zone in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on April 22 of this year.
He has a number of previous speeding offences dating back to 2020 and the latest convictions 'totted up' to more than 12 points. Any driver who reaches that number is given an automatic six-month ban unless they can prove such a disqualification would cause exceptional hardship.
Caldwell, represented in court by Mr Laurence Overend, set out three reasons why a ban would cause him exceptional hardship. His main argument involved seeing his family in Cheshire. He currently drives up and down the M5 juggling his football and family duties.
He said seeing his children was the "biggest reason" for coming to court. He regarded the driving offences as essentially private matters and did not want to involve the club, even though they had offered support.
But he said his football duties would also be affected. Caldwell said he expected to be busy in January meeting potential new players, often in the north of the country where his main recruiting network is based.
He said he would still be able to get to the training ground every day but meeting players and agents in January would be "extremely difficult" because he liked to talk face-to-face.
Mr Overend said the club board had recently publicly stated its confidence in Caldwell as the club manager and confirmed money would be freed up in the January transfer window for him to enhance the squad. He said the funds would be used for player recruitment and not to pay for a chauffeur who, in any case, would need to be available 24 hours a days.
He said the manager also did a lot of good community work, visiting hospitals and opening charity shops. He would find a way to continue with this work but it would be more difficult.
Mr Overend said times have been difficult for the club, which sits in 20th position in League One on 17 points, especially after a heavy loss at the weekend to Bolton Wanderers. But he said he would resist the temptation to joke that "the club has the same number of points as he has on his licence".
Exeter City is central to the city, he said, with a large supporter base, and it would be good for the community as a whole that Caldwell is able to carry on performing his job and "continues to deal well in the upcoming January transfer window."
The clerk reminded magistrates that there are often consequences for a banned driver but the test was whether on the balance of probabilities, there was exceptional hardship in this case.
The bench considered its verdict for 10 minutes before deciding there was not exceptional hardship. The chair of the bench said: "We note the effect it may have on recruiting new players for the team and the overall potential impact on the club. You raised some valid points for this and we also note the high mileage you travel each year to fulfil your duties for work. But on the balance of probabilities we feel it is inconvenience and not exceptional hardship."
Exeter City FC has previously stated the club regards the court case as a private matter and not something it would comment on. Caldwell was fined £1,076, costs of £180 and a surcharge of £215.
