The ban stands for Rio

Rio Ferdinand was tonight declared drug free – but it hasn’t been enough to save his European Championship dream.

For the second time in three months, the £29.3million Manchester United defender faced a blaze of flashlights and attempted to come to terms with an eight-month suspension for a costly missed drugs test at his club’s Carrington training ground on September 23 last year.

Unless he decides to go for – and win – another appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, Ferdinand will now be banned from all football until September 20, ruling him out of the rest of United’s ailing Premiership campaign, the start of the next one, plus the whole of Euro 2004 and England’s first two World Cup qualifiers in Poland and Austria.

It’s a hefty penalty for an act of forgetfulness, which is what the independent three-man appeal panel indirectly acknowledged Ferdinand was guilty of in missing the random test when their verdict was announced following a three-hour hearing and two-and-a-half hours’ deliberation.

However, the hardline stance of FA chief executive Mark Palios ensured the original suspension was upheld, even if the panel, chaired by leading QC Ian Mill rejected the governing body’s desire to see the punishment increased to 12 months.

Panel spokesman Nick Barron confirmed: “In reaching our conclusion, the appeal board discounted the possibility that Mr Ferdinand’s reasons for not taking the test were drug-related.

“But having considered the matter very fully, the appeal board have today dismissed Mr Ferdinand’s appeals, both against conviction and sanction.

“They have also rejected the FA’s contention that the period of suspension should be increased.

“Accordingly, Mr Ferdinand will remain suspended until September 20, 2004.”

United director and lawyer Maurice Watkins led the delegation which hoped to have the ban cut to a length which would allow Ferdinand to play a full part in pre-season training.

Watkins blasted the initial punishment as ‘savage and unprecedented’ when it was meted out in December – but he toned down his disappointment at the outcome at today’s hearing.

“Rio is naturally disappointed,” said Watkins, with the 25-year-old player sat silently by his side.

“We believe the suspension of eight months was unduly harsh and unprecedented. That remains our view.”

A United statement later added: “We are disappointed given the nature of the appeal.

“As the detailed judgement has not yet been received, it is impossible at this stage for the club to make any further comment.”

Ironically, the QC demanding his punishment should be increased today, Mark Gay, was the man responsible for Greg Rusedski escaping without punishment for his positive test for nandrolone.

Having expressed his own hope that Ferdinand may get a reduction in his punishment, England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is sure to be dismayed.

Should the Swede carry on in his present position, the next time he will be able to select Ferdinand will be against Wales – at Old Trafford of all places - on October 9.

Ferdinand will now take advice on the issue before deciding whether to push the matter further, although how much leniency the defender can expect is open to question with the Court of Arbitration based in Switzerland, the powerbase of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Blatter had threatened to intervene if the punishment was reduced and as recently as yesterday former Olympic champion Lord Coe suggested the former Leeds and West Ham star had escaped lightly.

Ferdinand came to today’s hearing armed with fresh evidence, an analysis of his hair follicles, which he claimed showed he was not on drugs at the time of the hearing.

While the evidence was irrelevant to the charge he failed to take the test, it at least helped to clear Ferdinand of any suggestion that he had deliberately avoided the test because he had something to hide.

That is at least a small crumb of comfort for a player who is now taken out of the game in his prime, and it will not help United boss Sir Alex Ferguson much either as he tries to steer his team out of their present crisis.

Ferguson was steadfast in his belief Ferdinand would not be suspended and opted not to enter the transfer market during the January window, thinking his player would eventually escape a ban.

The folly of his move has been proved by United’s defensive collapse since Ferdinand began his ban on January 20 within days of lodging his appeal.

Since then, United have fallen 12 points behind Arsenal in the Barclaycard Premiership title race, been dumped out of the Champions League by Porto and kept just one clean sheet, in the FA Cup against Third Division minnows Northampton.

Ferguson must now stumble on without his record signing and contemplate playing the first month of next season without him as well, even though chief executive David Gill tonight announced that Ferdinand would accompany United on their summer tour to the United States despite the fact he will not be able to play.