Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner hit with driving ban for speeding
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has been banned from driving for six months after he was caught exceeding the 20mph speed limit in London.
The 51-year-old FA Cup-winning boss was spotted by a speed camera last July driving his BMW at 49mph on the Old Kent Road in Bermondsey, where the posted speed limit is 20mph.
Court records reveal Glasner has previous driving offenses; This meant that any additional penalty points resulting from this incident automatically triggered a ban.
The Austrian football manager has officially written a letter to the Willesden Magistrates’ Court to file a criminal complaint for speeding.
He also presented a handwritten note to the court expressing his remorse and vowing not to offend again, choosing not to try to persuade judges to avoid a driving ban on him.
Glasner said in his memo: “I fully accept responsibility for my actions and understand the seriousness of this matter. I have taken steps to ensure this does not happen again. Given the nature of my role, I will ensure that I take the necessary steps to resolve the issue.”
His admission of responsibility underlined his acceptance of the impending punishment.
A judge hearing the case in camera under the Single Judicial Procedure formally imposed a six-month driving ban on Glasner last Tuesday.
As well as the disqualification, the manager was ordered to pay a £660 fine, £130 court costs and a £264 victim surcharge, bringing the total financial penalty to over £1,000.
This particular incident occurred just before 7.30am on July 15 last year, when Glasner’s vehicle passed the traffic lights opposite the Tesco supermarket on the Old Kent Road.
The claim was initiated by the Metropolitan Police. Police told the court Glasner initially tried to resolve the issue by paying a fixed fine.
But as caseworker Emily Delroy explained in a statement: “Payment was made and license details provided for electronic confirmation; however, additional penalty points would result in the current total points on the license being 12 or more.”
As a result, he added: “Refund was requested and the matter was referred to the prosecution team for the issuance of a single justice notice.”
Glasner formally pleaded guilty in writing on January 27. He later openly acknowledged in his February 16 letter to the court that a driving ban would be imposed without the need for a public hearing.
Details of the case were made public this week after the Press Association granted access to court documents.
The Crystal Palace manager was among a significant number of drivers – 1,089 – prosecuted for breaching the 20mph speed limit across London last week.
Magistrates imposed fines collectively exceeding £157,000 and imposed 27 driving bans in similar cases over the same period, underlining a widespread enforcement effort.
Glasner’s team were preparing to face Tottenham in a crucial Premier League match when news of the ban emerged, distracting the club off the pitch.
