John Terry ‘racially abused’ Anton Ferdinand
England and Chelsea footballer John Terry is accused of racially abusing another player after being taunted about an alleged affair with a teammate’s girlfriend.
The Chelsea captain is alleged to have called QPR player Anton Ferdinand a “f****** black c***” during a televised Premier League match in October 2011.
He is appearing at Westminster magistrates’ court accused of a racially aggravated public order offence.
The court heard that Terry told Ferdinand to “f*** off” and also called him a “f****** knobhead”.
Ferdinand told the court he had not initially thought that racist language had been used, but after his girlfriend had played him a YouTube clip he had changed his mind.
‘Very hurtful’
He said he would have told match officials if he had believed he was being racially abused, adding: “I would have been obviously very hurt and I probably wouldn’t have reacted at the time because, being a professional, you can’t do that.
“I probably would have let the officials know what happened and dealt with it after the game. When someone brings your colour into it, it takes it to another level and it’s very hurtful.”
Duncan Penny, prosecuting, said: “The crown alleges that the words he used demonstrated hostility based on Mr Ferdinand’s membership or presumed membership of a racial group.”
‘Sarcastic’
The court was told that Terry maintained he was only sarcastically repeating words that Ferdinand wrongly thought he had used.
Mr Penny said: “The crown alleges that the defendant, most probably in response to physical gestures being made by Mr Ferdinand which the defendant understood to refer to the well-publicised allegation of an extra-marital affair with a teammate’s wife, shouted at Mr Ferdinand.
‘Abusive and insulting’
“The crown’s case is that the words were abusive and insulting in a straightforward sense and that the term ‘f****** black c***’ was uttered as an abusive insult demonstrating hostility based on Mr Ferdinand’s membership of a racial group.
“They were uttered by the defendant in response to goading by Mr Ferdinand on the issue of his extra-marital affair, rather than by way of exaggerated and instant querying of a perceived false allegation.”
Television clips and unbroadcast footage of the incident, which would normally be used for training purposes, were shown to the court.
The court was told that Chelsea teammates Ashley Cole and John Obi Mikel were nearby at the time, but they will not be called as witnesses as part of the prosecution case.
Terry said in a statement to the Football Association five days after the incident that he and Ferdinand, pictured above, had been exchanging “verbals” and he had made a gesture to imply Mr Ferdinand had bad breath.
He said: “We’re still having a, sort of, ding-dong, if you like. That’s when, as I said before, he said ‘black c***’. Now clearly, as I said before, I don’t think he’s calling me a black c***, but at the same time I take quite a strong offence.”
The England defender said he was not offended by the taunts about the alleged affair with Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend, because “it’s not the first time I’ve heard it, so it’s with a pinch of salt a little bit now”.