Former Premier League defender Sebastien Bassong has been fined after being caught using someone else's travelcard to evade a £7 fare on the London Underground. The 40-year-old Frenchman, who previously played for Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Norwich City, was stopped by a Transport for London (TfL) officer in May.
Bassong was observed tailgating a friend through the ticket barriers at St Paul's station. When challenged, he presented a TfL staff nominee pass. Subsequent system checks revealed the pass did not belong to him and had last been used in October 2025.
Court documents indicated that the pass was registered to the ex-girlfriend of the friend Bassong was with, who reportedly claimed to be a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) driver. The friend informed the TfL officer that Bassong was experiencing financial and personal hardship due to a divorce and unemployment, which led him to use the pass.
Bassong was convicted of using the rail network without a valid ticket at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on October 30. He was fined £220, ordered to pay the £7 fare, £250 in prosecution costs, and an £88 victim surcharge, totaling £565. He has been given 28 days to pay the bill.
Bassong did not enter a plea and was convicted in his absence via a Single Justice Procedure hearing. The former player now runs a motivational coaching business.