Derby County owner Mel Morris was understandably not happy with the recent drink-driving scandal involving players Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett.

The duo appeared in court yesterday, and avoided jail, after they pleaded guilty to the offence which also saw former captain Richard Keogh ruled out for over a year with a serious knee injury.

It has obviously attracted a lot of negative attention to the club even though the Rams imposed a maximum six-week fine to both players.

And, Nick Britten, Director of Corporate Communications at the east Midlands outfit, told Derbyshire Live how Morris felt about the incident.

"It's 100 per cent had a big impact on him. He has put his life and soul into this club, and he feels very let down.

"We all feel let down, but equally as a club, we take responsibility and we accept that we have let down the supporters and those communities that we are involved with."

The club will hope to put the matter behind them now and move forward, with Phillip Cocu's side back in action when they face a tough trip to the capital to take on Charlton Athletic.

The verdict

You have to have sympathy for Morris in this situation because there's no denying he has been let down by the players, who know they've made a big mistake.

He gave them the biggest fine possible and all he can do now is support the pair if they feel it's required to ensure this doesn't happen again and to educate in any way they can.

It will have been a tough few weeks for all connected to Derby as they have made national news for all the wrong reasons.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.