The trial of JT begins today and the journos no doubt will be giving it lots of column inches! I just wonder if the whole business could have been dealt with in a different , less "in public " fashion! I cant imagine there are too many "sticks and stones..." of a similar nature get to court and with a maximum fine of £2500 whats the point!
I'm fairly certain he is innocent- I think he did use the word, but in a different context to what has been alleged. Also, whilst I would never condone racism, I think it is a bit rich that Ferdinand would be so offended- in spite of the fact he was making a conscious effort to upset/rile Terry.
Here in peace, ask a question: Silkship - why would Anton Ferdinand not be as offended by this abuse as any other black man? Are you suggesting it's because he's 'not as black' as others? I'm not being funny, I really don't understand why you would think that there are degrees of offence and if there are, why Anton Ferdinand falls into the 'less offended' bracket?
Take off your blue tinted specs for a minute, It is clear as day what he said and the manner in which he said it. If he is found guilty then the FA will come down hard on him, I would expect at least a 10 match ban and if Chelsea had any sense they should sack him.
I tend to agree BM2. Terry apparently got called a " mother fu*#ing ring piece" or words to that effect, and replied with "you bl*#k cnut". Hardly earth shattering , and pretty low by both of them. Should have been done and dusted on the day, the cost of all this could have paid school fees for a few kids for a year. Money better spent surely.
Agreed. Probable a case of 2 idiots abusing each other and being offensive but only the (alleged) racist comment being punishable. Something doesn't seem quite right there.
Nothing I have seen makes me 100% certain either way. Why would he get a larger ban than Suarez and Chelsea wont sack him.
You're holding the stick at the wrong end WLW. I've not mentioned anything about degrees of offence. My point is that if you are going out of your way to upset/wind them up then it's a bit rich to be upset when they say something you dont like. If it was a case of Terry running past him and saying it then I would completely support the court action. But after you've been verbally abusing someone in a derby match...?!
It's all conjecture at this moment but if Anton was indeed abusing Terry first then it's kind of fare game. It's only because Terry is famous that it has got this far. It's hardly gangs of youth targetting and beating up people in racial attacks is it?
Verbal abuse isn't a criminal offence. Racial abuse is. There's the distinction you are so conveniently ignoring. Just as you are conveniently ignoring the fact that it wasn't Anton Ferdinand who made the complaint. Nor was it anyone at QPR. If you are going to make out someone other than John Terry is the villain, point the finger at the CPS, or the fan who first made the complaint.
What abuse? surely that has yet to be ascertained ? If you look at the footage, Ashley Cole is very near JT and as a 'black man' he didn't seem to bat an eye lid. Surely had JT be guilty of such an accusation it would have offended Ash as well?
Based on the video I've seen I think he says; "yeah yeah yeah - you think I called you a f>> b>> c>> - f>> conman" - between "yeah yeah yeah" and "called you a..." someones head obscures Terry's face - but in the context of how the sentence begins and ends I would be fairly certain that is the missing text.
Not in this case, though. And you need to concentrate on this case. Anyway, having a go at John Terry to wind him up by making comments about how he cheated on his wife and shagged an ex team-mate's missus isn't verbal abuse, it's banter at worst, and it's true.
Because he said it, and someone was offended (initially, the complainant. although once the trial is over and anton is allowed to say what he thinks, I'm sure that he'll say then just how offended he would have been had he heard it.)
Difference is, Cole and Terry are friends, and sometimes you forgive friends stuff - especially as it wasn't ddirected at Cole. If it had been, I bet Cole's reaction would have been very different. And all you've seen is the initial public reaction - no clues as to what he thinks in private, and it's very telling that none of Chelsea's black players are being called as character witnesses...
Racial abuse is against the law though and being called whatever before hand doesn't change that. I believe it was actually fans in the crowd that reported it anyway so whether Ferdinand had any right to be offended is irrelevant, not that being insulted by a black person gives you carte blanche to be racist. If you can't have an argument or whatever it was with a black person without bringing up their skin colour in a disparaging way then you don't deserve any excuses or sympathy to you, you're a racist. It'd be one thing to apologise immediately or after the game, admitting saying something out of character in the heat of the moment but Terry has denied it all the way through so if he's found guilty he deserves everything he has coming to him.
