Derby sack Richard Keogh

https://www.theguardian.com/football...-reduced-wages

Richard Keogh has been left distraught after Derby County sacked him on Wednesday. The club captain suffered serious knee ligament injuries when he was in the car that his teammate Tom Lawrence crashed into a lamppost after a boozy night out on 24 September.

Keogh, 33, has undergone surgery and is expected to be out for 12-14 months, giving him a return date of the end of next year. His contract, which paid him £24,000 a week, was set to expire in June 2020.

Derby had told Keogh that he could stay and see out his deal with them. Yet they stunned the central defender by saying that he had to accept a massive pay cut in order to do so. The Guardian understands that Derby offered him only a fraction of the money that he would otherwise have collected over the remainder of his contract.

The club’s hardline stance was unacceptable to Keogh and now they have told him that he is no longer in their employ. Keogh has instructed his lawyers in the matter and the Professional Footballers’ Association has also become involved.

Keogh had been out with Lawrence and a host of other Derby players, including Mason Bennett, after a team bonding day. Lawrence’s car went into the back of Bennett’s, before going across a roundabout and hitting the lamppost.

Keogh was left unconscious at the scene after Lawrence and Bennett fled. They would return 45 minutes later, when they were arrested. The men admitted to drink-driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident when they appeared at Derby magistrates court on 15 October. They avoided jail sentences but each was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community service and banned from driving for two years.

Lawrence and Bennett were not in the Derby squad for the home win over Birmingham on 28 September but Lawrence has played the 90 minutes in all five of the club’s subsequent matches. Bennett has been used twice as a substitute. Derby fined both of them six weeks’ wages.

Keogh is understood to feel badly let down by Derby, for whom he signed in the summer of 2012 from Coventry. He started in 316 of the club’s 330 Championship matches before the car crash, plus all 10 of their play-offs fixtures. Keogh, who was pictured on crutches at Pride Park last Wednesday, when Derby beat Wigan, has been left to begin what promises to be an arduous rehabilitation on his own.

Sad end for his Derby career and possibly his playing career. Been synonymous with the club for years and seems a good solid pro to be fair to the guy except for getting in the car with a drunk teammate as he should also have known better.

Dry your eyes mate! Always thought he was a bit of a kent on the pitch.

Forgot he turned us down to join Derby in 2012, lucky escape for us!

Makes you laugh about the punishment that Tom Lawrence has got in comparison mind.

If he was 24 and looking like an appreciating asset to the club then i don't think that they would have done this to him. Seems a bit naughty considering the other two have been kept on (although docked wages) Keogh has been incredibly stupid but he hasn't broken the law like the other two. I bet he wishes that he was pissed up at the wheel instead of being a passenger. He's not innocent although it seems that because he's now a liability the club wants rid. I presume the other two are a fair bit younger-and fit?

If I've understood this situation, the club sanctioned some drinking and organised transport home. The three stayed drinking and drove themselves home when they crashed. Two ran away from their unconscious team-mate.

Seems to me Keogh was badly injured and unable to play for a year + as a result of deliberately straying outside what the club had arranged. I can understand why the club didn't want to pay him in full in these circumstances - and his age is a factor when it comes to his future with Derby.

Wallace and Lawrence seem to have got away with worst behaviour simply because they weren't injured and are younger - and folk can draw their own conclusions about their cowardliness in running away.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stavross1927

Makes you laugh about the punishment that Tom Lawrence has got in comparison mind.

---

He's only 25 and the other player is 23, and they're not injured. There's no moral high ground in this development.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cyclops

If I've understood this situation, the club sanctioned some drinking and organised transport home. The three stayed drinking and drove themselves home when they crashed. Two ran away from their unconscious team-mate.

Seems to me Keogh was badly injured and unable to play for a year + as a result of deliberately straying outside what the club had arranged. I can understand why the club didn't want to pay him in full in these circumstances - and his age is a factor when it comes to his future with Derby.

Wallace and Lawrence seem to have got away with worst behaviour simply because they weren't injured and are younger - and folk can draw their own conclusions about their cowardliness in running away.

---

They're all shithouses, but to run away from your team mate who for all they knew could've been dead is a disgrace.

Tomorrow's backpage headlines could end up reading "Keogh Sues Former Teammate".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tuerto

They're all shithouses, but to run away from your team mate who for all they knew could've been dead is a disgrace.

---

Totally agree. It's the other 2 who should have been "sacked"..

Brutal decesion , been a good player for them , he's a committed individual who you wouldn't fancy playing against, old skool style footballer.

Derby are a feckin disgrace.

So the guy is 33, he has sustained knee ligament damage and is ruled out for up to 15 months. Anyone reckon Warnock will be sniffing around to sign him up? He's the right age, currently crocked, and is very experienced at this level and is a Republic of Ireland international. Go get him Neil :hehe:

Sack all of them or sack none of them. Keogh has been singled out due to his age and how long he has left on his contract. He didn't get behind the wheel when drunk. It was the other two.

It's all about the money, he's reportedly on £24k per week and can't play for another year or so. I never liked him as a player but he's seems to be the injured party here (pun intended). The other two are now playing and they were the ones p****d up and with a criminal record now, so that's OK is it???

He was the passenger for ****s, sake. I hope he takes it all the way.
He could have been killed. The other 2 ran away.

Are they not honoring his contract? I can't imagine this will end well for Derby.

Im sure they have somebody review all the information. Ive no doubt all 3 could have been sacked but 2 of them hold value.

