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Post by Macmoish on Oct 28, 2011 7:04:16 GMT
TELEGRAPH
QPR's Anton Ferdinand tells of 'crazy’ days in furore with Chelsea's John Terry
Anton Ferdinand last night spoke for the first time about the gathering storm surrounding John Terry’s alleged racial slur against the Queens Park Rangers defender, describing it as a “crazy” week.
QPR's Anton Ferdinand tells of 'crazy’ days in furore with Chelsea's John Terry Under scrutiny: Anton Ferdinand thanked other players who have shown him support during the furore over his row with John Terry By Jonathan Liew and Jeremy Wilson 11:00PM BST 27 Oct 2011 Officials from the Football Association’s governance and regulation department are expected to return to QPR's Harrington training ground this afternoon, having visited on Tuesday, to interview Ferdinand, who is adamant that his main priority is Sunday’s Premier League game against Tottenham. “The last few days have been crazy,” Ferdinand, 26, told Telegraph Sport. “But I’m looking forward to Sunday’s game and fully focused on football. "Anyone who knows me will know that whatever’s going on, football’s always going to be my number one priority. Ferdinand paid tribute to the support he has received from others in the game, most notably his cousin Les Ferdinand and Blackburn striker Jason Roberts. “I’d like to thank players like Jason Roberts for the support they have given me,” he said. “Not just professionals at other clubs but my team-mates at QPR. "They’ve been fantastic for me. Having team-mates around you like I have is nice to feel, and nice to see.” Had his manager Neil Warnock spoken to him about the incident? “I don’t want to talk about that,” Ferdinand responded. “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about the game on Sunday.” On top of the FA’s investigation, the police are also assessing the incident during the game between QPR and Chelsea on Sunday, in which Terry is alleged to have directed a racist comment at Ferdinand. Terry, the Chelsea and England captain, has consistently denied making any racist remark and says that he welcomes the chance to clear his name. FA officials, having visited the QPR training ground already, intend to take further statements today. It is not clear when they will speak to Terry, who will lead Chelsea against Arsenal in tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off at Stamford Bridge. Ferdinand accepts that he did not directly hear what Terry said to him during Sunday’s match, but was sufficiently concerned by subsequent footage of the incident for QPR to request an investigation. The flashpoint occurred in the 85th minute of the match, when it is alleged that Terry mouthed the words 'you ******* black ****’ towards Ferdinand. Terry issued a statement on Sunday saying that he thought Ferdinand had accused him of making a racist slur and “responded aggressively, saying that I never used that term”. Chelsea have suggested that Terry only used the offending words as part of a longer sentence, denying any racism. There had been a hope at Chelsea that Ferdinand would corroborate Terry’s statement, particularly as they spoke for 10 minutes after the match. With the full backing of QPR, Ferdinand has, instead, encouraged the FA to investigate the incident. With Ferdinand not having heard what Terry said, the FA’s investigation is expected to hinge significantly on the available video evidence. The footage that was posted on the internet is partially obscured by Ashley Cole walking past Terry. The FA, however, is expected to request other television angles in an attempt to make proper sense of the incident. There is no time frame for the FA investigation, but the resulting fallout has seen Ferdinand, the younger brother of England defender Rio, thrown into the spotlight. When pressed, Ferdinand refused to elaborate on the events of Sunday while the matter is still being investigated but acknowledged that, over the last few days, he has received an unprecedented number of phone calls, text messages and tweets. He stressed his determination to block out the distraction of the Terry affair. “It’s part of the job,” he said. “You’ve got to play in front of 40,000 or 50,000 people every week and you’ve got to block them out, so if you can’t block this out, there’s no point in playing the game. You’re going to struggle.” What exactly was Ferdinand’s recollection of Sunday’s events? “I don’t want to talk about that,” was his terse reply. What he actually wanted to talk about was the new computer game Battlefield 3, which he was promoting in London. To be fair to Ferdinand, his silence was most likely the product of outside counsel rather than truculence on his own part. And there was an acknowledgement of the strain these turbulent last few days have had. Ferdinand insisted that he would emerge from the episode a stronger person. “Has it been the craziest week of my life? There’s been other situations, but it’s certainly up there. But these types of situations are what make you.” Ferdinand appeared in good spirits yet there is little chance of the row dissipating in the immediate future, with Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas dedicating his side’s Carling Cup win against Everton on Wednesday to Terry. One of the by-products of the controversy is that it has taken the gloss off QPR’s surprise 1-0 victory at Loftus Road, and Ferdinand was keen to pay tribute to his team’s spirit and resolve in holding out against Chelsea, who were reduced to nine men after the red cards shown to Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba. “When you play against ten men or nine men, sometimes it’s harder,” he said. “There was more urgency from them. They had to put the pressure on us because we were winning, but we knew we didn’t have to score again. “We knew we could sit back and try to pick them off. That didn’t happen, and at times we could have kept the ball better, but we got three points, and that’s all that mattered.” Anton Ferdinand was playing Battlefield 3, out now on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. For more information visit www.battlefield3.com/uk. For the latest news visit www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/queens-park-rangers/8854413/QPRs-Anton-Ferdinand-tells-of-crazy-days-in-furore-with-Chelseas-John-Terry.html
