Stoke boss Tony Pulis has dodged a driving ban despite being caught by police doing 96mph on a Warwickshire motorway.
Pulis convinced magistrates that handing him a ban would cause hardship to him and the people of Stoke-on-Trent.
The 54-year-old Welshman had reached 15 penalty points with the offence but said he could not use a chauffeur as that could lead to leaks of confidential phone calls concerning the club made while on the road.
Pulis argued that leaks of conversations with chairman Peter Coates could even lead to the club being relegated from the Premier League, which would put local businesses at risk.
His lawyer, Mike Stephenson, told the court: 'There are numerous phone calls every day between Mr Pulis and the chairman which are totally confidential between them.
'That has contributed to the success of the football club.
'As a result of being in the Premiership it has put Stoke-on-Trent on the map.
'It has led to numerous businesses being set up. A number of them are totally reliant on Stoke City, and those businesses would suffer if they were relegated.'
Pulis had pleaded guilty through his lawyer in his absence at a hearing in Leamington last month to a charge of speeding on the M42 in north Warwickshire.
The offence occurred on November 6 last year, when Pulis was driving in a BMW 530DM back to his home in Poole having seen his side thrashed 5-0 at Bolton. There was a variable speed limit of 60mph on the section of the M42 in north Warwickshire at the time.
Pulis, who already had nine points on his licence, was handed six penalty points for the offence taking him three above the 12-point totting up limit.
But the presiding magistrate accepted a ban would cause unnecessary hardship because of 'the unusual nature of the business and the necessity of confidentiality.'
Pulis was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge, and given seven days to pay in full.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2118706/Tony-Pulis-dodges-driving-ban.html#ixzz1pw6gygdp
I'm quite angry that he has managed to get away with this what fucking poor excuse
