“Nobody thinks that John Terry is a racist so the FA need to leave it” – the thoughts of Avram Grant, ex-manager of John Terry at Chelsea, somebody who knows him all to well. But the FA have yet too make up their mind and Terry’s head remains placed precariously in their guillotine. Terry’s decision to step down as an England player at the weekend raised the eyebrow of football fans around the country, not least the Stamford Bridge contingent who idolise him and consider him as iconic as the lion on the club’s crest. Today’s Premier League game is brimming with passion and excitement, which often results in players being caught up in fiery foul-mouthed exchanges.
In a match at Loftus Road in October 2011, things appeared to surpass this normal level of tension. And In July, Westminster Magistrates Court revealed the gloomy details of that clash between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, where a side of football most thought was left in the terraces and pitches of the 1980s reared its ugly head again. Racism. "F**k off, f**k off … f**king black c*nt. F**king nobhead,” were the words that landed Terry in court. Terry argued there should have been a question mark after “f**king black c*nt”. Exclaiming that he was simply being sarcastic, mirroring a slur uttered by the QPR defender. Howard Riddle, Chief Magistrate, agreed and he was acquitted, consequently being spared the punishment of prison. But it did lead to the FA taking Terry’s England armband without consent, which in turn caused a rift between them and Fabio Capello, eventually leading to his exit. This was not the first time this happened – in February 2010, Terry first lost the England armband following revelations he had an affair with a teammate’s girlfriend, Wayne Bridge. Although the law has cleared his name, the FA has brought its own charge to the fore. An independent panel are this week examining the fact he referenced the ethnicity and race of Ferdinand. If this was proven, Terry would surely be removed from the England squad anyway.
Terry stated that the FA had made his position with England "untenable" indicating he wanted to leave with grace. Head held aloft. Riddle’s decision shocked many and with the FA now being handed back authority, is it an opportunity for him to be rightfully reprimanded for his actions? His off-field behaviour has been lambasted time and time again, and this could be another fatal blow to his reputation. Ultimately, on this occasion the FA's hard line against the player has pushed him over the edge. Although the racism argument has yet to be silenced there is no doubt about his quality on the pitch. As an integral cog for England in the last three major tournaments, Terry has been outstanding; for Chelsea over fourteen years, he has been an inspiration; he was captain aged 20 and has helped them claim the league title three times and the FA cup five. As BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson remarked on Sunday’s Match of the Day 2 programme: “Forget about what else has been going on, on the pitch, as a leader generally, he’s been outstanding. He’s looking at that (the FA hearing) and thinking at the end of this week I won’t be playing for England anyway – I’m just going to beat them too it.” And with the door slamming shut for Terry, another could open for Rio Ferdinand.
The Man United player was also caught up in the racism fiasco surrounding his brother Anton. And then Rio was dropped from the Euro 2012 squad, with Roy Hodgson citing his poor fitness as a reason for his exclusion. This seems all to suspicious after he retweeted a comment calling England defender Ashley Cole a “choc-ice” after he defended Terry in court and was then accused of racism himself. But one thing for sure is, Rio’s inclusion will surely test team spirit, risk continuing this grim story in the media even further and damage the reputation of English football even more.