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Post by harlowranger on Oct 28, 2011 11:09:59 GMT
Anton Ferdinand: My week's been crazy QPR defender Anton Ferdinand has broken his silence over the John Terry racism-row - and admitted the last few days have been crazy. Chelsea captain Terry is accused of racially abusing Ferdinand during a match between their two sides last Sunday, with both the FA and the police launching investigations. Ferdinand, who is set to speak to the FA on Friday, refused to go into details about the incident. "The last few days have been crazy," he said. "But I'm looking forward to Sunday's game [against Spurs] and fully focused on football. "Anyone who knows me will know that whatever's going on, football's always going to by my number one priority. "Has it been the craziest week of my life? There's been other situations, but it's certainly up there. But these types of situations are what make you." Ferdinand dismissed questioning about the Terry incident - "I don't want to talk about that" - but did say the football community has rallied round. "I'd like to thank players like Jason Roberts for the support they have given me. Not just professionals at other clubs but my team-mates at QPR. "They've been fantastic for me. Having team-mates around you like I have is nice to feel, and nice to see." Read more: www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/John-Terry-racism-probe-Anton-Ferdinand-admits-has-had-crazy-week-following-racism-allegations-article822209.html#ixzz1c4dE56yh Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 28, 2011 14:07:37 GMT
Way to go Chelsea The issue is not whether Terry's state of mind is a problem. I'm sure he's well used to such things! It's whether Chelsea should be represented by such a man, when under a cloud... INDPENDENT
AVB keeps faith with TerryFriday October 28 2011 John Terry on Friday looked certain to lead out Chelsea in their London derby against Arsenal after Andre Villas-Boas insisted he had no concerns about his captain's state of mind.Blues boss Villas-Boas reiterated his full backing for Terry amid the Football Association and police probes into whether the England skipper racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during Sunday's Barclays Premier League game at Loftus Road. "I see no reason why not," Villas-Boas said, insisting he had no fears about Terry playing."Not in the sense of his state of mind - never." Villas-Boas also denied the saga had been a distraction for his team as they look to close the six-point gap to Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. "I don't think, for us, it's been a distraction. We haven't lost too much focus on the situation because there is nothing to lose focus on," said Villas-Boas, whose side beat Everton in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night without Terry after losing to QPR on Sunday. Villas-Boas reiterated that the race row had all been "a big misunderstanding".Asked if it had become a wider issue than Terry's word against Ferdinand's, he added: "I don't know what it's become. For me, it's the end of the matter and it's under FA investigation and hopefully we can put an end to it." The Terry-Ferdinand controversy erupted just eight days after Manchester United defender Patrice Evra accused Liverpool's Luis Suarez of racially abusing him during a match. Suarez denies the accusation. While maintaining Terry's innocence, Villas-Boas admitted more did need to be done to tackle racism in English football. "We have done throughout the years the correct measures to try to ban it," he said. "The governing bodies should continue to be aggressive in banning it. The correct progress has still to be made in some aspects and we hope we can evolve from that." www.independent.ie/breaking-news/sport/avb-keeps-faith-with-terry-2920284.html
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Post by mikehunt on Oct 28, 2011 15:27:43 GMT
i just wish it would go away. no-ones died. bloke is black, and terry might of thought he is a see you nt like we nearly all all think he is. nobody could of seen or heard that in live play, nobody. it was a muttered under the breath word, terribly wrong but if it wasnt for the internet nerd/grasses not a soul on the planet would of known about it. if it offends you enough to ring the police and complain, there is something very wrong with you in my honest opinion. stick to screaming at people in their cars to get off their phones.
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 28, 2011 15:33:31 GMT
Well As so often in politics, the bigger "crime" might be in the cover up and the post-event lying than in the actual...
We'll see whether he said it or not.
If he did say it, and had immediately told the truth/apologized, could maybe have moved on...
But on the other hand, the standards should be HIGHER, not lower, when the person in question is Captain of one of the biggest clubs in the country. Not to mention Captain of England...
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Post by mikehunt on Oct 28, 2011 16:11:31 GMT
No sensible right minded person admits something that will destroy their entire life if its impossible to be proved. Which this is. Especially something so trivial, its hardly murder is it. Hes done what anyone who isnt a god botherer or a bit weird would do, hes made a mistake by uttering words from his mouth, but it can never ever be proved in what context they were said, and hes going to deny it to his death. thats life im afraid, and i struggle why people cant see that, deal with that and just forget it.
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Post by fraserinbc on Oct 28, 2011 16:44:01 GMT
interesting argument. It's impossible to prove, so let's pretend it never happened, eh? How do you know it's impossible to prove? One camera angle picked it up, and that happened to be the camera that was following John Terry at close-up. Who knows what else Sky recorded during that incident? That is what the investigation is for. Anton Ferdinand doesn't know if he was racially abused, but he would like to find out.
I find your flippant attitude intriguing to say the least.
