Advertisement
Matt Dunham/AP/Press Association Images

John Terry banned for 4 matches, fined £220k for Ferdinand racial abuse

The FA announced Terry’s punishment after an independent commission upheld a misconduct charge against him on Thursday.

Updated 15.45

CHELSEA CAPTAIN JOHN Terry has been banned for four matches and fined £220,000 by the Football Association after he was found guilty of racial abuse towards Anton Ferdinand.

The FA announced Terry’s punishment on Thursday afternoon following the conclusion of a four-day hearing before an independent regulatory commission.

The former England captain now has 14 days to appeal the decision, which signals the end of the FA’s long-standing investigation into an altercation between Terry and Ferdinand during a Premier League game in October 2011.

Terry has always denied using racial terms towards the QPR defender and was cleared of having committed a “racially aggravated offence” by the Westminster Magistrates Court in July.

Shortly afterwards the FA announced its intention to conduct its own investigation. Contrary to FA Rule E3[2], Terry, 31, was charged with “using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand and which included a reference to colour and/or race.”

In a statement released through his management agency on Thursday, Terry said that he would consider the panel’s full written report before deciding whether or not to appeal.

As his suspension and fine will not take effect until after the outc0me of any appeal, or until the window for an appeal expires, Terry could line out for Chelsea in Saturday’s derby at Arsenal.

“Mr. Terry is disappointed that the FA Regulatory Commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law,” his statement said.

“He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision and will consider them carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.”

In a brief statement of their own, Chelsea said that the club “notes and respects” the FA’s decision but that it would be “inappropriate” for them to comment further pending a possible appeal.

“Chelsea Football Club notes and respects today’s decision by the Football Association regarding John Terry.

“We also recognise that John has the right to appeal that decision.

“It is therefore inappropriate for us to comment further on the matter at this time.”

Capped 78 times for England, Terry dramatically retired from international football on the eve of his FA hearing.

“I feel the FA, in pursuing charges against me where I have already been cleared in a court of law, have made my position with the national team untenable,” he said on Sunday.

Close
49 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Quirke
    Favourite James Quirke
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:28 PM

    Doesn’t really seem fair compared to what Suarez got really, fine more but less games for what might be considered a worse offence given they’ve found him guilty!

    185
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ted Carroll
    Favourite Ted Carroll
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:38 PM

    Ironically the Englishman gets a lesser ban than the foreigner charged with the same offence in a case based on racial discrimination!

    232
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerry Ryan
    Favourite Gerry Ryan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:47 PM

    Remember Barton got a 12 game ban for violent conduct.

    A four game ban is only one more than for a straight red. Disgraceful decision, FA have lost the plot, no consistency.

    160
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Grouchy Marks
    Favourite Grouchy Marks
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:48 PM

    That’s not irony – that’s political correctness!

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph McGranaghan
    Favourite Joseph McGranaghan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:37 PM

    I cant abide John Terry but I can’t see how this decision can stand up on appeal considering he was vindicated by a court of law.

    75
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ted Carroll
    Favourite Ted Carroll
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:39 PM

    The excuse is going to be that they require a lower burden of proof and also they aren’t really answerable to anyone. 99.9% failure rate on appeals to the FA also!

    46
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Quirke
    Favourite James Quirke
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:47 PM

    Maybe he will get off but then the question becomes what if the Suarez case had gone to court? he probably would have gotten off too. They keep saying the burden of proof is less for the F.A to find him guilty compared to a court of law but if a white English man gets off the hook while an Hispanic foreigner gets 8 games and a 40k fine the F.A will be made to look very foolish and even more bias than they already appear in this ruling!

    51
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph McGranaghan
    Favourite Joseph McGranaghan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:49 PM

    I know and he is such a dislikable character but I know if it was me and the law vindicated me but a kangaroo court like the FA’s found me guilty that I would be fighting the charge right up to the court of arbitration for sport on principle alone!

    63
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nick Beard
    Favourite Nick Beard
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:57 PM

    It wouldn’t hold up, though. Most professional organisations require a higher code of conduct at work than the law does. Which makes sense – it’s not illegal for me to say sexist things, but if I tried in my office, I’d be out of a job fairly quickly.

