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- A Drunk Czech Ref
Independent - Exclusive: Ferdinand wants FA to probe Terry racism claims
By Glenn Moore, Football Editor
The prospect of the England captain being accused of racism hangs over the game today with Anton Ferdinand expected to ask Queen's Park Rangers to petition the Football Association to investigate allegations that John Terry abused him during Chelsea's defeat at Loftus Road on Sunday. Ferdinand will make a final decision this morning after speaking to manager Neil Warnock, but The Independent understands that his inclination is to take the matter further.
Ferdinand and Terry clashed during the match, and afterwards the England captain was accused by television viewers, via Twitter and the internet, of using foul and racist language towards Ferdinand. He put out a statement denying the accusation and stating he and Ferdinand had spoken after the match and "there was no problem between us". However, it clearly was not closed as far as Ferdinand was concerned.
What did happen after the match was a tunnel bust-up between players from both sides, which is claimed to have involved Terry and QPR goalkeeper, Paddy Kenny, who was furious after the Chelsea captain allegedly insulted him on the pitch with a jibe of a very personal nature.
The issue between Terry and Ferdinand is given added edge by the fact Terry this year regained the England captaincy from Anton's brother Rio Ferdinand.
Terry had added in his statement: "I would never say such a thing, and I'm saddened that people would think so. I am the proud captain of one of the most internationally diverse teams in the Premier League and I absolutely believe that there is no place for racism in sport, indeed in any walk of life."
Racism allegations are notoriously hard to prove, as Manchester United's Patrice Evra is finding out with regard to the allegation he made against Liverpool's Luis Suarez. In 2007, an FA charge against Emre, the Turkish midfielder then with Newcastle, was found not proven following allegations he had racially abused Everton players. It later emerged the verdict followed a discrepancy as to whether he used the word "negro" or "N-Word".
This is the second time Terry has had to defend himself against an accusation of making racist remarks after it was claimed he had abused Tottenham's Ledley King in November 2006. Terry, who played junior football with King, denied the claim and no evidence was found to support it.
Terry was one of seven Chelsea players booked and, like Ashley Cole, fortunate not to be dismissed along with Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba. The sixth yellow triggered an automatic £25,000 fine under FA regulations and there may be further punishment for Andre Villa-Boas for the FA is reviewing his post-match comments about referee Chris Foy. The Chelsea manager insisted his players did not lose their discipline but accused Foy of being "card-happy" and losing control of his emotions. "I have a problem with referees supplying discipline," said Villas-Boas.
The manager added: "I really cannot understand the difference of the judgement of the referee. Not only the major decisions, but the fouls, the throw-ins. I cannot understand it. Apart from the fourth official, the other three were led by the emotions of the crowd and couldn't deal with a game like this."
Whether Villas-Boas could impose a disciplinary crackdown on his team, even if he wanted to, is unclear. In an interview with Uefa Technician magazine he admits that, "because of my age and my lack of a professional playing background I could never be dictatorial. I therefore let the players have a certain amount of input into the decisions regarding the way we play and the way the team is run".
Shaun Derry, the QPR midfielder, who had a running battle with Frank Lampard during the game, said: "These top, top players aren't used to losing and they aren't used to losing to teams of our stature. Perhaps it hurt them because they showed that even the best players can lose their heads. Most of the yellow cards were for Chelsea players and I felt we kept our heads. That was part of our gameplan."
Derry admitted that the sight of their opponents complaining to the referee gave QPR heart. "We knew we were doing our job right. These big players have a knack of persuading refs to make different decisions but the ref was very strong. I thought he reffed it superbly."
The fall-out from the match managed to overshadow the importance of the result to QPR as they enter a tough run of fixtures. "When you are coming up against Chelsea, Tottenham and Man City you are looking for bonus points," added Derry. Independent
GUARDIAN/Dominic Fifield
John Terry to learn fate after alleged racial slur of Anton Ferdinand
• Ferdinand to meet QPR manager, Neil Warnock, about claim
• FA reviewing André Villas-Boas's post-match comments
Anton Ferdinand will decide on Tuesday whether to report the Chelsea captain John Terry to the Football Association over an alleged racist slur, after speaking face to face with the manager at Queens Park Rangers, Neil Warnock.