Oh, and if the cameras prove one thing, and that is that it was not muttered under his breath but shouted across the field of play. I would suggest the "f***ing nobhead" part was muttered, but not the offending part.
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Post by mikehunt on Oct 28, 2011 17:14:17 GMT
if it was possible to be proved they would of done so by camera already. thats how i know. and to be honest, if this makes me a bad person than i must be, BUT im not really that bothered by it. anton is black, hes just not the second bit. fed up with it, hes got away with it, the 4 pages every day in the papers is just overkill.
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Post by Zamoraaaah on Oct 28, 2011 17:27:09 GMT
Guilty or not, between Chels***, the FA and the Premier League they'll make the whole thing all go away.
There is too much for them to lose if Terry is found guilty.
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Post by klr on Oct 28, 2011 17:27:19 GMT
If they sorted it out after the match then what has it got to do with anyone else ?
I dont particularly like Terry, but I tell you what I definately dont like; the demonisation of a working class white male by "holier than though" & "right on" middle class types in the media / "the Race Industry"
Now that hasnt necessarily happened in that instance, but its what usually happens in this country & it depresse's people & makes people more resentful, not more "inclusive" or any of that B*llocks.
John Terry may be a Racist, but at least he's not a hypocrite.
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Post by klr on Oct 28, 2011 17:32:03 GMT
JT is Innocent
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Post by klr on Oct 28, 2011 17:32:23 GMT
Well, he's probably not IMO, but thats not my point.
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Post by cpr on Oct 28, 2011 17:43:01 GMT
Can't see what purpose an FA inquiry or investigation will have.
The matter was reported to the police by a "member of punlic" before anything was brought to the attention of the FA.
Any police involvement outweighs anything done by the FA. Nobody involved is obliged to tell the truth to the FA but that is somewhat different when it comes to dealing with the police.
Although I think the police will find there in not enough evidence to proceed with any charges. Not even sure what form a charge would actually take anyway.
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Post by waterbuffalo on Oct 28, 2011 18:28:13 GMT
i just wish it would go away. no-ones died. bloke is black, and terry might of thought he is a see you nt like we nearly all all think he is. nobody could of seen or heard that in live play, nobody. it was a muttered under the breath word, terribly wrong but if it wasnt for the internet nerd/grasses not a soul on the planet would of known about it. if it offends you enough to ring the police and complain, there is something very wrong with you in my honest opinion. stick to screaming at people in their cars to get off their phones. you'd back a chelsea player over one of ours, says it all, really. if you look at the video , like we all did, it was clearly not'muttered under his breath'. Are you calling me an internet nerd? I saw it on tv, does that make me a snitch? You defend him, and you insult us. Interesting.
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Post by waterbuffalo on Oct 28, 2011 18:36:33 GMT
FTR, after the game I said this is normal language in any sport. But if you want people to follow, and kids to follow the Kick Racism out of football campaign then the England captain has to lead by example, England often accuse other countries of racist abuse, Spain I remember and one game recently, if you get on your high horse and accuse them of insulting Theo Walcott or Defoe, or Heskey then it stands to reason you should do the same when you play against QPR. How can you lecture europe when your captain is a racist? as KLR said. Then don't ever complain when the spanish make monkey sounds and throw bananas. That's the hypocrisy.
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Post by mikehunt on Oct 28, 2011 18:57:49 GMT
i just wish it would go away. no-ones died. bloke is black, and terry might of thought he is a see you nt like we nearly all all think he is. nobody could of seen or heard that in live play, nobody. it was a muttered under the breath word, terribly wrong but if it wasnt for the internet nerd/grasses not a soul on the planet would of known about it. if it offends you enough to ring the police and complain, there is something very wrong with you in my honest opinion. stick to screaming at people in their cars to get off their phones. you'd back a chelsea player over one of ours, says it all, really. if you look at the video , like we all did, it was clearly not'muttered under his breath'. Are you calling me an internet nerd? I saw it on tv, does that make me a snitch? You defend him, and you insult us. Interesting. if you were the member of the public that complained to the ;olice, then yes you are. and of course i wouldnt stand for terry over anton. stop being silly please. thats nuts. i jsut think its gone too far.
