Roy Hodgson..... Hopes John Terry Will Be Cleared.

[redrus]

England's manager Roy Hodgson hopes that John Terry will be cleared

• I'd like to keep using John, Hodgson adds

Dominic Fifield in Berne guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 14 August 2012 23.00 BST

Roy Hodgson has expressed his hope that John Terry will be cleared of allegedly using racially abusive language by an independent regulatory commission and can continue to play for England as the Chelsea captain awaits confirmation of a date for his personal hearing.

Terry was charged by the Football Association last month for his alleged turn of phrase during last season's defeat at Queens Park Rangers, only 13 days after being cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster magistrates court that centred on the same incident. The 31-year-old, who has been rested along with a number of other senior players for this evening's friendly against Italy, denied the charge but the case may not be heard until late next month.

Hodgson was understandably reluctant to enter the debateabout Terry's impending hearing, initially claiming the issue was "sub-judice" and stressing the player "has a case to answer with the FA and I'll wait and see what happens". Yet he went on to declare his hope that the defender, so outstanding at Euro 2012, will be cleared. "I'm hoping, and I make no secret of that, the case will take its course and that John, hopefully, will be freed as he was freed in a court of law, and will carry on playing for England.

"That's my hope. What will happen, I have no idea. I thought John did well in the Euros and I'd like to keep using him, but this is a case which is way out of my hands. John understands that.

"All I can do, like many of his supporters I suppose, is just hope he gets freed and can continue to play." Asked whether he intends to select Terry for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, he added: "We'll wait and see."

England's preparations for this evening's game in Switzerland, a rematch of the Euro 2012 quarter-final which saw them eliminated on penalties, have been hampered by a series of withdrawals, with Theo Walcott joining the list of absentees. The Arsenal winger is at home receiving treatment on a badly bruised thigh sustained in Sunday's friendly win in Cologne, leaving Hodgson likely to select only three men – Ashley Young, James Milner and Joleon Lescott – who started against Italy in Kiev.

The manager, who has reminded his players of their responsibilities after the success enjoyed by Team GB at the Olympics, has handed Frank Lampard the captaincy against the Azzurri with the midfielder having indicated a desire to extend his stay at Chelsea beyond the expiry of his current contract . The 34-year-old's deal runs until next summer with the club yet to resume talks over an extension after a preliminary meeting last season.

"We spoke once and it was a case of coming back, and it hasn't come back from their end," he said."I don't know. I'd like to sit down and speak with them. But at the minute I'm playing and it's up to the club to do that.

"I would like [to end my career there]. I feel I can play at the top level for a good few more years, but it's whether the club feels the same. I know there are a lot of changes at Chelsea, and the youth coming into the squad this year has really freshened up our team, but I'd love to be involved. But it's a club decision to come and sit down with me. They used to sit down with me three years before the end of my contract. Now I'm waiting."

redrus

[StevieH]

roy should be on a disciplinary charge for that load of nonsense. it's at least as bad as anything capello did.

and roy, dear roy, you can't be freed when you haven't been incarcerated. you senile old berk.

[redrus]

roy should be on a disciplinary charge for that load of nonsense. it's at least as bad as anything capello did.

and roy, dear roy, you can't be freed when you haven't been incarcerated. you senile old berk.

You and I are in agreement mate, Hodgson and his predessesor Cappello were not high in my estimations, Terry continually finds trouble and continually finds his way out of it characters like these will only continue to push me further away from the England set up.

redrus

[mjj]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

[redrus]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

How on Earth do you have any idea what I've done for my country....????

As for what John bloody Terry has done, you can take a running jump, the guy is complete prick with no moral scruples and to be honest yes, I do think he's a racist.

I do not hate, John Terry, I don't hate anyone, I'm a Buddhist. I do however not like him, I certainly do not dislike him though, because of who he plays for... Grow up....!!!

redrus

[mjj]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

How on Earth do you have any idea what I've done for my country....????

As for what John bloody Terry has done, you can take a running jump, the guy is complete prick with no moral scruples and to be honest yes, I do think he's a racist.

