Quite simply, proof would be enough witnesses that would be willing to swear under oath that he said those words. That would have meant his own team-mates who were in earshot at the time aswell....never going to happen.
What a load codswallop - the biggest amount of rubbish you have spouted since you metamorphesised from a twat on 606 to stalker on here. Racist abuse is never tolerated on any field these days (Hughes played in the 80s when we weren't so enlightened). Do you think Andrew Strauss would get away with calling Chris Gayle what Terry admitted saying to Ferdinand. Of course not. Not even even if he pretended to have heard Gayle accuse him of it.
Not much to add, really. Just to say that Terry is one of the most thoroughly unsavoury, slimy, disreputable scumbags, in the game. A totally miserable excuse for a human being.
Not so, what I meant! I meant that he said it in the first instance, Ferdinand was already advancing toward Terry before the later exchange seen on You Tube, the later repeat of the words as a question as he claims. I believe he said it twice, only admitting to the latter explanation., of which yes, he is guilty.
The only thing that disturbs me in all of this is the fact that John "I buy only white goods" Terry and all the Chavs now believe that JT has been "cleared" of racism, as is being reported by some of the thicker hack journos. That isn't true of course. JT has been "cleared" of nothing. It's merely the case that the magistrate was only 98% certain that JT had uttered racial abuse and not the 99% that is required by our criminal legal system to convict idiots like Terry.
At the end of the day, the cornerstone of our judicial system as part of a liberal, Western society is that you are innocent until proven guilty. Despite everything, unless there is empirical evidence to adjudge you as guilty, you are, in the eyes of the law, innocent. Sometimes it looks a little... debatable, like with Terry, but it is a system that must remain.
I wouldn't want our system to operate in any other way. I am merely making the point that JT has been "cleared" of nothing. The system did not require him to prove his innocence; the CPS had to prove his guilt. The thicker among posters seem unable to grasp this very simple point.
Luke, wasn't really calling you that in an aggressive way, but I apologise if it was taken that way (although I can see the point you are making). By twat, I meant wum - which you were in those days (if indeed you are the same person). My main point was that Terry said those words, admitted he said the words and from that point he has to prove his defence, and it was ludicrous. If there was no evidence that he said the words, then the onus is the other way. Then for you to defend it as banter and what happens on a sports field is plain wrong. There is a line for these things (Ferdinand's were just the right side - but nothing to be proud of - Terry's were way past the line.
His comments weren't supposed to be taken literally. A lot of what the magistrate said suggests that the prosecution hadn't quite proved their case. From there legally he is 100% cleared. I suspect the FA (with their different burden of proof) will conclude - on balance - that he was guilty of racist behaviour.
As I said in an earlier post, the thicker posters have a difficult time understanding that the "not guilty" verdict does not mean that John "iron my hood, bitch" Terry has "cleared" his name. Clearly, he has not, since he has not proven himself innocent, rather the CPS has failed to prove him guilty. I don't expect you to understand that concept, for the reasons I have made clear.
