By NICK HARRIS Last updated at 10:04 PM on 28th January 2012 John Terry was saved from public humiliation on Saturday when the Football Association agreed to Chelsea and QPR scrapping the mass handshake that is meant to precede every match as a gesture of mutual respect. The FA's climbdown followed a crisis meeting held by QPR players on Friday when they pledged to back Anton Ferdinand if he decided not to shake Terry's hand at Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie between the clubs. The FA's abandonment of the team handshake is a severe blow to their campaign to encourage sporting behaviour among players and fans. And it puts extra pressure on 31-year-old Terry's position as England captain, a role he is expected to retain for the high-profile friendly international against World Cup runners-up Holland at Wembley next month. Saturday's match at Loftus Road, which Chelsea won 1-0 through a disputed penalty, was the first time Terry and Ferdinand have faced each other since the England captain is alleged to have racially abused the QPR man during a game on October 23. Terry, who has consistently denied racist abuse, has been charged with a racially aggravated public order defence. His legal team are expected to enter a not guilty plea when the case opens at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. QPR's crisis meeting heard that 26-year-old Ferdinand - the younger brother of Manchester United and England star Rio Ferdinand - was not prepared to shake Terry's hand in the pre-match file-past introduced as part of the FA's Respect campaign in the 2008-2009 season. QPR manager Mark Hughes, appointed to the job only 19 days ago, confirmed on Saturday that the prospect of his players failing to shake Terry's hand led to the pre-match routine being scrapped, with the agreement of both clubs and the FA. Hughes gave a clear hint that a full QPR handshake boycott of Terry would have unfolded when he revealed that Friday's meeting had heard that whatever decision Ferdinand made would be 'supported by the team'. The file-past handshake is not obligatory and Terry has been snubbed before, when Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge refused to shake Terry's hand after allegations that the England captain had an affair with Bridge's former girlfriend. Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas expressed his support both for his captain and for the decision to abandon the ritual handshake. 'It was a decision for the moment,' said Villas-Boas. He added: 'John was very focused and managed to get the off-the-field events out of his mind and concentrate on his job.' Hughes agreed. 'For him to come through that, I think that shows great credit,' he said. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2093249/QPR-players-plotted-snub-John-Terry-Ferdinand-race-row.html#ixzz1knLuGGpN
"Great credit". Oh, come off it, Spunky. Don't big the creep up. I'm willing to wait on the verdict of the court before condeming the guy a racialist. But, whatever the outcome of that, the man is a pretty unsavoury character who shames the armband worn by the likes of Moore, Hughes, Keegan and Lineker.
That would have been brilliant!! Just to see the ****ers face melt as he reaches his hand out to every player alas we could only hope
Presumably he was showing us all what a great captain and teamplayer he is. Solidarity and all that... not.