Video footage circulated on the internet of an incident towards the end of QPR's 1-0 victory in which it has been suggested Terry calls the home defender a "fucking black cunt" as he retreats into his own half of the pitch. Terry denies it and issued a statement on Sunday evening in which he claimed viewers had "leapt to the wrong conclusions about the context of what I was seen to be saying to Anton Ferdinand".
Terry said he had been responding to accusations from the opposing centre-half that he had used racist language. "I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist slur against him," he said. "I responded aggressively, saying I never used that term." The key part of the footage, where the England captain said he shouted "Oi, Anton, I never said …", is obscured by Ashley Cole walking across the camera shot.
The furore over the incident, and a fractious fixture which saw Chelsea reduced to nine men before the interval, is understood to have spilled into the tunnel after the final whistle, with angry altercations involving players from both sides. Terry and the home goalkeeper, Paddy Kenny, continued arguments that had sparked on the pitch, and other players are believed to have become involved in what is a narrow corridor outside the dressing rooms.
Terry said he had spoken to Ferdinand once tempers had calmed "and there was no problem between us", saying the incident had been "a misunderstanding". Yet the notion that the pair departed amicably has been rejected by sources at QPR. The club have declined to comment publicly on the issue and Ferdinand – normally a keen twitterer – has maintained silence.
The Rangers players were given the day off on Monday after their victory but will report back to their Harlington training centre on Tuesday morning. The club made preliminary contact with him by texton Monday, with the defender – brother of the former England captain, Rio Ferdinand – and one of his representatives to meet Warnock after training to discuss whether the club will ask the FA to investigate. It is understood the player and the club were minded to pursue the matter, though the 26-year-old asked to sleep on the matter before making a final decision.
Should a complaint be made and if Terry is found guilty, any charge would inevitably have serious repercussions for the 30-year-old's position as England captain. The FA declined to comment but does technically have it within its power to investigate, even if no formal complaint is made. Terry was due to make a personal appearance at the opening of a pet shop in Surbiton on Monday but withdrew late from the event, leaving around 100 supporters disappointed.
Meanwhile, the FA is reviewing the post-match conduct of the Chelsea manager, André Villas-Boas, after he confronted the referee, Chris Foy, in the tunnel. Onlookers described the Portuguese's language as "industrial", with Villas-Boas subsequently admitting he had been "very aggressive" with the referee as he complained at perceived inconsistencies in the official's display.
The Chelsea manager claimed Foy had "lost it" and was "card happy" towards his team, comments that could prompt the FA to impose either a fine or touchline suspension. It remains to be seen whether Foy's match report includes mention either of the players' altercations in the tunnel or Villas-Boas's reaction after the final whistle.
The referee sent off Didier Drogba, who apologised to his team-mates in the changing room post-match, for a two-footed lunge at Adel Taarabt, as well as José Bosingwa for a professional foul on Shaun Wright-Phillips, and booked a further seven visiting players. "I thought he reffed it superbly," said the QPR midfielder Shaun Derry. "These big players have a knack of persuading refs to make different decisions but the ref was very strong. The sendings off were the right decisions, and most of the yellow cards were for Chelsea players, and I felt we kept our heads.
"We wanted to unnerve them and put them under pressure in the right areas, and that plan came off. What do you do? Do you stand off these players and let them dictate, or do you get amongst them and mix it with them? I don't think we were vicious in any way or over-aggressive in anything we did. But these top players aren't used to losing to teams of our stature. Perhaps it hurt them because they showed that even the best players can lose their heads."
Guardian
Chelsea Official Site - PAT NEVIN: STRENGTH FROM ADVERSITY
Posted on: Tue 25 Oct 2011
As Chelsea fans of a certain age can testify, the club has had bad days at Loftus Road before. Sunday had columnist and former Blues star Pat Nevin recalling one but also encouraged by what he saw this weekend from players and manager…
So what were the negatives against QPR on Sunday? Well we got beaten 1-0, had two men sent off, everybody else gotbooked, the opportunity to get right back in between Man United and Man City was lost and even the manager might be up before the beaks because he gave an honest appraisal of how he felt the referee had done on the day. I should be on a bit of a downer but strangely enough I am not and maybe a few other Chelsea fans feel the same way for a variety of reasons.
