John Terry not to appeal against his four-game FA ban

With the situation that English football finds itself in, including the Twitter saga involving Ashley Cole, Danny Rose receiving racist abuse during an U21 international fixture, and John Terry’s allegations of racism towards Anton Ferdinand, there have been many talking points in the press about the state of the sport.

However, the latter of the three aforementioned has taken a new turn in the recent past, with Chelsea captain, Terry, accepting the punishments issued to him – a four match ban and £220,000 fine – for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

Despite a criminal charge against the former England captain finding him not guilty, a separate FA hearing found him responsible for several racist remarks during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to QPR last season.

Terry and his representatives had a fortnight to appeal the decision and contest the sanctions given to him. However the refusal means it puts an end to the saga, which has gone on for just under one year.

Whether Terry is now accepting the decision because he is finally admitting he did say what was alleged in a manner not socially acceptable, or whether he is almost fed up of all the trouble surrounding his life due to the case, is completely a different matter. However what is an actual fact is that the 31-year-old misses crucial games during a key time in Chelsea’s fight for the Premier League title.

The four games he will be absent for include a clash with former boss Andre Villas-Boas, now in charge of a resurgent Tottenham Hotspur side, and a heavyweight bout against giants Manchester United, whom Ferdinand’s brother, Rio, plays for.

In a statement released by his management agency, Terry said: “After careful consideration, I have decided not to appeal against the FA judgment.

“I want to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone for the language I used in the game against Queens Park Rangers last October.”

The Blues defender has already announced his retirement from international football, calling his position in the squad ‘untenable’ whilst he was under investigation by the FA.

Now with four games away from club football, it may give him an absence where he thinks about how long he will remain playing for Chelsea, until once again he may be in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

Derek Baker