    People commenting here have a point that this should be applied more consistently, but a professional organisations should be able to hold its players to a higher standard than just meeting the legal minimum.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cormac Flanagan
    Favourite Cormac Flanagan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:50 PM

    Court of law has a burden of proof of reasonable doubt. Once there’s doubt he has to be found guilty while a civil ha a lesser burden of proof. Prob most famous case was the OJ case.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cormac Flanagan
    Favourite Cormac Flanagan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:51 PM

    Sorry once there’s doubt he has to be found NOT guilty in criminal court.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Neil McAuley
    Favourite Neil McAuley
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:44 PM

    £220k fine, about a week’s wages.

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Quirke
    Favourite James Quirke
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:54 PM

    A financial penalty is a slap on the wrist for multi- millionaires like JT. It’s like fining a millionaire the same as Joe Soap for a parking violation, for one €120 will be a lot and it will stop him parking somewhere but for the other it’s nothing so he’s gonna park wherever he likes.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kian Sweeney
    Favourite Kian Sweeney
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 8:02 PM

    Nothing much for Timmy Terry

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mark
    Favourite Mark
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:12 PM

    4 matches is laughable. Good point on Joey Barton though. He’ll still be captain of club and up until recently country. Kick racism out of football my arse.

    39
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe Reid
    Favourite Joe Reid
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 3:50 PM

    Another British miscarriage of justice. Remember the Birmingham 6 and the Guildford 4 today we have the Chelsea 1. Free John Terry.

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute graham galvin
    Favourite graham galvin
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:20 PM

    are you seriously trying to compare john terrys case to the guilford 4 & birmingham 6 where innocent people were locked up for years in prison for the crime of being irish.cop yourself on.

    68
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Dempsey
    Favourite Brendan Dempsey
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 6:13 PM

    And Deirdre Barlow too, never forget the Weatherfield One :-(

    61
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard Lennon
    Favourite Richard Lennon
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:07 PM

    I think John Terry should not have been charged by the FA. He was found not guilty in a court of law. Are the FA bigger than the criminal courts.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Cox
    Favourite Brendan Cox
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 7:14 PM

    No, but they have a lower burden of proof.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute jarpar
    Favourite jarpar
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:31 PM

    Poor old JT. Given a 4 game ban and fined a weeks wages; £220000! As others have said not much of a punishment compared to Suarez and Barton. He got off lightly. No consistency here. Violent conduct perceived to be a much greater crime than Racism and one type of Racism more Racist than another! Quite bizarre really.

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute peter
    Favourite peter
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:38 PM

    I Dont care about Chelsea or john terry but the only thing that this proves is the corruption of the fa on two fronts. Terry was found not guilty by the law of the land but they are above that. Also if you find him guilty how can you ban one player for eight games and the next one to be found guilty of it for four games. Especially when what terry is supposed to have said is as least as offensive if not more than what suarez allegedly said. I say allegedly because he was never charged or brought before a court of law. The fa has proved itself to be unable to hear cases fairly and is corrupt and RACIST

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ManOnTheStreet
    Favourite ManOnTheStreet
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 9:05 PM

    Settle down there. It’s been explained already that the FA have a lower burden if proof.
    And anyway, anybody with eyes can clearly see what he said.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute jonathan kerr
    Favourite jonathan kerr
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:06 PM

    am a mad chelsea fan but jesus the fa are really light on english players… I was waiten 4 john to be banned till january at least cos of the video evidence…

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rommel Burke
    Favourite Rommel Burke
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:51 PM

    Banned for one match longer than a straight red card! Go figure.
    The FA yet again disgraces itself.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Cox
    Favourite Brendan Cox
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 7:10 PM

    Suarez got a longer ban because the FA chose to believe Evras version of events over his. In Evras version, Suarez used the word Negro on several occasions. When explaining the length of the Suarez ban the FA highlighted this as the main contributing factor to handing out a ban of more than the default. I don’t like it just as much as most of the people who posted but this time, having read the Suarez report in full, I think the FA have actually shown consistency for the number of games. Still doesn’t excuse them for not punishing Evra for the abusive language he directed at Suarez about his sister (which Evra admitted in court) simply because he didn’t reference race. If we were playing top trumps… the race card wins every time.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damian O'keeffe
    Favourite Damian O'keeffe
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 8:49 PM

    Brendan,
    Well said, but you got me thinking.
    At the end of the day it’s grown men calling each other names. One of them decides to be offended, the other is found guilty and told he can’t play with the other boys for a while……
    For Terry it’s kinda like being grounded and it’s really not worth the column inches it gets.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cian Doherty
    Favourite Cian Doherty
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:55 PM

    In finding JT guilty the FA completely ignored their own rule 6.8 which states that “the findings of any previous civil or criminal case shall be considered true and the accurate series of events” (Paraphrased). How can they pick and choose what rules they are going to follow?

