Ferdinand should say no to JT handshake, says Carlisle

PFA Chairman Clarke Carlisle has encouraged Anton Ferdinand to reject a handshake from Chelsea skipper John Terry.

The two English centre-halves go face-to-face for the first time since the race row in QPR’s 1-0 win at Loftus Road in the Premier League in October.

Chelsea travel to Mark Hughes’ QPR again on Saturday in the FA Cup fourth round a week ahead of Terry’s appearance in court, as he faces up to allegations of racial abuse directed at Ferdinand.

Ferdinand has been urged by some, including Terry’s manager Andre Villas-Boas, to put the incident in the past and shake hands to show respect to one another, but Carlisle – who is also the Kick It Out campaign ambassador – feels that exchanging pleasantries may not be the best idea.

“I can understand why Anton Ferdinand would not want to accept a handshake from John Terry because the pair have a personal disagreement and that has led to criminal proceedings against one of them,” he said.

“It would be stupid if Ferdinand is forced into shaking his hand. It would be under false pretences.”

“It is already a delicate situation and a forced handshake could cause wider problems. You hope the two guys will respect each other on the pitch, whatever the outcome of the handshake beforehand.”

Villas-Boas felt very differently on the situation and insisted that shaking hands is an imperative part of showing respect between opponents.

“The handshake is extremely important,” said the Portuguese. “It is a question of respect for the opponent.”

“Football is based on good values more than anything else. These two players should continue to promote those good values.”

“It will be a big moment before the kick-off but when it comes to the time to shake hands, the players should set an example and I expect they will stand up to their responsibilities and do it.”

Mark Hughes was naturally eager to stand by his player, as he claimed that a decision regarding a handshake will be left to Ferdinand.

“The handshake has to be Anton’s own personal decision,” he said. It won’t be influenced by myself or the club.”