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- The Ongoing John Terry- Anton Ferdinand "Saga" - UPDATED - Compilation of Articles: What's Happening...Who's Saying What...QPR Players
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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
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footbal....John-Terry.html
Paul Warburton/FUlham Chronicle -
QPR players to decide Taarabt's fate
ADEL Taarabt could be fined for petulant behaviour in the future – but QPR boss Neil Warnock will let his squad decide how much.
In the week dominated by the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand saga, the other major talking point was Taarabt’s peevish reaction to being substituted during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea, and comments insisting a move to Paris St German is still on in January.
Warnock’s patience with the mercurial talent set to face old club Spurs on Sunday has already been stretched to the limit. But the manager revealed he has never fined the player, although there are plenty who now can.
“There used to be no code of conduct until this season,” the manager explained. “Everything of that sort was done on a willy-nilly basis.
“But the senior players went away, drew up their own list, and if they want to fine Adel, they can.”
The manager actually increased penalties on a few points, and gave a glimpse to the code when he revealed anyone daft enough to wear an earring on the training pitch is going to be £50 lighter.
Warnock added: “Players would never fine each other as much as a manager, so I’ve added a bit more here and there.
“But as regards him wanting away, Adel can go. He knows that. And personally, I’ve no got no problem with him showing he’s unhappy.
"But if he ever gesticulates in a manner that would not sit favourably with fans, players or management – then he’s in for it.”
http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-....029-29675 551/?
MIRROR
TALKSPORT
Hill hoping to make the most of QPR second chance
QPR defender Clint Hill is praying that Neil Warnock will rescue his career with the West London club and keep him in the team for the London derby against Tottenham on Sunday.
Hill thought he had played his last game for the club following his sending-off against Bolton on the opening day of the season.
The 33-year-old defender was sent out on loan to Nottingham Forest and was preparing to make a move away from the west London club after QPR signed Armand Traore from Arsenal.
But he was recalled from the City Ground and was handed a shock recall for the game against Chelsea last weekend.
Hill is now hoping that Warnock will give him one final chance to stake his claim for a regular place and keep alive his dream of playing in the top-flight this season.
Hill said: "To be honest I thought that was it for me. I wasn't in the side - or even the squad - and it seemed I wasn't in the manager's plans.
"I went to Forest to play some games and was thinking that if I did well I might get a year there. It was a massive shock to get the call on the Friday telling me I was going back - and even more of a shock to play against Chelsea."
Hill made a timely return as QPR picked up a famous 1-0 win over their west London rivals.
The game was marred by controversy as Chelsea had two players sent-off and John Terry was accused of making racist remarks towards Anton Ferdinand.
Reports suggested that Hill was going to be one of three players who were prepared to give evidence against Terry, but QPR have strongly denied those stories.
Hill is now hoping to focus his attentions on another London derby at White Hart Lane on Sunday and is determined to make amends for his crazy dismissal against Bolton on the opening day of the season when he was shown a red card for butting Martin Petrov.
Hill added: "It messed me up for the next two months and I thought it would end up being my one and only game in the Premier League," Hill revealed.
"I was so disappointed with myself after the Bolton game. I reacted in a way I shouldn't have. Now I just want to show I can make a contribution to the team."
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-newsItalians plot double swoop on QPR
Italian giants Napoli are targeting QPR duo Adel Taarabt and Alejandro Faurlin.
The Serie A club have already sounded out playmaker Taarabt’s representatives, with Paris Saint Germain also keen on him.
Midfielder Faurlin is also on the Italians’ radar after showing some impressive Premier League form.
Taarabt, 22, said: “I’m flattered by my name being linked with an enormous club like Napoli.
"QPR know there is interest so it is up to them but I am happy to win games for them and the future will tell."
QPR are believed to have turned down a £16m bid from PSG in the summer for Morocco international Taarabt Mirror
GUARDIAN/STUART JAMES - October 28, 2011
Is the Championship catching up with the Premier League?
