LONDON – Former England captain John Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing fellow player Anton Ferdinand Friday after a five day case which cast a spotlight on racism in soccer and could have had a huge impact on his career. The 31-year-old Chelsea captain, who earns a reported 150,000 pounds ($231,100) a week, was in Westminster Magistrates' Court to hear chief magistrate Howard Riddle read his verdict. The high-profile case, focusing on foul language from both players during a Premier League game last October, triggered the resignation in February of England's Italian manager Fabio Capello after the FA decided to strip Terry of the captain's armband for Euro 2012. Terry had denied committing a racially aggravated public order offense when he had an expletive-littered exchange with Ferdinand on the field of play when Chelsea visited QPR's Loftus Road ground. Although, in evidence, he admitted using the highly offensive words, he maintained he was sarcastically repeating what Ferdinand mistakenly thought he had said. During cross-examination, Ferdinand agreed he had sworn at players in the past and been on the receiving end himself. He said he was angry at Terry seeking a penalty call and there had been some barging on the pitch. He had also alluded to an alleged affair between the Chelsea player and the ex-girlfriend of former England teammate Wayne Bridge. Terry had been stripped of the England captaincy before the 2010 World Cup following those allegations. Allegations of racial abuse cast a shadow over the Premier League last season, with Liverpool's Luis Suarez banned for eight matches for abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra during another Premier League match last October. That case was dealt with by the English FA rather than going to court.
Rangers demoted to 4th tier in Scotland Former champions Rangers will have to relaunch from the lowly fourth tier of the Scottish game following their financial crisis, Scottish Football League clubs decided Friday. The decision completes a spectacular fall from grace for the Glasgow club, 54 times Scottish champions, who went into administration in February before a takeover last month by a consortium led by English businessman Charles Green. Rangers had hoped to be admitted to the Scottish First Division, just one rung below the top Scottish Premier League (SPL) after SPL clubs voted to eject them last week. However, 25 of the 30 clubs in the Scottish Football League voted for Rangers to start life at the bottom of the footballing pyramid north of the border. The decision means that it will take Rangers at least three years to return to an SPL that they and city rivals Celtic have dominated for decades.
Adebayor agrees Spurs move Manchester City's Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor has agreed a deal with English Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports here on Friday. Adebayor, 28, a former Arsenal striker, has scored 18 goals in 37 games for Spurs since he moved to White Hart Lane on loan, helping the club to finish in the top four of the Premier League. — Agencies