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Post by harlowranger on Oct 28, 2011 19:41:10 GMT
Chelsea fined £20k for failing to control players against QPR Chelsea have been fined £20,000 by the Football Association after admitting a charge of "failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion" in last week's Barclays Premier League match against QPR, the Football Association have confirmed. The fine was imposed after Chelsea players surrounded referee Chris Foy following Jose Bosingwa's red card during the 1-0 defeat at Loftus Road. The FA today announced the fine in relation to the incident and they also asked Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas to explain his post-match comments to the media about Foy and the assistant referees. Read more: www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Chelsea-fined-20-000-for-failing-to-control-players-against-QPR-article822631.html#ixzz1c6hsgZPU Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here
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Post by superckat on Oct 28, 2011 20:26:49 GMT
If they sorted it out after the match then what has it got to do with anyone else ? I dont particularly like Terry, but I tell you what I definately dont like; the demonisation of a working class white male by "holier than though" & "right on" middle class types in the media / "the Race Industry" Now that hasnt necessarily happened in that instance, but its what usually happens in this country & it depresse's people & makes people more resentful, not more "inclusive" or any of that B*llocks. John Terry may be a Racist, but at least he's not a hypocrite. It wasn't sorted out after the match. Which has been reported many times. So that point is wrong You also go on about demonisation of white males then say it's may not be the case here. So why mention it? According to your last sentence it seems that you're OK with Terry being a racist but you wouldn't have been if he was a hypocrite. Well actually the fact that he said it out of earshot, then denied it, then tried to make out that everything was sorted makes him also a hypocrite and a liar. So all in all. Your post was nonsense. But I'm sure Terry will be pleased to know that he has your support
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Post by harlowranger on Oct 28, 2011 21:41:54 GMT
Hope he will be focused sunday , 2hrs Anton Ferdinand rubbishes Terry's story . Anton Ferdinand has rubbished John Terry’s version of the Loftus Road race row. He had a two-hour meeting with an FA investigator at QPR’s west London training ground on Friday, to make a statement over the “f****** black c**t” comments caught on camera. Terry, who made the remarks, claimed he was trying to clarify that he had not insulted the QPR defender. Ferdinand told the FA he made no such accusation in the first place as he had heard no racist slur and insisted he had not talked to any player about race on the pitch on Sunday. He maintained he only agreed to go into the Chelsea dressing room and shake hands with Terry on that basis – and only became aware of the TV footage later that evening. Ferdinand’s statement puts the onus back on the England captain to make clear why he used the phrase. A report of Ferdinand’s account is expected to be submitted to the FA early next week. Read more: www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/John-Terry-racism-probe-Anton-Ferdinand-rubbishes-Chelsea-skippers-version-of-incident-article822791.html#ixzz1c7C9wGKQ Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here
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Post by Bushman on Oct 28, 2011 21:48:46 GMT
If they sorted it out after the match then what has it got to do with anyone else ? I dont particularly like Terry, but I tell you what I definately dont like; the demonisation of a working class white male by "holier than though" & "right on" middle class types in the media / "the Race Industry" Now that hasnt necessarily happened in that instance, but its what usually happens in this country & it depresse's people & makes people more resentful, not more "inclusive" or any of that B*llocks. John Terry may be a Racist, but at least he's not a hypocrite. It wasn't sorted out after the match. Which has been reported many times. So that point is wrong You also go on about demonisation of white males then say it's may not be the case here. So why mention it? According to your last sentence it seems that you're OK with Terry being a racist but you wouldn't have been if he was a hypocrite. Well actually the fact that he said it out of earshot, then denied it, then tried to make out that everything was sorted makes him also a hypocrite and a liar. So all in all. Your post was nonsense. But I'm sure Terry will be pleased to know that he has your support What ckat said.
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Post by harlowranger on Oct 28, 2011 21:55:23 GMT
Why is John Terry such a trouble magnet? By Mark Lawrenson Why is it always John Terry? There is no escaping the fact it always seems to be Terry caught in the eye of the storm. He always seems to be the common denominator in the stories. He tries to come across as more sinned against than sinning, but the Chelsea captain seems to have been involved in more than his fair share of problems. Stripped of the England captaincy, reinstated, rows, affairs and problems. Terry has had so many skirmishes. This latest incident, allegations of racist abuse aimed at QPR's Anton Ferdinand, has been incredibly damaging. Does that make Terry naive or unable to stay out of trouble? Either way, it is a distraction from football and the last thing he needs. Some players seem to be able to stay out of trouble more than others. Terry does seem to be a magnet for it. We have to stick to the principle of innocent until proven guilty. We can only hope the FA investigation and all inquiries are thorough and discover the truth. There is no place for racism in football and that has to come through loud and clear no matter what the conclusion of the storm surrounding the Ferdinand and Terry case. Sadly, Terry has admitted saying the words. But it is in what context which is important now. But one of the things about captaining your country, let alone your club, is having the right image. It’s important to set a standard, one that team-mates follow and your fans respect. We will soon see Terry’s reaction to his week from hell and also how many people back him. Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has indicated his unerring support for his captain and insisted they are right behind him. There is no getting away from the fact Terry is a great leader of men and has terrific inspirational qualities on the pitch. He likes nothing better than trying to rally the troops, ignoring the siege going on around him and coming out fighting. Chelsea will also be circling the wagons after a week in which they’ve had their own problems relating to a potential move from Stamford Bridge. But it’s so important now for Terry to come out strong. He will be trying to galvanize the team, and emphasise that Chelsea must put on a big performance against Arsenal in Saturday's early TV game. They will face a big test against a side who are enjoying a resurgence, winning six of their last seven games. But Arsene Wenger will know Chelsea will provide the acid test. Arsenal do look as if they have turned it round after their poor start and that mauling at Manchester United. However, they have played teams in their good run that they would be expected to beat. Chelsea away is a much tougher prospect. The Gunners always had too much experience and quality not to come back to some extent, but this is the match in which they discover where their team, their revival and their new players are at. I suspect Arsenal, despite their improvement, will finish fifth or sixth this season, rather than fourth. They still have issues defensively, and they have lost two top players in Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Chelsea look hard to beat. Fernando Torres has been coming back towards form and Villas-Boas appears to be making progress. It will be a cracking derby, with much for Chelsea, Terry and Arsenal to prove. Read more: www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/mark-lawrenson/Mark-Lawrenson-column-on-John-Terry-Why-is-the-Chelsea-and-England-captain-such-a-trouble-magnet-article822633.html#ixzz1c7F87JDg Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here
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Post by superckat on Oct 28, 2011 22:27:43 GMT
I rmember during the John Terry and Wayne Bridge's ex's incident. Craig Bellamy during a post match interview made a comment to the effect that he wasn't surprised, everyone in Football knows what John Terry is like. I wonder if he isn't surprised about this either.
