A former Reading FC footballer has been told to “grow up” by a magistrate after admitting driving while disqualified and without insurance.
Clinton Mola, now with Bristol Rovers, was stopped by police on 28 November 2025 while driving a black Audi SQ8 in central London.
The 25-year-old, who previously played for Reading during a one-year spell, was just four months into a two-year driving ban at the time.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard Mola had his partner and child in the car when he was pulled over in Southwark. He told officers he did not realise he needed insurance to drive in the UK and was unaware he had previously received a ban.
Mola admitted driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. He was handed a further three-year driving ban and ordered to pay £2,238 in fines and costs.
Defending, Fadi Daoud said most of Mola’s previous driving experience had been in Germany while playing for Stuttgart, where he drove a Mercedes provided by sponsors.
“He had insurance that came with the vehicle, not the driver. He did not understand that here you insure the person not the car,” he said.
Mr Daoud added that Mola, who was 24 at the time of the offence, was balancing football commitments and family life.
“He’s a very young man. He works six days a week, he plays football on the seventh day. He got it wrong because he was so busy,” he said.
Magistrate Jeffrey Manson warned Mola he could face prison if he offended again.
“You are a role model for people, you can’t just say I’m too busy I didn’t know about it. That just is not an excuse,” he said.
“Really, you need to start to grow up. You have a child now, people look up to you for what you do.”
The magistrate decided not to impose unpaid work but warned the offence was serious.
“Driving whilst disqualified is a very serious offence, for which we regularly send people to prison,” he said.
“In the nicest possible way we hope never to see you again – except on television.”
