John Terry: True Mench

[QPR Report]

Ok, maybe not exactly - if story is true

Sporting Life

ANCELOTTI DEFENDS 'CALM' TERRY
By Frank Malley, Chief Writer, Press Association Sport

Carlo Ancelotti insisted he had "a lot of confidence" in John Terry following allegations that the England captain took secret cash payments to lay on a behind-the-scenes tour of the club's training ground.

The Chelsea manager used his post-match press conference after Blues had drawn 1-1 against West Ham at Upton Park to defend his skipper.

A Sunday newspaper claimed Terry accepted £10,000 in cash within yards of Ancelotti at the club's Cobham training HQ to arrange the visit for an undercover reporter.

Ancelotti said: "This is not correct. This is not true. The club, me, the players, have a lot of confidence in John Terry and John Terry did nothing wrong.

"He was very quiet, very calm, very concentrated for the game. No problem."

When asked whether Terry had told him the story was not true, Ancelotti added: "Yes. I have a lot of confidence in my captain."

Ancelotti did admit however, that Chelsea, who stretched their lead over Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League to four points, were feeling the pressure going into the festive period.

He said: "We didn't play a good match. We met a strong, hard team. It was a tough game.

"It is not easy to play every three days. It is not easy to prepare. Now we have one week to prepare for the next game and we will improve.

"But we have four points more than anybody in the league and we can have a good Christmas."

GOAL.COM

Chelsea Deny John Terry Cash For Tour Claim
News of the World alleges £10k secret training ground tour...

By Edward Pearce

Chelsea Football Club has defended John Terry after allegations in the Sunday press suggested he took cash payments for a secret behind-the-scenes tour of the training ground.

The News of the World claimed the Chelsea and England captain had accepted £10,000 in cash from an undercover reporter, including £2,000 for a middleman and £8,000 destined for the 'Make a Wish' foundation.

The story also suggested that manager Carlo Ancelottihad not been consulted or informed at any stage.

The club has declared its confidence that Terry had not acted improperly, but admitted security procedures would be tightened.

A Chelsea spokesman told the Press Association: "Chelsea FC host a large number of visitors at the training ground throughout the year, the majority of which are made up of club sponsors, our charity partners and supporters.

"The players play a big part in these visits and John Terry naturally has a leading role, hosting a significant number of children and their families this season through our partner charities 'Help A London Child' and 'Right To Play,' said the spokesman.

"John has also organised a number of visits for families with sick children as a result of personal correspondence.

"Contrary to media reports and the appearance of edited video on Sunday morning the club is confident that at no time did Terry ask for or accept money in relation to visits to the training ground."

The spokesman added: "Chelsea FC gives our players room to exercise their own discretion when contacted personally with regard to visits and the club keeps security and access to the training ground at Stamford Bridge under constant review.

"However, as a result of the security breach highlighted by this article we will be further reviewing access to our facilities and clamping down where there are gaps in the process."

www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/Gossip

[QPR Report]

Guardian
Chelsea stand by John Terry and insist he took no money• Carlo Ancelotti accepts account of tabloid sting
• FA not pleased by embarrassing accusations

Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 December 2009

Carlo Ancelotti has said Chelsea retain complete confidence in John Terry despite allegations in a Sunday newspaper which, if proved, suggest he had accepted cash having been stung by undercover reporters. Yet senior figures within the Football Association are unimpressed that the England captain has exposed himself to another spate of potentially embarrassing accusations.

Chelsea released a statement today expressing their confidence that "at no time did John Terry ask for, or accept, any money" from a trio of undercover News of the World reporters who had filmed the defender, accompanied by a middleman called Tony Bruce, apparently arranging a behind-the-scenes tour of the club's training complex. Bruce, a known ticket tout, is shown in the video accepting a black folder from one of the reporters that allegedly contained £10,000 in £50 notes as a fee for the tour.

Ancelotti backed Chelsea's stance in the wake of the 1-1 draw at West Ham, though senior figures within the FA have been left unimpressed by the story coming, as it does, a little over a month after an email was circulated by a marketing company working on Terry's behalf and attempting to cash in on the player's status as England captain. The defender subsequently attempted to distance himself from that controversy yet, while there is no suggestion that the 29-year-old's position as captain is in doubt, Fabio Capello will seek to ascertain why, yet again, the centre-half has found himself in such a compromising position.

Terry spoke to Ancelotti today to explain the footage which had been shot in the club's Cobham canteen last Thursday while the Italian had apparently been dining on an adjoining table. The player is shown meeting a suited Bruce discussing conducting a tour for the reporters, posing as wealthy businessmen, though he claimed today that he had not sought to gain any money personally from the meeting. Ancelotti accepted that explanation. "Yes, yes, he told me it was untrue," said the Chelsea manager when asked whether Terry had accepted a £10,000 cash payment for the tour. "This is not correct. This is not true.

"I've not watched the video. I'm not interested. I have a lot of confidence in my captain, as do the club and the other players. John Terry did nothing wrong. He was not upset before the game [at West Ham]. He was very quiet, very calm before the game. It is not a problem. I think he's done his job recently. He has not always had the best performance but he puts in a good performance every game. Also today he played a good game against West Ham."

