Leading anti-racism campaigner Lord Herman Ouseley has told ESPNsoccernet that he hopes Anton Ferdinand will shake hands with John Terry to defuse the FA Cup tie against Chelsea on Saturday.
The FA Cup fourth round tie unites the pair for the first time since the alleged incident in QPR's surprise 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Loftus Road on October 23 which led to Terry being charged with a racially aggravated public order offence.
Terry, who has protested his innocence, has agreed to shake hands during the pre-game formalities and Ferdinand is being encouraged to reciprocate by Lord Ouseley - an FA councillor as well as a leading light in the Kick It Out campaign. Ouseley believes that such a peace pact would be beneficial for the players as well as for both sets of fans before a potentially explosive encounter.
Sepp Blatter was criticised for suggesting that players should shake hands after a game even if there had been racial taunts during a match, but fresh from a meeting with Blatter in Zurich on Monday, Lord Ouseley told ESPNsoccernet: "We all know Blatter was ridiculed for suggesting a handshake after the match with an opponent who taunted a player racially, but this is vastly different.
"Here we have the due process taking place, where a player will face the consequences of his actions, but there is every reason for players and indeed fans to show civility and respect toward each other and focus on the football. I have nothing against that.
"A handshake now is part of the reconciliation and honesty that needs to take place. There is nothing wrong for someone making a mistake to apologise for it, hold their hands up and then face the consequences and move on.
"It is not about retribution and continued hostility, it is about reconciliation, otherwise the next generation will not understand the need for harmony in sport, which mirrors society. It is about how to take the heat out of the situation of the two clubs meeting again, and problems with fans' behaviour as a result of what happened between the players previously.
"There has been a lot of nastiness surfacing in the last few months that should have no part in football. The fans have to respect each other, and they won't if the players fail to respect each other. There is passion and emotion in sport, and so it should be, but you also have to respect the individual.
"A handshake before the game will not deflect from what went on before and how it will be dealt with."
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge infamously rejected Terry's hand in February 2010 amid claims the England captain allegedly had an affair with the left-back's former partner Vanessa Perroncel.
From what I remember Terry had a confrontation with Anton just before the incident, think it was a corner, so words were definitely exchanged.
Anton hasn't said much, said he won't say anything till the investigation is finished, doesn't want to cause bias, so there is really nothing to go on.
The thing I find weird is Terry is shouting whatever he said in the middle of the pitch surrounded by players.
With the recent problems he has been in he could have noway thought he would get away with that.
Besides the rest of the situation not being clear that element doesn't seem very plausible to me.
Especially just a week after what happened at Anfield, if he was shouting what many would like him to of been shouting, His racism would no longer be the problem, his problem would be his sheer stupidity.
For me the question is what was actually said in the footage we didn't see, the instant that Terry was referring to, the part where he allegedly first called him what is accused,
However rightly or wrongly, people won't see the balance of the arguments involved, (just like the Suarez thing) tribalism gas taken over, both sides are entrenched with their views, and all outsiders have either made up their minds based on what they want the verdict to be, or by actually looking at what is said to of happened,
Footnote, interesting movie to watch that sort of shows a basic breakdown of what happened on here during that saga is a film called 12 Angry men,
From what I remember Terry had a confrontation with Anton just before the incident, think it was a corner, so words were definitely exchanged.
Anton hasn't said much, said he won't say anything till the investigation is finished, doesn't want to cause bias, so there is really nothing to go on.
The thing I find weird is Terry is shouting whatever he said in the middle of the pitch surrounded by players.
With the recent problems he has been in he could have noway thought he would get away with that.
Besides the rest of the situation not being clear that element doesn't seem very plausible to me.
All irrelevant.
Who is Terry responding to saying ' I didn't cal you a black c*nt' if Ferdinand didn't hear it and therefore didn't accuse Terry of saying that?
/
Kompressor this isn't a case of anybody being entrenched in their views, it's a case of looking at the evidence which is there for all to see.
So if he says 'I didn't call you a black c*nt' that obviously implies he was responding to Ferdinand accusing him.
How is it too sketchy when you have video of him saying black c*nt and him admitting to saying it?
I am genuinely amazed and dumbfounded at the way you're giving a guy with previous allegations of racial abuse the benefit of the doubt when the evidence is so damning given how dismissive you were of Suarez' claim of innocence.
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Flojo
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Flojo
Terry has admitted he said 'black c*nt' but his defence was that he was saying ' I didn't call you a black c*nt'
The only strange thing about that is Ferdinand didn't hear the alleged slur so who exactly was he talking to...but yeah Toney as you were.
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Benicio del Toney
From what I remember Terry had a confrontation with Anton just before the incident, think it was a corner, so words were definitely exchanged.
Anton hasn't said much, said he won't say anything till the investigation is finished, doesn't want to cause bias, so there is really nothing to go on.
The thing I find weird is Terry is shouting whatever he said in the middle of the pitch surrounded by players.
With the recent problems he has been in he could have noway thought he would get away with that.
Besides the rest of the situation not being clear that element doesn't seem very plausible to me.
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Kompressor
Tbh, a part of me agrees with what your saying,
Especially just a week after what happened at Anfield, if he was shouting what many would like him to of been shouting, His racism would no longer be the problem, his problem would be his sheer stupidity.
For me the question is what was actually said in the footage we didn't see, the instant that Terry was referring to, the part where he allegedly first called him what is accused,
However rightly or wrongly, people won't see the balance of the arguments involved, (just like the Suarez thing) tribalism gas taken over, both sides are entrenched with their views, and all outsiders have either made up their minds based on what they want the verdict to be, or by actually looking at what is said to of happened,
Footnote, interesting movie to watch that sort of shows a basic breakdown of what happened on here during that saga is a film called 12 Angry men,
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Flojo
All irrelevant.
Who is Terry responding to saying ' I didn't cal you a black c*nt' if Ferdinand didn't hear it and therefore didn't accuse Terry of saying that?
/
Kompressor this isn't a case of anybody being entrenched in their views, it's a case of looking at the evidence which is there for all to see.
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Benicio del Toney
Whether Ferdinand heard it or not John Terry was clearly shouting in his direction.
He doesn't have to hear it to make that the case.
Whatever happened before is the key as Kompressor said, but they defo had words at the corner.
It's too sketchy imo to make a judgement, for all we know John Terry could have been reacting of something he misheard.
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Flojo
Wha...eh?
So if he says 'I didn't call you a black c*nt' that obviously implies he was responding to Ferdinand accusing him.
How is it too sketchy when you have video of him saying black c*nt and him admitting to saying it?
I am genuinely amazed and dumbfounded at the way you're giving a guy with previous allegations of racial abuse the benefit of the doubt when the evidence is so damning given how dismissive you were of Suarez' claim of innocence.
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