First of all, with nine men on the pitch there is little or no argument that Chelsea were the better side, how cool is that? The spirit in the team was fabulous if maybe a tad over exuberant at times, but that is not surprising when you are putting in so much effort and nothing seems to be going your way. Luck and decisions deserted us but even at nine against 11 we looked a class above the Rs.
Actually let's deal with that now and get it out of the way. In the modern game, Didier Drogba or anyone else will always get sent off for a two-footed tackle. Never mind that it wasn't malicious (neither was Fernando Torres's a few weeks back) and that he got the ball and hardly connected with the player, that is the way Mr Foy and his colleagues have been told to interpret that situation, so you just have to deal with it.
The Bosingwa one is harder to call. Being totally unbiased I must tell you that under the laws of the game the referee has the right to send our full-back off in that situation. There were no defenders between SWP and the goal and there was just a little bit of shirt tugging. It was however also within his gift to say that it was some distance out, there was barging from both parties and it did appear a rather minor infringement of the rules so a yellow would suffice.
The referee was pretty harsh on us, but that happens. It was the other decisions from the referee, the possible penalty claims and the niggling constant unwillingness to give Chelsea the benefit of the doubt that got up most of our noses
Then there was the penalty decision which referees will give on home grounds every day of the week when players are blatantly, if gently, bumped and the opponent falls as if he has just suffered a massive cardiac arrest. It was naïve from David Luiz once again and it just underlines what I feel; that the brilliant, inventive, quick, powerful and talented player is not really a natural centre back, but a midfielder, preferably the deepest lying one.Even if it is in a Carling Cup game, can we please see him playing there one day, just to see?
Anyway that is my only minor question aimed at our manager AVB, because at the weekend once again he played an absolute blinder for the club. His tactical changes as we lost players in the first half were first and foremost text book in their application. There was no panic, but also no prevarication which could have killed the game there and then.
After the break I think we witnessed a tactical master class in how to play with nine men. Fifa will make a video of that and show it in their coaching classes for years to come.
It was interesting to see the difference at the game I was covering for the BBC. When Manchester United went down to 10 at home against Manchester City it turned into a complete and utter shambles for Fergie's men.
It was strange to sit there at Old Trafford and watch the fans look on in disbelief at how incredibly wrong it went tactically. They didn't make it clear at the time, but afterwards when the anger had subsided a bit towards their defenders, thoughts turned to the manager's contribution. Could the unthinkable have happened, could Sir Alex actually be as much at fault as any of his team by getting the tactics of playing with 10 men so badly wrong?
The red jury is still out on that one, but for us AVB got it right at every stage under more extreme circumstances and also while playing away from home.
Oddly enough a similar feeling of positivity after defeat affected me once after playing for Chelsea against QPR at Loftus Road back at Easter in 1986. If you think everything went wrong this weekend well that day 25 years ago was far worse. We had been doing well all season and then suddenly for a variety of reasons as the season drew to a close, the wheels came off completely. We crashed at home 0-4 to West Ham and then lost 6-0 to QPR two days later.
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong but weirdly I walked out of the ground uplifted that day. Anyone who was there would instantly know why, the Chelsea fans were incredible, in fact in my life I do not think I have been more moved by a set of fans than I was that day.
The blue hordes (pictured top) knew we were having a weird nightmare, but they still managed to sing manically in support of the team not only after four goals were shipped, but after the fifth, the sixth and even after the final whistle. They knew we needing lifting and that there were important games to come and as a group they sensed it was the right thing to do.
It was astounding and as we sat in the dressing room afterwards we knew we would never let that happen to them again. Although the season petered out, an incredible bond had been formed between us and the spirit stayed with the team and the fans.
In short, a defeat doesn't always have to be followed by recriminations and abuse; now and again it can have far more positive than negative ramifications. I think this week was one of those occasions. Right now I can't wait until we get QPR down at the Bridge, with a full squad and maybe if it is not too much trouble, a different referee.
To have a chance of winning a copy of the Chelsea Uncut book signed by a player in this week's quiz, could you tell me who played in goal for Chelsea the day I mentioned earlier when the Blues lost 6-0 to QPR? Answers as ever to pat.nevin@chelsefc.com and the daughter who has finally tidied her room up after three whole years of nagging from me, will randomly choose the lucky winner. Chelsea
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