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 29, 2011 7:15:34 GMT
Chelsea's manager has gone down in my estimation.... Terry may be a great player/captain, etc... He may not even have done anything... But the drivel coming out from Chelsea is nauseating MIRROR Villa-Boas: Terry has team backing John Terry has the backing of all of his Chelsea team-mates over allegations he racially abused QPR's Anton Ferdinand, manager Andre Villas-Boas has insisted. The 30-year-old has categorically denied using a racist slur against Ferdinand, and unless evidence or witnesses emerge suggesting he did, he is unlikely to face any action. Several of Terry's Chelsea team-mates might also be in a position to back up his version of events and Villas-Boas revealed the whole squad was united behind their skipper. He said: "All of the players have been quiet about it because we know what happened. Nothing happened, so there is nothing to discuss." Even if Terry is exonerated, Chelsea's rival supporters are likely to make him a target of their abuse in the coming weeks but Villas-Boas was confident he would not suffer "any more" than usual. The club have refused to confirm whether Terry has been interviewed by the FA but Ferdinand has spoken to them, according to QPR boss Neil Warnock. "Anton has spoken about the situation - with me and the FA," he said. "I'm sure the powers that be will come up with a decision when they have spoken to all the witnesses." It is understood Ferdinand does not recall any exchange with Terry in which he accused the England captain of racially abusing him, something the latter claimed prompted him to respond with a denial which included the same language. The race row is the latest controversy to befall Terry but Villas-Boas, who arrived at Chelsea this summer with a demand for his players to be role models, insisted his skipper was a good one. Villa-Boas said: "He is England captain, the captain of your team and of your country. You should be proud." www.mirror.co.uk/sport/latest/2011/10/29/villa-boas-terry-has-team-backing-115875-23522819/
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Post by cpr on Oct 29, 2011 7:19:51 GMT
Trial by camera: Sky hand unseen footage of Terry and Ferdinand clash to FA By Neil Ashton and Sami Mokbel Last updated at 11:05 PM on 28th October 2011 Add to My Stories Share .FA investigators will examine footage from 20 Sky cameras in a bid to establish if John Terry racially abused Anton Ferdinand. The FA asked the broadcaster for every camera angle recorded last Sunday at Loftus Road as officials quizzed both players at their training grounds. Terry was driven out of Chelsea’s Surrey complex in the back of his car after an exhaustive interview with Jennie Kennedy and Adam Sanhie from the FA. Look who's talking: The FA have asked Sky TV for all their footage from the clash between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road Des Kelly on the John Terry scandalFootball cannot tolerate a blind spot on racism .Ferdinand, in his two-hour meeting at Queens Park Rangers’ west London training facility, confirmed he had not had a conversation about racial abuse with any player during the controversial match — something which contradicts Terry’s account of how events unfolded. Terry has consistently denied making a racist slur towards Ferdinand. The Chelsea defender claims he shouted: ‘Oi, Anton, did you think I called you a black ****?’. Investigation: The FA are looking into claims that Terry made racist remarks Footage broadcast during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat caught Terry mouthing the words ‘black ****’. However, the start of Terry’s sentence is obscured by Ashley Cole’s head in the pictures shown live by Sky Sports and later by the BBC on Match of the Day 2. The FA will analyse other footage in an attempt to piece together the full exchange. Although Sky does not keep every second from every camera shot on a live broadcast, most of it is retained on disc for potential use on other programmes. Sportsmail has learned that England captain Terry met Chelsea’s barrister Jim Sturman QC and club secretary Dave Barnard on Thursday to establish a battle plan. Ferdinand is due to make his written submission on Monday. Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas meanwhile insists the row is a 'big misunderstanding', and reiterated his full backing for the player. Terry will lead out Chelsea in Saturday's London derby against Arsenal after Villas-Boas said he had no concerns about his captain's state of mind. 'I see no reason why not,' Villas-Boas said. 'Not in the sense of his state of mind - never.' Full support: Andre Villas-Boas continues to back his captain Asked if it had become a wider issue than Terry's word against Ferdinand's, he added: 'I don't know what it's become. For me, it's the end of the matter and it's under FA investigation and hopefully we can put an end to it.' Villas-Boas also denied the saga had been a distraction for his team as they look to close the six-point gap to Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. 