I do not hate, John Terry, I don't hate anyone, I'm a Buddhist. I do however not like him, I certainly do not dislike him though, because of who he plays for... Grow up....!!!

redrus

Written like a true Buddist, lol.

So, I'll bite. What have you done for your country?

[redrus]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

How on Earth do you have any idea what I've done for my country....????

As for what John bloody Terry has done, you can take a running jump, the guy is complete prick with no moral scruples and to be honest yes, I do think he's a racist.

I do not hate, John Terry, I don't hate anyone, I'm a Buddhist. I do however not like him, I certainly do not dislike him though, because of who he plays for... Grow up....!!!

redrus

Written like a true Buddist, lol.

So, I'll bite. What have you done for your country?

If you mean playing for a football team, never...! I am though, a good and honest tax paying, learned citizen of England which, in many peoples eyes, is already eons ahead of John Terry.

redrus

[StevieH]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

what club john terry plays for has no bearing on my feelings towards him. he's proven repeatedly that he's a nasty piece of work and an arrogant, self-centred wanke_r. and yes, i do think he's almost certainly a racist too. it was interesting how few of his black clubmates put their names to the character witness thing during his trial. he's a vile individual.

[mjj]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

what club john terry plays for has no bearing on my feelings towards him. he's proven repeatedly that he's a nasty piece of work and an arrogant, self-centred wanke_r. and yes, i do think he's almost certainly a racist too. it was interesting how few of his black clubmates put their names to the character witness thing during his trial. he's a vile individual.

The club he plays for had total bearing on your and redrus's feelings.

You could name most English players that play for opposing teams and spout some tabloid crap and you are all over it like a rash. Rio, drug taking racist, Gerrard, nightclub thug, Ashley Cole, money grabbing cheater, Rooney, whoremongering thug. The list goes on, it's just tabloid garbage. All of the people I have mentioned could do amazing charity and community work and the tabloids would never report it.

As for jt being a racist, it's ridiculous to even think it. The courts found him innocent and even if the found him guilty it does not make him a racist, just someone that made a racist comment, MASSIVE difference. But I guess either of you have never made a racist comment or laughed at a racist joke.

What has jt done to be such a vile character? The whole Bridge girlfriend thing was unproven and the press had to make an apology.

[mrtoad]

John Terry has proven time and time again to be a wrongun, I was chatting with a couple of my mates back in the UK at the weekend who are Chelsea fans, and were discussing him, and they weren't to complimentary either. JT was involved in that nasty incident after 9/11 and things haven't got any better. Disgusting individual.

[JacknDanny]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

what club john terry plays for has no bearing on my feelings towards him. he's proven repeatedly that he's a nasty piece of work and an arrogant, self-centred wanke_r. and yes, i do think he's almost certainly a racist too. it was interesting how few of his black clubmates put their names to the character witness thing during his trial. he's a vile individual.

The club he plays for had total bearing on your and redrus's feelings.

You could name most English players that play for opposing teams and spout some tabloid crap and you are all over it like a rash. Rio, drug taking racist, Gerrard, nightclub thug, Ashley Cole, money grabbing cheater, Rooney, whoremongering thug. The list goes on, it's just tabloid garbage. All of the people I have mentioned could do amazing charity and community work and the tabloids would never report it.

As for jt being a racist, it's ridiculous to even think it. The courts found him innocent and even if the found him guilty it does not make him a racist, just someone that made a racist comment, MASSIVE difference. But I guess either of you have never made a racist comment or laughed at a racist joke.

What has jt done to be such a vile character? The whole Bridge girlfriend thing was unproven and the press had to make an apology.

Ferdinand/Cole/Rooney/Gerard

I respect when they put on the England shirt..... John Terry NEVER. He is a piece of sh!t

Father is a drug pushing loser, mother and mother in law both cheap shoplifters. He is true trailer park trash

Many many things he has done in the past which are not becoming of a human being, let alone an England player.

Bridge thing unproven?? Yeh Right!!. He is a total pr!ck

[redrus]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

what club john terry plays for has no bearing on my feelings towards him. he's proven repeatedly that he's a nasty piece of work and an arrogant, self-centred wanke_r. and yes, i do think he's almost certainly a racist too. it was interesting how few of his black clubmates put their names to the character witness thing during his trial. he's a vile individual.