Its a business decision and one which appears to make sense. Football is a business at the end of the day. I think hes probably got enough money to live ok

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mazadona10

Im sure they have somebody review all the information. Ive no doubt all 3 could have been sacked but 2 of them hold value.

Its a business decision and one which appears to make sense. Football is a business at the end of the day. I think hes probably got enough money to live ok

---

I thought football was a sport, but I'm probably naive.

Increasingly, football strikes me as being corrupt as well, but, even by those standards, Derby County strike me as a nasty, cynical and, ultimately, unsuccessful outfit. Whether it be getting games postponed because they have a lot of injuries and suspensions, their owner buying the stadium off the club and then renting it back to them to avoid FFP punishments or this so shoddy treatment of someone who has been a fixture in their team for the best part of this decade, their attitude stinks.

Keogh was in the wrong and deserves a punishment, but the law of the land says two of his team mates behaved worse than him and yet they are treated differently, presumably, because they're younger than him and are fit enough to play for them on Saturday. Derby strike me as the Championship's prime example of a win at all costs mentality - long may they keep on losing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mazadona10

Im sure they have somebody review all the information. Ive no doubt all 3 could have been sacked but 2 of them hold value.

Its a business decision and one which appears to make sense. Football is a business at the end of the day. I think hes probably got enough money to live ok

---

Just another example of the business side of football taking precedence over the moral side of football. We should pay for Sala morally but the club aren’t interested in that if from a business/legal point of view they can avoid it.

It doesn’t surprise me at all tbh.

Never realised the other 2 ran away and left him unconcious in the car. I think you've either got to sack all of them or none of them.

Money talks.

The only rationale I can come up with is: I guess all players have an obligation to keep themselves match fit and he emphatically failed. Presumably that's a breach of contract on his part so he gets the chop. The other two are still match fit. They will have broken club rules and brought the club into disrepute etc etc but perhaps that doesn't amount to a breach of contract.

That's all I can think of as to why derby have been able to fire Keogh and not the others- it's purely contract law. I'm sure the driver behind this is the obvious one discussed above ie he's expensive and old if he's not playing, the club want rid. But I wonder if his injury gives them the excuse they need to terminate his contract and justify to themselves that they are doing the right thing. Scummy little outfit, though, are derby.

Just read the derby statement. Oh do **** off you cheating dickheads. It is impossible to reconcile that statement with firing the passenger and not the driver. Cowards.

Here's the statement:

Quote:

---

"Derby County Football Club has completed the disciplinary hearing regarding Richard Keogh in respect of his involvement in the events of Tuesday, September 24th.

"As a result of that process, Mr Keogh has had his contract terminated with immediate effect for gross misconduct.

"He has the right of appeal within 14 days.

"As we have said from the outset, the Club will not tolerate any of its players or staff behaving in a manner which puts themselves, their colleagues, and members of the general public at risk of injury or worse, or which brings the club into disrepute.

---

I don't see how that statement can be released but the other two kept in a job

Nor do I, all three should have been sacked!

Derby really are a disgrace.

I'm sure they will have a strong case against Keogh but this reaks of double standards. It is immoral and all about the money.

Shameful behaviour by the drivers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MacAdder

Derby really are a disgrace.

I'm sure they will have a strong case against Keogh but this reaks of double standards. It is immoral and all about the money.

Shameful behaviour by the drivers.

---

That sums it up.

Unfortunately the judgements here and on social media are based solely on the reported information.

There are 3 other circumstances, 2 of which do not involve the other two players, that are not being reported. I'm not sure if Derby have to release their findings to the public domain or not, if so then I think sympathy for him will be significantly less than it is now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Des Parrot

Unfortunately the judgements here and on social media are based solely on the reported information.

There are 3 other circumstances, 2 of which do not involve the other two players, that are not being reported. I'm not sure if Derby have to release their findings to the public domain or not, if so then I think sympathy for him will be significantly less than it is now.

---

Just tell us! :hehe:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Des Parrot

Unfortunately the judgements here and on social media are based solely on the reported information.

There are 3 other circumstances, 2 of which do not involve the other two players, that are not being reported. I'm not sure if Derby have to release their findings to the public domain or not, if so then I think sympathy for him will be significantly less than it is now.

---

There may indeed be other circumstances. However most reports suggest that Derby would have let Keogh stay and see out his contract if he was willing to take a significant pay cut. Surely a charge of "gross misconduct" including the circumstances you describe should be the basis of his sacking. His willingness or otherwise to take a cut in pay rather undercuts (sorry for the pun) the merits of the reasons for his dismissal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stavross1927

Dry your eyes mate! Always thought he was a bit of a kent on the pitch.

Forgot he turned us down to join Derby in 2012, lucky escape for us!

---

Lucky escape how? He's gone on to make 350+ appearances for them

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rjk

Lucky escape how? He's gone on to make 350+ appearances for them

---

Because every time I saw him play I thought he was a bit of a liability for them as he always has a mistake in him and someone who thought he was better than what he actually is. Some Derby fans I know are not his biggest fans for similar reasons.

I hope Lawrence gets abuse when he visits Cardiff City Stadium

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyril evans awaydays

There may indeed be other circumstances. However most reports suggest that Derby would have let Keogh stay and see out his contract if he was willing to take a significant pay cut. Surely a charge of "gross misconduct" including the circumstances you describe should be the basis of his sacking. His willingness or otherwise to take a cut in pay rather undercuts (sorry for the pun) the merits of the reasons for his dismissal.

---

This does smack of ‘how can we get rid of an old crock who can’t play for over a year’. They should all have gone in my view.

Have I understood the story correctly - Derby arranged a team building day basically going on the piss and this was the result? :yikes: