Terry admits guilt on improper conduct charge

CHELSEA captain John Terry has admitted a charge of improper conduct following his comments about referee Graham Poll after being sent off against Tottenham in November.

The England centre-back has dropped his request for a personal hearing and his punishment will be decided by a Football Association disciplinary commission today. A fine, not a ban, is the likely punishment.

Terry had claimed Poll gave him conflicting reasons for the sending-off and the FA brought the charge on the basis that he was questioning the referee’s integrity.

The FA said in a statement announcing the charge last month: “Terry claimed in an interview, which was widely reported, that Poll had given him conflicting reasons for his second yellow card, saying: ‘On the pitch, Graham Poll said to me that it was for the barge on Hossam Ghaly where I just kept running’.

“Then, after the game, he said to me it was for the fall when me and Ledley King fell, so, you know, he’s obviously had a look at it, or got people to look at it and decided that’s probably the best option for him and it covers every angle for him.”