1/ The club he plays for had total bearing on your and redrus's feelings.

2/ What has jt done to be such a vile character? The whole Bridge girlfriend thing was unproven and the press had to make an apology.

1/ I could give not a flying ball bag about Chelsea, never have never will, Liverpool, City and Leeds, always will be.

2/ <deleted>, utter <deleted>....!

Seriously fella, you can have a laugh and some good banter on here whether we agree about stuff or not but, you are spouting utter drivel... Come on...

redrus

[bkkjames]

Amazing how such a vile person could Unite so many on here - City, Scousers and United.

If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and would f+ck your wife like a duck, he's a duck. Which means he can float. If he can float he must be made of wood. Burn Him!

[carmine]

Redrus, and yet he has still done more for his country than you.

Really, this hatred for players because they play against your own team is retarded.

Do you really think Terry would say things in a racist context when many of his team mates are black?

C'mon this is ridiculous.

Sorry but what has the vile little t*sspot done for his country? Charged a machine gun nest? Hunted down taliban in helmand? Certainly ain't won anything

Behave...

[carmine]

Amazing how such a vile person could Unite so many on here - City, Scousers and United.

If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and would f+ck your wife like a duck, he's a duck. Which means he can float. If he can float he must be made of wood. Burn Him!

Would you like an individual of his character captaining your ice hockey team?

[bkkjames]

Amazing how such a vile person could Unite so many on here - City, Scousers and United.

If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and would f+ck your wife like a duck, he's a duck. Which means he can float. If he can float he must be made of wood. Burn Him!

Would you like an individual of his character captaining your ice hockey team?

I would have traded him to West Ham.

[StevieH]

As for jt being a racist, it's ridiculous to even think it. The courts found him innocent

ok, ask ledley king. interesting that none of team-mates didier drogba, nicolas anelka, florent malouda or john obi mikel chose to submit signed statements to the court saying that terry isn't a racist isn't it?

[mjj]

As for jt being a racist, it's ridiculous to even think it. The courts found him innocent

ok, ask ledley king. interesting that none of team-mates didier drogba, nicolas anelka, florent malouda or john obi mikel chose to submit signed statements to the court saying that terry isn't a racist isn't it?

Were they asked, were they supposed too. As I said before, there is a massive difference between being a racist and saying a racist remark. Ever laughed at a racist joke? I guess no, you are perfect.

[StevieH]

Were they asked, were they supposed too. As I said before, there is a massive difference between being a racist and saying a racist remark. Ever laughed at a racist joke? I guess no, you are perfect.

you'll have to point me at the sliding scale of racism here. calling someone a racist insult doesn't make one a racist? where is the line drawn here? lynchings, burning tyres around necks?

i've never laughed at a racist joke since i was old enough to understand that they were offensive and racist, no. nor would i hang around with people who told them either. but thanks for the concern.

[carmine]

As for jt being a racist, it's ridiculous to even think it. The courts found him innocent

ok, ask ledley king. interesting that none of team-mates didier drogba, nicolas anelka, florent malouda or john obi mikel chose to submit signed statements to the court saying that terry isn't a racist isn't it?

Were they asked, were they supposed too. As I said before, there is a massive difference between being a racist and saying a racist remark. Ever laughed at a racist joke? I guess no, you are perfect.

No ofcourse they weren't asked were they because Terry's massively expensive legal team couldn't see the merit of all his black teamates supporting him infront of the judge. Wouldn't want you to be building a defense for me when Dev takes me to the High Court of Trolling...i'd get crucified

[StevieH]

No ofcourse they weren't asked were they because Terry's massively expensive legal team couldn't see the merit of all his black teamates supporting him infront of the judge. Wouldn't want you to be building a defense for me when Dev takes me to the High Court of Trolling...i'd get crucified

john terry's massively expensive legal team called ashley cole as a character witness.

john terry claimed to have done loads of work for didier drogba's charitable trust in cote d'ivoire yet drogba still didn't feel compelled to defend his ever-generous and respected skipper.