'I don't think, for us, it's been a distraction,' he said. 'We haven't lost too much focus on the situation because there is nothing to lose focus on.' Crunch talks: Terry held meetings with the club's legal team at Chelsea's training ground The Terry-Ferdinand controversy erupted just eight days after Manchester United defender Patrice Evra accused Liverpool's Luis Suarez of racially abusing him during a match. Suarez denies the accusation. While maintaining Terry's innocence, Villas-Boas admitted more did need to be done to tackle racism in English football. 'We have done throughout the years the correct measures to try to ban it,' he said. 'The governing bodies should continue to be aggressive in banning it. The correct progress has still to be made in some aspects and we hope we can evolve from that.' Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2054877/John-Terry-racism-row-Sky-TV-FA-unseen-footage.html#ixzz1c9W3m6iU
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Post by cpr on Oct 29, 2011 7:41:00 GMT
Football simply cannot tolerate a blind spot on racism - By Des KellyLast updated at 11:00 PM on 28th October 2011 Comments (1) Add to My Stories Share .My doctor recently told me that I was colour blind. The news hit me like a bolt from the grey. Not a new joke, but a timely repeat because most of us like to think we are pretty much blind when it comes to matters of colour, race and prejudice, at least in polite society. The reality is somewhat different. Which is why police canteens, newsrooms, cabinet meetings and legal chambers remain predominantly white enclaves. Storm: John Terry's clash with Anton Ferdinand is being investigated by the FA Not that this has stopped coppers, journalists, politicians and lawyers from scrambling all over an incident of alleged racism in football involving John Terry. The inherent hypocrisy is ignored because Premier League football is scrutinised through the magnifying glass of television and is routinely picked apart for daring to betray even a fraction of the problems that infest wider society. But compared to many other workplaces, the sport is a model of cosmopolitan meritocracy, certainly on the pitch. Des Kelly on Twitter •Let's try that again. Follow these boys & do some good for blind football @blindfootball RT> Des how abt an RT to help get some followers? about 19 hours ago•@megan50megan No, I'm not a fan of croissants. Also do a show called Press Pass on Sunday eves on Talksport - 6pm. 1 day ago•Preview of Attenborough's new documentary "The Football Planet". (via @chrisdavies1966 @talksport) Watch. t.co/zue7i2Fl1 day ago•@megan50megan Thank you Megan. x 2 days ago•@gary_Chappell I did! 2 days agoFollow Des on Twitter. While there remains an under-representation of black faces at managerial level, nobody can argue that the United Nations of Billionaires who own our clubs care about the shade of a player’s skin. It’s the colour of money they are worried about. That does not mean there are no issues with racism. There are enough ignorant people kicking a ball about and enough paying to watch them too for this problem ever to disappear entirely, but it has unquestionably diminished to the point where it is considered an abomination at football grounds in this country. There is a reason for that. People stood up and complained. They protested loudly when it happened. When John Barnes had bananas thrown at him on the pitch, when Chelsea’s Paul Canoville was met by chants from the home fans of ‘We don’t want the n*****’, anyone possessing a shred of humanity could not fail to feel revulsion. The Kick It Out campaign, the rise of responsible supporters’ groups and media intolerance through the years help to explain why Terry’s clash with Anton Ferdinand and the complaints levelled by Patrice Evra at Luis Suarez receive such prominent coverage. But some people have a problem with this. They believe that, even if racism persists, it doesn’t really matter. One writer actually made the following statement on this newspaper’s website: ‘Things may not be perfect but, at the end of the day, there are worse things to complain about. So, Mr Evra and Mr Ferdinand, I know you feel insulted. But perhaps in this case you could just put up with it and get on with the game.’ I had to read that line more than once to grasp the full vacuity of the remark. The argument — such as it is — is that racism used to be worse so players should shut up about it now. Yeah, that’ll work. Others tried to draw a parallel between racial abuse and insults about being fat, ginger or bald, blithely ignoring the lessons of a few hundred years of history in the process. You know, the inconvenient stuff like apartheid, slavery and mass segregation? Flashpoint: Luis Suarez has also been accused of racism, by Patrice Evra I don’t recall fat people being told to use a separate entrance or sit in a different train carriage, although I am prepared to make an exception for John Prescott. The spirit of the comedy film Anchorman is clearly alive and well in some corners of today’s media: Ed Harken: ‘A lot of you have been hearing about a lack of diversity on the news team.’ Champ Kind: ‘What in the hell is diversity?’ Ron Burgundy: ‘Well, I could be wrong, but I believe diversity is an old, old wooden ship that was used during the Civil War era.’ A Times columnist went on to argue that if we make such a fuss about the ‘One Great Sin of Racism’, there should be a similar degree of opprobrium for ‘diving, vile chants, sexual irregularities and Rooney’s unforgotten £200 pack of Marlboro’. Really? I can’t get too worked up about a footballer paying over the odds for some cigarettes at a hotel. But if he calls the nightporter a ‘black ****’, then I might. Racism was chronic in football a couple of decades ago. That doesn’t make it any less abhorrent when it happens now. But the real ‘crime’ for some is the offence of actually discussing it. Players are terrified of being branded a ‘snitch’ by pointing an accusing finger at another professional. Still an issue: In parts of Europe, the situation continues to dog football And when black players do speak out about what they perceive as underlying racism, like my talkSPORT colleague Stan Collymore did this week, they are deluged with hateful abuse that pretty much proves their point. But let us recap the event at the centre of all this fury as best we can, hopefully without wearing out the asterisk key. Terry, the England captain (a description that still prompts an involuntary shudder) is being investigated by both the Football Association and the police over claims he called his QPR opponent Ferdinand a ‘black ****’ last weekend. When the incident was captured on video, the Chelsea player said he was ‘saddened’ by the interpretation of events, which must mean he felt a twinge in that place where his feelings are supposed to be. ‘Friends’ said Terry called Ferdinand a ‘blind ****’, not a ‘black ****’, as if that would be all right. Then Terry himself admitted he had used the words ‘black ****’, but only because he was refuting Ferdinand’s complaint that he had made this slur. You can make your own mind up whether that sounds like a plausible alibi, especially when you see Terry spit the words out in anger, not bemusement. Taking a stand: Inter Milan supporters famously held up posters of Mario Balotelli in response to racist abuse he received during a previous match In what sort of conversation do you repeat something in such a way? ‘Why you rapscallion, Anton — I take exception to the very idea that you would even consider that I called you A BLACK ****!’ But the excuses are flying as thick and fast as the insults. One argument is Terry could not possibly be racist, because many of his team-mates are black. The theory reminded me of an afternoon I spent at Stamford Bridge about a decade ago as Chelsea faced Manchester United. The crowd was passionate and about as decent as you’d expect, apart from one evolutionary throwback parked a couple of rows behind. Whenever Andy Cole touched the ball, he yelled unimaginative variations on the same theme - ‘kick the c**n’, ‘black ****’ and so on. My friend and I turned on him, told him where to go, or words to that effect, and a slanging match ensued. Apparently, we were ‘c**n lovers’. Then, in a misguided moment, I asked how he could racially abuse Cole when Chelsea had black players like Marcel Desailly in the side? The mollusc-brained specimen replied: ‘Yeah, he may be a c**n too, but he’s our c**n”. Clashes: Tim Howard and Joleon Lescott claimed Emre had abused the defender Police officers then moved in and took him down the stadium steps, hopefully dropping him on his head a few times along the way. There will be no such clear-cut resolution to any of these race rows. They will get lost in a cloud of recrimination and disputed ‘evidence’. It’s difficult to think of a high-profile case where a player has ever been punished for racial abuse. The last was nearly five years ago when Newcastle United’s Emre Belozoglu was charged with using ‘racially-aggravated abusive and/or insulting words’ at Everton. Defender Joleon Lescott said Belozoglu used the word ‘n*****’. Goalkeeper Tim Howard said he heard ‘negro’. The charge was dismissed - and Belozoglu announced he had been ‘cleared’. As far as the Terry incident is concerned, my gut feeling tells me what happened. I also know that is not enough and the only way this, or the Evra and Suarez spat, can go any further is if a player makes a statement that is corroborated by another witness, or a different camera angle turns up complete with a soundtrack. But if past events are anything to go by, that is unlikely and football will close ranks and brush the problem under a handy piece of turf and tramp the dirt down. Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2054847/John-Terry-scandal-Des-Kelly-Football-tolerate-blind-spot-racism.html#ixzz1c9bJ4hDD
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 29, 2011 8:14:34 GMT
THE SUN
Anton Ferdinand fury as Andre Villas-Boas backs John TerryBy PAT SHEEHAN ANTON FERDINAND is furious with Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas.
