The John Terry case,just a point.

[Kaiser_Soze]

It is not necessarily down to the different burdens of proof. The FA charge for Suarez was as follows:- using "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour" with a "reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra".

Terry's criminal charge was:-It is said that on the 23rd October 2011 at Loftus Road Stadium London, W12 he used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress and the offence was racially aggravated in accordance with section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, contrary to Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 and section 31(1)(c) and (5) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Despite Terry being cleared of the criminal charge, if he is charged on the same lines as Suarez by the FA, he has very little defence. The charge is using the words, the context doesn't come into it.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

People are missing the point slightly here: if Terry is charged by the FA, it won't be on racial grounds, it'll simply be that his conduct (and, as seems likely, that of Anton Ferdinand) has brought the game into disrepute.

That's a fact that can't really be argued- both players have dragged down the reputation of the game by freely admitting in court that they were calling each other every name under the sun, as well as acting like a couple of ten year olds arguing in the playground- and the point that both players found it difficult to openly use the C word in court clearly indicates that it does still retain the power to shock and/or cause offence.

No, they probably weren't expecting their language and conduct to end up in the public domain, but then again it can quite clearly be seen on television most weeks, so perhaps they should take this one on the chin, grow up a bit, and deal with the now-heavily-anticipated crackdown on bad language that will occur next season.

They can hardly complain: the laws of the game quite clearly state that foul and abusive language is an offence. Just because "everyone else does it" won't give them a defence.

 

[glasfryn]

It is all bollox. Jeez if I went to court each time in the last 30 years that someone called me a f*****g English b******d either
1)Out of mirth
2)Out of sarcasm
3)Out of hatred


I would have been on court for over 12 years.

Terry and Ferdinand are footballers who state things in the heat of the moment, which by dint of their probable below average command of English language, come across as stupid.

Just stop this nonsense and get on with life. Sticks and stones and all that.

Am I fed up with all this rubbish?

Yes.

TNBA

TTF

A very sensible post

 

[SussexHoop]

The cynic in me says to expect a 5-6 game ban which would conveniently take both out of the game at Loftus Road on 15 September - neither player on the pitch, don't need to worry about handshakes etc ... which leaves Cashley to take most of the shit that will be flying around.