The name of the famous Chelsea and ex-England captain has been oft-repeated in the past year, in relation to his alleged racial abuse of QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in October 2011. He was accused by Ferdinand of abusing him with racist remarks, including a reference to his skin colour. He was found not guilty of the charge in a court of law earlier this year; though the judge ascertained that he had uttered a heavily offensive phrase, it was not clear enough to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was directed in anger at Ferdinand, and so he was acquitted. However, the FA charged him under a breach of their own regulations following his acquittal, and today the hearing culminated in a guilty verdict, a £220,000 fine and a four-match ban for the 31-year-old footballer. … Continue reading
