• Premier League

FA: John Terry is not a racist

ESPN staff
October 5, 2012

John Terry has two weeks to decide whether to appeal his four-match ban and £220,000 fine after the Football Association published its written reasons.

Terry, who was found guilty of 'using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour' towards Anton Ferdinand by an Independent Regulatory Commission, has until October 18 to appeal.

The report said there was "no credible basis" for Terry's defence that his words "f****** black c***" were used as a rejection and the panel felt satisfied that the words were "said by way of insult".

While the panel said "it is accepted by everyone involved in the criminal and disciplinary proceedings that Mr Terry is not a racist", the panel felt a four-match ban was "an appropriate sanction" for using what it termed a racist insult.

In reference to Luis Suarez's eight-game ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, the panel said it was significant that Terry only used the offending term once.

"In contrast with a previous high profile FA disciplinary case involving racial abuse, Mr Terry‟s racist insult was issued only once," it said. "Although once is clearly once too many, the Commission accepts that it was said in the heat of the moment. Had it been said more than once, the entry point penalty would have applied to successive insults."

The full written reasons of the Independent Regulatory Commission can be found here.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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