Former Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Norwich City defender Sebastien Bassong has been fined for evading a £7 fare on London's Tube system. The 40-year-old Frenchman was stopped by a Transport for London (TfL) officer in May at St Paul's station after he was observed tailgating a companion through the ticket barriers.
Court documents revealed that Bassong was using the Oyster card belonging to his friend's ex-girlfriend, which had been issued to her as a driver on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). He reportedly stated he was using the pass due to financial and personal hardship stemming from a divorce and unemployment.
Bassong was convicted of using the rail network without a valid ticket on October 30 at Wimbledon Magistrates Court. He was fined £220, ordered to pay the £7 fare for his journey from Arnos Grove to St Paul's, and instructed to cover £250 in prosecution costs and an £88 victim surcharge. The conviction occurred in a Single Justice Procedure hearing, as Bassong did not enter a plea.
A TfL revenue control officer, Adebukola Anifowose, stated in a court document that she saw Bassong attempt to tap an Oyster card in a white wallet before following another man through a wide-aisle gate. When challenged, Bassong presented a TfL staff nominee pass, which allows free travel. System checks confirmed the pass did not belong to him and had not been used since October 2025. The accompanying male later informed the officer that he was providing the pass to Bassong, who was experiencing difficulties, and that the pass was registered to his ex-girlfriend, identified as a DLR driver.
Bassong, who now operates a motivational coaching business, was sent a notice regarding the prosecution to his home in north London and did not respond prior to the court hearing. He has been given 28 days to pay the total court bill of £565.