[mjj]

A flippant remark in the heat of a competitive match does not constitute a racist. Jt might be guilty of not thinking of something more cutting or original, but racist, no. A racist is someone that will think there is a difference is how people are, look down on and judge someone purely by colour.

Fwiw, I find Ferdinand to be much more racist as his 'choc ice' remark is him believing there IS a difference between black and white people.

[StevieH]

A flippant remark in the heat of a competitive match does not constitute a racist. Jt might be guilty of not thinking of something more cutting or original, but racist, no. A racist is someone that will think there is a difference is how people are, look down on and judge someone purely by colour.

Fwiw, I find Ferdinand to be much more racist as his 'choc ice' remark is him believing there IS a difference between black and white people.

i think john terry is one of those people. i suspect ledley king probably does too. you could ask didier zokora and pascal chimbonda too, or even claude makelele and michael essien.

ferdinand's mixed race and has one white parent and one black. so it's a different question. he didn't make the 'choc ice' remark, but laughed at someone else saying it on twitter. stupid, idiotic, moronic? certainly. racist, no.

[redrus]

A flippant remark in the heat of a competitive match does not constitute a racist. Jt might be guilty of not thinking of something more cutting or original, but racist, no. A racist is someone that will think there is a difference is how people are, look down on and judge someone purely by colour.

Fwiw, I find Ferdinand to be much more racist as his 'choc ice' remark is him believing there IS a difference between black and white people.

A flippant remark...? Ferdinand a racist...? Please behave now.

The above post is an utter joke, from beginning to end and, you're showing yourself up for so many reasons, one of those being the inability to quit while you're behind.

redrus

[khunken]

It wasn't a joke. It wasn't a flippant remark. Ask most black footballers how they feel about racism & they'll tell you - it hurts. Calling someone a pr**k, a c**t or whatever is part of the banter during (& immediately after) the game. Often it is more than banter, however.

Prefacing the slur with 'black' is racism pure & simple. And Anton Ferdinand deserves great credit for his conduct during the process so far.

I'm not a QPR supporter, nor do I hate or even dislike Chelsea. As for Terry, best left unsaid.

[rixalex]

roy should be on a disciplinary charge for that load of nonsense. it's at least as bad as anything capello did.

and roy, dear roy, you can't be freed when you haven't been incarcerated. you senile old berk.

No surprises to see you chalking up the first comment on a thread with the scope to have a pop at all three: Roy, JT, and the England team. The hat-trick indeed.

Roy didn't actually say anything that radical and certainly nothing worthy of a disciplinary charge. He said that the player had a case to answer to and that he would wait until the outcome before making any decisions, but that he hoped he would be freed and available for selection. Obviously choice of wording was a little non-nonsensical, but this is a football manager we are talking about, not Chaucer, and i think what he meant wasn't that difficult to decipher. By saying that he hoped JT was found innocent i don't think he was saying he thought he was innocent. Just that Roy obviously rates him as a player and wants to be able to select him if he is found innocent.

On that footballing matter, i don't happen to agree with Roy, but that i accept is not only because i think JT is past it, but because i am biased against him, because i think JT is an idiot, and if i were putting together a team, no matter how good the player was, i wouldn't select idiots. But that is a luxury i can afford, as this is my imagination we are talking about, not real life (I also wouldn't select into my imaginary team idiots like your hero, Maradona ((i checked the spelling this time)), or egotists like Drogba or Ronaldo, or <deleted> like Diouf or Barton. To name but a few who would be ruled out before even considering their footballing attributes - those that have them!).

Anyway, as far as the case against JT is concerned, i don't have all the evidence to hand to make a certain judgement one way or the other. What we know about the man's history suggests to me it is something he is capable of, but i'll wait until the outcome before commenting further, just as i did with regards Suarez. And speaking of whom, it is interesting the see the contrasting reactions of people here in the way they viewed that case, and the way they view the current one concerning JT. Of course i'm not suggesting both cases are identical, but there are surely parallels. No?