The early-season success of promoted clubs is proving the top flight may not be as daunting as it once was
Is the gap narrowing between the top of the Championship and the bottom of the Premier League? It is tempting to believe that is the case after seeing the three promoted clubs hit the ground running for the second successive season, acclimatising to life in the top flight with such confidence that one player has offered to take drastic action if relegation is not averted. "If there are not three worse teams than us in the league this season, I will shoot myself in the head," Garry Monk, the Swansea City defender, said earlier this week.
Whether those words come back to haunt Monk remains to be seen but for the moment Swansea, Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers are entitled to believe there is nothing to fear in the Premier League. Their collective total of 33 points at this stage has only been surpassed on two occasions in the past decade: West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United and Blackpool had 36 points last year, and in the 2008-09 campaign Phil Brown's Hull City distorted the figures by picking up 20 points on their own to climb to third place.
With two of the three promoted clubs staying up in each of the past three seasons, it feels as if there is a trend emerging whereby the Premier League's new entrants are no longer the cannon fodder the bookmakers and media have long thought them to be. Whether that is down to Championship clubs improving and approaching the top flight with bolder tactics or standards dropping among two thirds of the Premier League – there is a school of thought that, outside of the top six, the division is particularly weak this season – is a matter of conjecture.
It is, of course, early days to be making judgments on the fortunes of the three promoted clubs. The rollercoaster experiences of Albion, Newcastle and Blackpool last term, never mind the cringeworthy image of Brown lecturing his players on the pitch at Manchester City three years ago, when Hull's campaign started to unravel, provide reminders of how quickly things can change. The Premier League can be an unforgiving environment to work in as Tony Mowbray, the Middlesbrough manager who was in charge of the Albion side that was relegated in 2009, knows all too well.
"I took an expansive passing philosophy into the Premier League with West Brom, we didn't survive but I still totally believe there is no other way to go and do it," Mowbray says. "OK, you can say Stoke did it another way but they've built on it and diluted it [by bringing in players such as Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant]. My belief is that, in the Premier League, if you keep giving the ball back to the opposition the opposition will be so good they'll score in the end. You must keep the ball, expand yourselves and ask questions of the opposition."
It is easy to imagine Brendan Rodgers, the Swansea manager, nodding his head at Mowbray's sentiments. Only Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have made more passes than Swansea this season, which is a remarkable statistic at first glance, although the figures do not look quite so impressive when you delve a little deeper and realise that they are the only Premier League club to have made more passes in their own half than the opposition's. It is hard to fault Rodgers' principles but a little less possession and a bit more penetration would appear to be in need.
Norwich have made the most eye-catching start. Despite already travelling to Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, they are eighth. On the face of it, they have a lot of similarities to the promoted Reading side that finished eighth under Steve Coppell in 2007. Of the 13 players that featured in the 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday, only Leon Barnett had made more than one Premier League appearance at the start of the season. In other words, Paul Lambert's squad is replete with players who have a point to prove after working their way up the leagues.
QPR's position in the table feels like less of a surprise. Neil Warnock was eventually given the funds to bring in proven Premier League performers to complement those that were part of the side that won the Championship. Their form has been erratic – they have been thumped by Fulham and Bolton but defeated Chelsea and Everton – and goals have been hard to come by – only Wigan have managed fewer – yet there is enough talent within their ranks to secure survival, especially if Warnock can get through to Adel Taarabt that the season has started.
It is 10 years since all three promoted clubs stayed up, and if that were to happen again this season it would strengthen the belief that the relationship between the Premier League and Championship is genuinely changing. Mowbray, however, predicts the chasm will soon reappear. "Generally the clubs who spend the most finish highest and, due to the new financial fair play rules, a lot of Championship clubs are downsizing at the moment," he says. "Salaries of Championship teams will come down dramatically in the next few years, so people will need to punch above their weight. But as Norwich and, last season, Blackpool have shown, punching above your weight is not impossible."
Guardian
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