'Charitable' Terry denies being racist
July 11, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHELSEA captain John Terry pointed to his work helping African footballers and their charities as evidence he isn't prejudiced during police interviews heard at his racism trial in London yesterday.
The England defender lost the national team captaincy over accusations he racially abused Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match last October.
In a statement to police heard in court on the second day of the trial, Terry insisted that the language he used was "responsive and not accusatory." The 31-year-old center back says he was merely repeating the term to Ferdinand to counter what he believed he was being accused of. Terry highlighted his work helping to integrate a "multicultural group of players" at Chelsea and his long-standing support for the charity work of black former teammates Marcel Desailly and Didier Drogba.
"My commitment to the projects demonstrates I'm not racist," Terry told police.
Terry, who was in the dock for a second day, faces a maximum fine of 2,500 pounds (US$3,900) if he becomes the first top football player in England convicted of racial abuse during a game.
Terry also repeatedly defended his character during disciplinary interviews last October with the English Football Association, which were heard at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday.
"I have been called a lot of things in my football career and off the pitch but being racist is not one I am prepared to take at all," he said before being charged with a racially aggravated public order offense.
"I'm not having anyone, let alone Anton, think that about me or anyone else. That's not my character ... I was taken aback by that. I have never been accused of that."
The court heard that it was an off-duty police officer who initially complained to police about Terry's comments, which were posted on YouTube within 30 minutes of the globally televised match ending.
The England defender lost the national team captaincy over accusations he racially abused Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match last October.
In a statement to police heard in court on the second day of the trial, Terry insisted that the language he used was "responsive and not accusatory." The 31-year-old center back says he was merely repeating the term to Ferdinand to counter what he believed he was being accused of. Terry highlighted his work helping to integrate a "multicultural group of players" at Chelsea and his long-standing support for the charity work of black former teammates Marcel Desailly and Didier Drogba.
"My commitment to the projects demonstrates I'm not racist," Terry told police.
Terry, who was in the dock for a second day, faces a maximum fine of 2,500 pounds (US$3,900) if he becomes the first top football player in England convicted of racial abuse during a game.
Terry also repeatedly defended his character during disciplinary interviews last October with the English Football Association, which were heard at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday.
"I have been called a lot of things in my football career and off the pitch but being racist is not one I am prepared to take at all," he said before being charged with a racially aggravated public order offense.
"I'm not having anyone, let alone Anton, think that about me or anyone else. That's not my character ... I was taken aback by that. I have never been accused of that."
The court heard that it was an off-duty police officer who initially complained to police about Terry's comments, which were posted on YouTube within 30 minutes of the globally televised match ending.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
