John Terry spits at Carlos Tevez during the Champions League final
On Friday 13th July Chelsea Football Club’s captain John George Terry will be found guilty or not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence. Before, during and even after the trial’s conclusion practically every football fan in England will have made up their mind as to whether the verdict is the correct one.
Let’s not pretend that any of us reading this right now don’t have an opinion on whether the former England captain racially abused Anton Ferdinand. Let’s also not be in denial as to whether the decision of judge Howard Riddle will have any real bearing on our own thoughts on the matter.
I could sit here and pretend that as a United fan, I have no real interest in the case and that the outcome doesn’t really matter, but that would be bullsh*t of the highest order. For starters Anton Ferdinand is obviously Rio’s brother and that automatically gives me some form of interest in the case, after all, it would be foolish to pretend many of us Reds haven’t “sided with Rio.”
Then there’s the anti-Terry aspect many of us feel towards the Chelsea skipper, even when he was accused of shagging a City player’s ex-girlfriend many United fans acted with incredulous indignation that he could be so callous and disgusting towards a former team mate. Yet let me ask you two questions: “did any of us truly give a sh*t?” Also “did we treat Ryan Giggs with the same contempt for his far worse misdemeanour?” No, it was the fact it was Terry, one of our rivals better players who angered so many United fans over the years, not just for winning trophies, often at our expense but for the “spit” on Carlos Tevez during the Champions League final- ironically something many of us wouldn’t have a problem with right now, that for many Reds, made him perpetually hated.
The booing of Rio at Chelsea, a club he was once courted by, last season, simply for being Anton’s brother, also seemed to galvanise our collective hatred of Terry. Then came the decision to omit the United defender from Euro 2012, seemingly to placate the Chelsea man, which only added to our ire. Again I could point out the inconsistencies in many of us actually wishing Rio would retire from England duty anyway and being angry at him being left out, but for the sake of brevity I won’t.
Terry’s trial has seen Rio tweeting surreptitious messages, regarding his “films of the day” which have brought both support and anger from the different factions. Chelsea fans labelling him “petty” “bitter” and “spineless” while Reds have praised him as “funny” “clever” and even “supportive of his brother.”
Personally I stopped following Rio on twitter when his “download my latest app, Snickers are amazing” hyperbole got too much, although curiosity got the better of me during the last few days and I duly found myself checking his tweets to see if he’d made another “clever” reference to the trial.
Chelsea fans will defend their captain no matter what the outcome, Terry’s defence has made sure that it is based almost purely on opinions as to whether you believe he made a racist insult. Fans of practically every other club in England, or at least Chelsea’s rivals, will no doubt believe Terry is guilty, regardless of the verdict.
This week however has seen the sort of tribalistic loyalty that reared it’s ugly head during the Patrice Evra/Luis Suarez affair. During that whole sorry episode, practically every United fan supported and believed our skipper, while almost to a man the Liverpool fans backed Suarez- even after the FA’s verdict.
I’d like to sit here and say that many of us are more concerned with ‘justice being done’ that this is about showing ‘racism the red card’ to quote a cheesy campaign slogan. But let’s not pretend that it is. For many fans following the trial this is about where our allegiances lie, who we dislike, and dare I say, what would actually benefit our club’s the most. Don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions, people who genuinely only want to see either a ‘right being wronged’ or an ‘innocent man being vindicated’ but those people are few and far between.
The fact is only John Terry truly knows whether he made a racist insult or not, no one else will ever be able to honestly say. We could debate, the intricacies of the trial, the various statements, what Anton did or didn’t say to the Chelsea skipper, but it would all lead us nowhere. We all have an opinion – including me- but there will always be someone who disagrees regardless of our view.
Did Terry call Anton Ferdinand a racially motivated insult, or was he making a ‘sarcastic’ comment? The real question is does it really matter anymore to any of us or is this simply about which team we support?
Let me ask you one final question and I only request you wait until the verdict to give me your answer, right now do you think Terry is guilty? When the verdict is announced see if your answer is still the same.
Follow me on twitter @RFFH
I am not sure if one can be called a racist when he spouts some vulgarity from one’s mouth. A racist is one whose lifestyle shows that he is. He is constantly spewing nonsense at other race/races and his lifestyle will show it. If you see Terry’s life..does he sjow these trademarks. He works with many races in his team everyday and he has supported the anti-racist causes and has donated money towards some of these. If out of anger, esp when we are provoked, we spew some nonsense from our mounth, are we racists. If so, then I think we are all guilty. Look at someone’s life and you will know whether he is or not a racist.
