FA reveals reasons behind Terry verdict

The Football Association have published the written reasons behind the verdict on John Terry’s recent racial abuse hearing.

The Chelsea captain was found guilty of using racist language towards Anton Ferdinand and was banned for four games and fined 220,000 pounds.

The FA have stated that their case against the former England captain was that he used racial terms ‘by way of an insult’ to Ferdinand, but added that: “It is not the FA’s case that John Terry is a racist. There is a large body of testimonial evidence, including statements from black footballers, to say he is not.”

The FA stated that they brought the case against Terry despite him being acquitted by a court of his peers because the purpose of the criminal proceedings brought by the Crown was not to regulate football, whereas their case was.

Another key factor was that Terry’s defence hinged on him believing that Ferdinand had originally asked Terry if he had racially abused him, something the Chief Magistrates says is ‘under the cold light of forensic examination, unlikely. It is not the most obvious response. It is sandwiched between other insults’.

More to follow