It is unclear as yet whether Chelsea are considering legal action against the allegations that appeared yesterday, though they do intend to undertake a review of security at their Cobham site in the wake of the story. "Chelsea hosts a large number of visitors at the training ground throughout the year, the majority of which are made up of club sponsors, our charity partners and supporters," said a spokesman. "The players play a big part in these visits and John Terry naturally has a leading role.

"John has also organised a number of visits for families with sick children as a result of personal correspondence. Contrary to media reports and the appearance of edited video, the club is confidentthat at no time did John Terry ask for, or accept any money in relation to visits to the training ground. Chelsea gives our players room to exercise their own discretion when contacted personally with regard to visits, and the club keeps security and access to the training ground and Stamford Bridge under constant review. As a result of the security breach we will be further reviewing access to our facilities and clamping down where there are gaps in the process."

Terry played in today's 1-1 draw at Upton Park, a result which extended their lead in the Premier League to four points courtesy of a controversial penalty from Frank Lampard just after the hour mark. The West Ham manager, Gianfranco Zola, queried the award of the spot-kick – by Mike Dean for a supposed foul by Matthew Upson on Daniel Sturridge – which then had to be taken three times with players consistently encroaching into the penalty area.

"It was harsh," said Zola, whose team remain 19th having edged a point clear of Portsmouth at the foot but arguably warranted more than a point. "The referee got it right in the first place, then the linesman put his flag up and he changed his mind. His first impression had been the right one, and he was better positioned than the linesman. He was closer to the incident and I wish he'd stuck by his original decision. But nothing should take away from the performance of my players. Their courage and bravery were magnificent."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/20/chelsea-john-terry-carlo-ancelotti

[QPR Report]

The Times (and similiar stories elsewhere)

John Terry given strong reminder of responsibilities by England camp

The latest negative headlines to afflict Terry, the Chelsea central defender, have been the subject of private incredulity from Capello
Matt Hughes Deputy Football Correspondent

John Terry received a stern reminder yesterday of his responsibilities as England captain from a senior member of Fabio Capello’s coaching team.

The Chelsea defender is understood to have made contact with the FA in an attempt to give his version of events after allegations by a Sunday newspaper that he was paid £10,000 for offering a secret tour of the club’s training ground. It led to a frank conversation with one of England’s coaches, which has been relayed to Capello.

The England manager is believed to have accepted Terry’s explanation that he did not receive any money and was merely offering a favour to a personal friend, Tony Bruce, the ticket tout, but still felt the need to remind him that his position carries certain expectations in terms of public behaviour and conduct. The Italian is understood to have been astonished when he heard of the latest embarrassment to befall Terry, and has expressed, in private, incredulity at his naivety in allowing himself to be exposed in such a manner, irrespective of his intentions.

Capello has reassured Terry that his position as captain has not been jeopardised, as he still considers him to be an inspirational leader on the pitch and in the dressing room, but warned him that his judgment off the field needs to improve. The Italian has made a point of reminding all of his players of the responsibilities that come with representing England on a regular basis, but a little more than six months before the World Cup finals there is a feeling in the manager’s inner circle that the message may not have got through.

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Also a concern for Capello is the potential impact that repeated bad publicity could have on Terry’s mental state in what promises to be the most important season of his career. He has had to contend with a spate of humiliating headlines in the past few months. His father, Ted, was filmed allegedly arranging to pass a Class A drug to an undercover reporter last month, while his mother, Sue, and Sue Poole, his mother-in-law, were cautioned for shoplifting after being caught with £800 worth of clothes and groceries from Tesco and Marks & Spencer. Terry’s performances have dipped in the past few weeks as Chelsea have won only one of their past six matches, but Carlo Ancelotti, his club manager, remains unconcerned.

Senior FA figures have also expressed disquiet at the negative publicity, particularly Terry’s apparent determination to gain as much commercial value as possible from his position as England captain, a stance that some feel demeans the office. The 29-year-old has signed a lucrative contract to provide exclusive columns to a tabloid newspaper, and last month Riviera Entertainment Ltd, a marketing company, circulated an e-mail announcing that he was eager to maximise his earning potential.

Terry denied having given permission to Riviera to send that speculative e-mail, which among many excruciating claims declared the availability of “a British sporting hero” and “Dad of the year 2008 . . . to create effective brand awareness and endorse products and services globally”, but the damage was done. The FA has also taken a dim view of Sunday’s revelations, though it is not planning to intervene and will leave any action to Capello.

Terry last night attended a Fifa gala in Zurich, where he gave warning of the threat posed by the United States in England’s World Cup finals group. “Everyone’s getting carried away and thinks it’s going to be an easy group,” he said. “The Americans are going to be a really tough game. Over the last four or five years, [their] improvement has been massive. We’ve seen some of the [US] players coming to the Premiership, some well-known faces and players across the world now playing at the highest stage.”

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article6964375.ece