An insult NO-ONE heard. Video evidence the is partially obscured. Two professional lip readers, one for the prosecution and one for the defense who BOTH say they cannot say with certainty what was said in the images. An accused with NOT ONE person able to say they have EVER heard him utter a racist taunt or exhibit any kind of race-related angst – not a past schoolmate, or anyone from junior football, or from pubs or clubs he’s been to, or anyone he’s ever met… the prosecution has not found EVEN ONE person to say they’ve heard or seen Terry show racist tendencies. And all the while, every person giving evidence in the court, whether Mourinho, Wilkins (ex-Man Utd too, by the way), any number of black players and other people, ALL testify that he has NEVER given even an indication of ill feeling towards non-whites. Just the opposite – he has given regularly and generously to charities for African and other charities.
AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY he might be found guilty? There is not the slightest possibility of someone being found guilty in such circumstances. If he was found guilty, it would be tantamount to burning witches at the stake, on the basis of similar non-evidence. Wake up people… show some respect for yourselves, if not for Terry. Grow up.
The crown prosecution say he has a case to answer you blinked fool
I was 100% correct of course, as proven by the judge. But thank you for your response anyway.
Very very nice piece!!!
Is the trial to deem whether Terry IS A RACIST, or that he made a RACIST remark?
As for show some respect for that man, regardless of the outcome of the case, I can think of very few people who deserve respect than that odious man, or his thieving, drug peddling parents.
I once read a story in red issue, which normally is pretty bang on with its stories, though obviously anyone can make their own mind up to whether a tale is true or not, about how terry entered a soho bar with his hangers on, saw a woman who had been in a very bad car accident, in a wheelchair, & kept constantly making remarks about her until her & her friends felt so uncomfortable they left.
True or not?
Personally, i can imagine the man doing it……….
This kinda article and thinking shows why they waited so long to solve this case, how dare you ask if it’s relevant? Ya’ll are not racist you are just sweet with it
As for Mr. Rio Ferdinand, his own anger at Terry is based on Terry reclaiming the captaincy from him. If you doubt that, do you think that Rio would be tweeting all his sarcasm and bile if he himself was still England captain? Of course not. He would hold himself in check. So much for it all being about his brother – he’d be saying NOTHING about it if he was still captain. Either that, or he’d be fired by the England manager. So it suits him to lambast Terry under the guise of it being for the love of his brother. In actual fact, he’s just self-centered, bitter and anger-driven, and is actually enjoying his chance to take “revenge”. If anyone has risen above it and refrained from lowering himself, it is Mr. Terry.
Nothing to do with Terry racially abusing his brother then dickhead
Nice try Cecil. 2nd crap comment from you on this article.
Were you using McDonald’s free wifi when typing? Only place I can think of that’s so easy to clutch at straws whilst being on the net, attempting to factor a decent arguement. And failing miserably (but then, I think you knew that already).
It is obvious that what is said on the pitch ,whether racist or not, is said to wind up and unsettle the opposite player. This has been going on since football began and will continue well into the future.
I wonder what the FA and the Football authorities will do if the verdict is a guilty one. Will he get a long ban next season (Suarez case and Rios ban for not taking a drugs test come to mind)or is it because its Terry (ex England captain) nothing will happen.
How can there be any doubt of his guilt? Who cares that lipreaders cannot prove beyond doubt what Terry said? He’s admitted it! The only ‘doubt’ (and I use the word loosely) is the context in which it was said. Terry’s defence is pathetic and highly unlikely. John Terry is a vile creature who I hate partly because of the fake way in which he misrepresents himself to the media and the public. I can’t wish enough bad things on him. And as for the article, it might not be relevant to you whether he gets found guilty or not, but it matters to me and many others. He is not on trial for being a racist, but he is on trial for making racist remarks, which have normalised racism to those who follow his example
Terry is a legend , born leader , best captain footballs ever seen . No way he’s a racist
I don’t like Terry at all but this has to be one of the silliest trials ever.
The person allegedly being racially abused didn’t even hear the abuse at the time and no one else was in a position to clearly confirm exactly what was and wasn’t said. So how can this be a matter for the law?
The FA should charge Ferdinand and Terry with bringing the game into disrepute with their foul-mouthed tirades. But as for the court case, the judge should just throw it out.
I don’t think it’s silly. You know those times where you don’t know that someone’s said something derogotary about you…but someone tells you? You get angry – it’s rare a person will just say “I didn’t hear it, so it didn’t happen”.
If the evidence proves the context of what Terry (clearly) said was in a racial manner, then it’s a racist remark – that’s why it’s a matter for the law.
May justice be the winner of the day.
The majority of people here care not for the law. The mentality is that of the lynch mob, or of the rabble in the French Revolution. Very low class and unthinking. They want the verdict to be what they would prefer, rather than what the law decrees. Now we will see them saying the law is an ass, whereas had the verdict gone the way they wished, they would have said the law is always right and the verdict shouldn’t be questioned. All rather pitiful.
Seems I was exactly right. Thank you for your attention.