FA commission gives Terry four-match ban for racial abuse

John Terry has been banned for four matches and fined £220,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand by a Football Association independent regulatory commission.

The Chelsea skipper denied the charge but the commission ruled that he was guilty of misconduct during Chelsea’s Barclays Premier League defeat at QPR on October 23 last year.

The 31-year-old, who on Sunday announced his retirement from international football, has 14 days from receipt of the written reasons for the decision in which to lodge an appeal. No ban will come into operation until the appeals procedure is complete.

Terry's representatives, Elite Management, said in a statement released on his behalf: ``Mr Terry is disappointed that the FA Regulatory Commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law.

“He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision and will consider them carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.”

An FA statement said: "An independent regulatory commission has today found a charge of misconduct against John Terry proven and has issued a suspension for a period of four matches and a fine of #220,000, pending appeal.

“The Football Association charged Mr Terry on Friday 27 July 2012 with using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand and which included a reference to colour and/or race contrary to FA Rule E3[2] in relation to the Queens Park Rangers FC versus Chelsea FC fixture at Loftus Road on 23 October 2011.

“The charge was the result of The FA’s long-standing investigation into this matter, which was placed on hold at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service and Mr Terry’s representatives pending the outcome of the criminal trial.

“The decision of the Independent Regulatory Commission is as follows:

:: Mr Terry be suspended from all domestic club football until such time as Chelsea’s First Team have completed four competitive matches

:: Fined the sum of £220,000.“

“The independent regulatory commission will provide written reasons for its decision in due course. Mr Terry has the right to appeal the decision of the independent regulatory commission to an Appeal Board. An appeal must be lodged within 14 days from receipt of the written reasons for the decision.

“The penalty is suspended until after the outcome of any appeal, or the time for appealing expires, or should Mr Terry decide not to appeal. The reason for this is to ensure that the penalty does not take effect before any appeal so that Mr Terry has an effective right of appeal.”

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra a year ago, but was found to have done so on a number of occasions during the match.

Terry is accused of a single utterance towards Ferdinand.

In Suarez’s case, the FA argued for an increased sanction pointing out that “Mr Suarez is an international footballer of exceptional ability, playing for one of the best-known clubs in the world. His position carries with it a particular degree of responsibility. His conduct amounts to a serious breach of that responsibility.”

That criteria applies to Terry – in fact given that he was England captain at the time of the incident, even more so.

Terry was found not guilty in Westminster Magistrates Court in July of a racially-motivated public order offence with the prosecution unable to prove he had called Ferdinand a “f****** black c***” as an insult.

Terry admitted using the words, but insisted he had only been repeating words he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying.

Terry’s legal team had argued the governing body’s own rules dictated his acquittal in court means the case cannot proceed but the FA believed their charge was distinct from the court charge.