[bkkjames]

easy Rix, you'll get Stevie all worked up over that one lol

[StevieH]

No surprises to see you chalking up the first comment on a thread with the scope to have a pop at all three: Roy, JT, and the England team. The hat-trick indeed.

aww, bless. 'JT'. i swear you used to be more fun on here rix.

Roy didn't actually say anything that radical and certainly nothing worthy of a disciplinary charge. He said that the player had a case to answer to and that he would wait until the outcome before making any decisions, but that he hoped he would be freed and available for selection.

roy had absolutely no business saying anything. he is the manager of the england national team, an FA figurehead, and the FA is about to try john terry over a serious charge. so at the very minimum he is influencing the case by saying he 'hopes he'll be freed'. even though as far as i know he hasn't been imprisoned. i think he meant 'acquitted'. capello was sacked for less.

i don't have all the evidence to hand either. but i'm damning terry the same way luis suarez was found guilty by the way, on the balance of probabilities. like i said, ask ledley king.

[rixalex]

No surprises to see you chalking up the first comment on a thread with the scope to have a pop at all three: Roy, JT, and the England team. The hat-trick indeed.

aww, bless. 'JT'. i swear you used to be more fun on here rix.

I think i made it quite clear i share your low opinion of JT. Simply an observation on how for you, and idiot like him, provides such a great platform for putting forth your anti-anglo, all things English (outside of Merseyside of course) are toxic, rhetoric.

As for the "less fun" charge, that seems a bit of an unnecessary thing to say. All i am doing is challenging your opinion, in what i thought a polite and respectful manner. Seems to me this place would be quite boring if we all held exactly the same views; if we all conformed to exactly the same opinion. No?

[rixalex]

roy had absolutely no business saying anything. he is the manager of the england national team, an FA figurehead, and the FA is about to try john terry over a serious charge. so at the very minimum he is influencing the case by saying he 'hopes he'll be freed'. even though as far as i know he hasn't been imprisoned. i think he meant 'acquitted'. capello was sacked for less.

I don't think the way it has been construed, as Roy in some way declaring Terry's innocence, is correct. But yes you are probably right, the right thing to have done would have been to say nothing, to have kept his mouth shut.

Advice however that forgive me for saying, seems a bit hypocritical. I don't ever recall having heard from Liverpool fans saying the same sort of thing, at any time when Kenny was giving all those statements during the Evra Suarez case... when we had all that T-Shirt wearing nonsense. Now of course the circumstances were somewhat different. Kenny was not employed by the same people who were making the judgement, in the way that Roy is. But nonetheless, it was obvious that Kenny was simply siding, as most Liverpool fans did, with Suarez, on the grounds that he was "their" man. Not because they knew him not to be racist, or knew him incapable of racist behaviour. When the task is as big and important as kicking racism out of the game, it just seemed a bit infantile, castigating Evra as a liar, and refusing to condemn Suarez in any way. Even after the ruling, the reaction for the most part has been defiance. For a Liverpool fan to now come out and deplore Roy for what he said, just seems a bit rich.

As for Capello being sacked for less, i personally am in general against managers being sacked for anything other than footballing reasons. Obviously there are exceptions, and there are limits to how irresponsible they can get away with being away from the pitch in what they say or how they behave. But for either Capello or Hodgson to be sacked or talked about being sacked, for anything they did or have done away from those 90 minutes playing time, is a nonsense.

Capello deserved to be sacked though on footballing reasons, right after the World Cup, in my opinion. He failed to achieve what i think having managed the side for as long as he had, he should have achieved, and he made some bizarre and questionable decisions.

Hodgson does not deserved to be sacked... yet. In terms of performance, England has done poorly, but in terms of results, we have done very well. Seven games played and not yet beaten in regulation time. And with very little preparation time. Target for me for the next competition has to be semi finals. Yes that is above where i think we are - we are not in the top four teams, forget about ranking - but we have to aim high, and if all we manage is the quarters, a replacement needs to be seriously considered. Until that time however, Hodgson can go on saying a few silly things, i won't be booing him or calling for his head. Just as long as he keeps things moving forward on the pitch.