The flamboyant owner of Billericay Town FC has shown off two £1 million customised Ferraris – only to be told he could be banned from driving them shortly after.
Glenn Tamplin, the owner and manager of the Essex Isthmian League Premier Division side, invited his local newspaper to come and admire his new supercars on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old decided to buy two rare Ferrari F12 TDFs and have them custom wrapped with pictures of the Billericay Town crest and its home and away shirts.
But the next day he revealed the unfortunate news he may be banned from driving them, after being caught speeding back in April.
Mr Tamplin pleaded guilty to breaking the 50mph speed limit on the A282 Dartford Crossing in Kent, after cameras caught him doing 66mph.
Glenn Tamplin, (pictured) owner and manager of Billericay Town FC, bought two £1 million Ferraris personalised with his team’s crest earlier this week
He was not required to appear before magistrates in Chelmsford, but was told the BBC a driving ban is on the cards after already racking up nine penalty points on his licence.
Prior to the team’s 5-1 victory over Barking, Tamplin invited Essex Live to his £18 million mansion in Abridge, Essex, to show of the two vehicles just 24 hours after they had been delivered to him by custom car garage Yiannimize.
He told the paper: ‘They are a very difficult car to buy and I think that only 399 have been made – with right hand drive extremely difficult to get.
But days after the 45-year-old (pictured) showed the supercars off to his local newspaper, he revealed he is facing a driving ban over speeding charges
‘They list for about £400,000, but to buy they are £1 million minimum and I’ve been waiting almost 18 months for one of these.
‘We think that we can have some fun with the fans and it is great for them to get in and have their picture taken and enjoy a little sit in a Ferrari.
‘Typical that two came along at the same time – a red one and a blue one – so I ended up buying both of them because they are an investment at the end of the day because they are only going to go up in value.
‘The more I thought about it, I felt like I was extremely fortunate to have these vehicles and I wanted to let some of the younger fans at Billericay enjoy getting into a Ferrari and having their picture taken.
‘I wanted to give it an edge, which is why we wrapped it in the Billericay shirts and made it into the Billericay Town F12 TDF, rather than the Glenn Tamplin F12 TDF.
The extravagant club owner has made a whole host of new signings and several other drastic changes since arriving at the club in December 2016
‘I never had that as a kid. I never had the chance to sit in a Ferrari. So, for me as a child, if I’d have had the chance to sit in a Ferrari and have my picture taken, especially with the team I supported’s shirt wrapped around it, that would’ve been legendary.
After taking over the club in December 2016, Mr Tamplin has been known for doing things a bit differently, signing a whole host of new first team players and investing in the regeneration of the club’s stadium.
He has also created a new match day experience for local fans.
He added: ‘It is just me doing things a little bit different for the community and the children that I like to do and hopefully it will work.’
It is expected that the Ferrari F12 TDFs will be at most of the Billericay Town home fixtures throughout the season.
But he may not be able to drive them at all, telling the BBC he ‘might have to get a driver…if the judge is not lenient.’
He has admitted breaking the 50mph speed limit over the Dartford Crossing in Kent in April and hopes the ‘judge will be lenient’ after pleading guilty
He added: ‘Of course I regret breaking the limit but there’s nothing I can do now. I don’t want to break the speed limit in the first place but I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again.
‘I haven’t been done driving over 100mph, I haven’t been done driving recklessly.
‘Speed limits are there to be adhered to but it’s not like I’ve gone and broke the limit by double the speed or an excess that would mean an immediate ban.’
Mr Tamplin is also facing another speeding charge for an alleged offence in May when he was recorded driving at 44mph in a 30mph zone.
He will face magistrates in Chelmsford on October 31.
This is not Mr Tamplin’s first run-in with the law. In June he was convicted of fly-tipping and fined £10,000 after dumping 6,000 tonnes of waste outside his home.
He also hit headlines in August for making a U-turn on his decision to reinstate a troupe of scantily-clad cheerleaders at his Essex club.
The football boss originally let them go over claims they were ‘distracting the players and sending them their phone numbers’ – but had appeared to have reinstated them when they returned to the pitch over the summer.