The QPR star and his camp are angry AVB has continued to back England skipper John Terry publicly — before FA and police investigations have concluded. Villas-Boas yesterday declared that "nothing happened" and it was a "big misunderstanding" and that the race row is "based only on speculation."The Portuguese boss also insisted the country should be proud of Terry as he is the Three Lions captain. Now the Ferdinand camp are thinking of putting out a statement early next week to put their side of the case publicly following the game at Loftus Road last Sunday.Ferdinand faced the FA for two hours yesterday to give his side of the race row and will submit a written account on Monday. Terry also spoke with the FA. A source said: " Anton and those close to him cannot believe Chelsea continue to back Terry publicly when they haven't conducted a proper investigation — like speaking to anyone at QPR."Now they want to put out a statement of their own after the weekend." Terry, who faces Arsenal today, denies making racist comments during the club's 1-0 defeat at QPR. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, careful not to prejudge any investigation, says Terry should face FA sanctions if found guilty of racism. Wenger said: "If John Terry is found guilty, he should be punished. "I always found racism stupid. But I believe that England works quite well on that front and that sport has done a lot against racism and will continue, hopefully." www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3901432/Anton-Ferdinand-fury-as-Andre-Villas-Boas-backs-John-Terry.html
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 29, 2011 8:18:09 GMT
MIRROR
Revealed! Damning details of Terry racism row
Published 23:00 28/10/11 By Andrew GregoryJohn Terry is facing fresh pressure after the Mirror uncovered damning details about the racism row.After TV footage appeared to show the Chelsea and England skipper calling QPR’s Anton Ferdinand a “f****** black c**t” in Sunday’s London derby, Terry claimed his words were misconstrued. He insisted he actually said: “No, I didn’t call you a f****** black c**t” after Ferdinand asked if he had used the offensive words. But the Mirror can reveal what really happened at Loftus Road – with Ferdinand denying any exchange of words with Terry about any racist comments during the match. The QPR defender was unaware of anything Terry had said on the pitch until he was shocked to see the video footage for himself later on Sunday evening. The £170,000-a-week Chelsea centre-back, who could be stripped of the England captaincy if the FA finds him guilty, will now face further calls to provide a fuller account over the controversy. A source said: “Anton was shocked when he saw Terry’s statement claiming the pair had been discussing the racist comments on the pitch.” Ferdinand has also told pals he “categorically denies” Terry’s claims that the pair were “cool” in the changing rooms later, and that they had agreed the alleged racist rant was a misunderstanding – because the QPR man did not even know about it at that point. TV footage of the incident was uploaded to YouTube even before the match had ended and the Mirror has learned an unnamed kitman entered the Rangers dressing room to tell Ferdinand that Terry had summoned him to the away team’s area. Several other Chelsea players, including England left-back Ashley Cole, were there when a puzzled Ferdinand walked in to see what Terry wanted. The source added: “Anton went to Chelsea’s dressing room to see Terry, who explained some video footage on YouTube made it look as though he had said something racist. John asked Anton, ‘Do you think I racially abused you?’ But Anton had absolutely no idea what he was referring to and said, ‘No’. “Terry explained that he thought Anton had complained to Ashley Cole that he had racially abused him. But Anton insisted he had not had any such conversation with Ashley. The only exchange QPR staff say there was is when Cole was overheard to say, ‘You can’t talk to JT like that.’ “Anton was angry Chelsea quickly tried to make out the pair discussed the racist comments after the match and agreed it was a misunderstanding. "The truth is that, when they spoke, Anton had no idea what Terry was talking about. He only saw the footage himself later that evening. “Anton is a reasonable guy, he fully accepts things are said in the heat of battle and a simple up-front apology would suffice. But people around say this hasn’t happened.” Ferdinand, 26, gave evidence on Friday to FA investigators probing Terry’s alleged racist rant. He is understood to have told the FA – who visited QPR’s training ground – that he did not accuse Terry, 30, of racism. Police have also launched an investigation into the incident, which came as Chelsea crashed to 1-0 defeat after they had two players sent off. Footage shows Ferdinand catch Terry with his elbow late on. The pair then get caught up in a clash off the ball and are seen squaring up to each other. Ferdinand can then be seen yelling at Terry as the Chelsea captain walks away. And Terry appears to mouth what some observers claim were the offensive words. Meanwhile, Ferdinand has been subjected to vile racist abuse on Twitter following the controversy. A female Chelsea fan has changed her profile setting to private after she was publicly accused of racially abusing him. The Mirror told on Thursday how Terry’s team-mates had been slow to come to their captain’s defence. The only person at the club to have publicly backed him so far is manager Andre Villas-Boas. On Friday, the Chelsea boss, 34, was asked whether Terry was ready to lead Chelsea against Arsenal for another all-London clash on Saturday and said: “I see no reason why not.” The FA is under pressure to deal with the row before England’s friendly with Spain at Wembley on November 12. Terry only regained the England captaincy in March after being stripped following allegations he had an affair with pal and former team-mate Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel. www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/John-Terry-racism-probe-Mirror-reveals-damning-details-of-Anton-Ferdinand-incident-article822793.html#ixzz1c9mYtfeX
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Post by FloridaR on Oct 29, 2011 11:44:43 GMT
So sick of reading this shit, 170 k a week & not an ounce of dignity.
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Post by saphilip on Oct 29, 2011 12:32:45 GMT
Well I guess where I come from you can writes volumes about racism and only touch the tip of the iceberg.
Is JT's alleged comments much worse than the monkey sounds that I hear from such progressive countries such as Spain, Russia and most parts of Eastern Europe whenever there is a black footballer on the pitch?
Can his comments be equated to what happened in SA for the best part of 50 years (not to mention centuries beforehand), not to mention how the Belgians and Germans, amongst others, treated their African colonies in the late 1800's and early 1900's- or what happened to the US Southern States up to the 60's?
Does it equate to what the likes of Malema, Mugabe, the Far Right, amongst many other prominent racists throughout the world are currently saying?
The anwser to all the above is of course not. But it still doesn't make it right - and by saying those comments like he did (and I have seen little to suggest that he didn't) proves that he is an idiot. The fact that he is continuing to dig further in his attempt to prove his innocence proves that he is in fact an even bigger idiot than what we credit him for.
He may be a natural leader but, even before this latest saga, I have never felt that he is fit to be the England captain. This latest episode merely confirms it.
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 29, 2011 14:10:25 GMT
That's the essence I think.
Can you Imagine Beckham saying it? Or Terry Venables or Ray Wilkins
The England Captain HAS to be someone more than just a good on-the-field leader.
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