    He will appeal it and failing that I should hope he takes the FA to court, either way he won’t be missing games because of the ban anytime soon.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor O'Callaghan
    Favourite Conor O'Callaghan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 8:20 PM

    @Brendan Cox. Evra couldn’t possibly have admitted anything in court, considering there was no court case.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Cox
    Favourite Brendan Cox
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 8:38 PM

    You got me Conor… my point is completely null and void because I mistakenly wrote court. Well done buddy… top marks.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard Behan ®
    Favourite Gerard Behan ®
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 6:02 PM

    4 game ban what a joke he will prob appeal & it will be reduced to a 2 game ban. #YNWA #JFT96

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Mc Carthy
    Favourite Mary Mc Carthy
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 9:17 PM

    Such a poor excuse of a ‘man’ …. And young children look up the likes of him as a hero !!!! He makes my skin crawl

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damian O'keeffe
    Favourite Damian O'keeffe
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 9:36 PM

    What first attracted you to the millionaire John Terry?………..

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason
    Favourite Jason
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:10 PM

    Rule 6.8 FULLY states. “Where the subject matter of a complaint or matter before the Regulatory Commission has been the subject of previous civil or criminal proceedings, the result of such proceedings and the facts and matters upon which such result is based shall be presumed to be correct and the facts presumed to be true unless it is shown, by clear and convincing evidence, that this is not the case.”

    It was pretty clear on video what was said.

    The FA must really ask themselves who the real racists are

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cian Doherty
    Favourite Cian Doherty
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:14 PM

    But the video was already ruled upon by a court of law, the FA couldn’t have found anything new in the same video!

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damian O'keeffe
    Favourite Damian O'keeffe
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 7:08 PM

    Remember there was no evidence against Suarez except Evra’s testimony.

    21
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damian O'keeffe
    Favourite Damian O'keeffe
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 7:11 PM

    Remember there was no evidence against Suarez except Evra’s testimony. They had Terry caught on video.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frank2521
    Favourite Frank2521
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:46 PM

    Is John Delaney associated with the English FA. Sounds like he is. People in positions of power have very little integrity. JT is not a nice guy but is a great footballer.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute jonathan kerr
    Favourite jonathan kerr
    Report
    Sep 28th 2012, 12:47 AM

    john terry has descided that he will take the 4 match ban and spend tyme with the wife…….
    he doesnt knw whos wife but…

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall McMahon
    Favourite Niall McMahon
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 7:23 PM

    Joey barton got 12 games for elbowing tevez. Disgrace

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph McGranaghan
    Favourite Joseph McGranaghan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 9:31 PM

    For elbowing Tevez, swinging at Kompany, kicking Aguero and really quite inconceivably starting on Ballotelli, I think the FA took the view that it was 4 seperate instance that was each worth a 3 game ban.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Mc Carthy
    Favourite Mary Mc Carthy
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 10:53 PM

    @Damien … It started when I recognised his , ahem , high moral fibre !!!. I knew it was out of control when he screwed his mates girlfriend , cheated on his wife !!!!!!

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard Griffin
    Favourite Richard Griffin
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:51 PM

    Ridiculous… So the Fa are now the law….

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dylan Dublin
    Favourite Dylan Dublin
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 4:28 PM

    Double jeopardy ! ! !

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute phil
    Favourite phil
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:03 PM

    Double jeopardy laws are different in every country. The FA is not a court of law so it doesn’t apply here

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason
    Favourite Jason
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 5:46 PM

    Different eyes don’t always see the same thing

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute conor coughlan
    Favourite conor coughlan
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 10:56 PM

    Yeah of course not found gulity in court of law its hardly against the law to be racist

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute jrbmc
    Favourite jrbmc
    Report
    Sep 27th 2012, 11:28 PM

    Yes it is Conor !

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid Walshe
    Favourite Diarmuid Walshe
    Report
    Sep 28th 2012, 6:25 AM

    He needs to pull up his socks………….

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.