Not guilty, yet guilty

[Disclaimer : I know fuck-all about football, and generally couldn’t care less]

I really, truly do not understand the Football Association (FA).

In today’s news, John Terry has been given a four-match suspension, and a £220,000 fine for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during a match last year.  Fair enough, racial abuse is never right (even among footballers), and those doing these things should be punished.

Ah, but. In this case Terry had already been cleared back in July by Westminster Magistrate’s Court of the exact same offence.

So what I don’t understand is why someone can be cleared in a court of law, but punished by a player’s association?  Or have I missed something relevant?


13 Comments on “Not guilty, yet guilty”

  1. Blue Witch says:

    This brown, and the size of the font, is almost improssible for the visually challenged amongt us! Call yourself an IT pro? 😉

    I think that Terry only got off in court due to his ability to employ the topmost barristers. I suspect that the FA is less open to having to cave in to spurious legal argument.

  2. The Changing Man says:

    The courts operate on “beyond reasonable doubt”. Other bodies – and I suspect the FA is one – operate “balance of probability”. Regardless, he’s a loathsome individual.

  3. lyle says:

    Fair ’nuff, I’ll change it. I didn’t think it was too bad, but I’ll get on it over t’weekend.

  4. Blue Witch says:

    Much better, thank you 🙂

  5. Blue Witch says:

    Except that the little pics appear at the beginning rather than where I insert them.

    Yeah, fussy, me 😉

  6. lyle says:

    Oooh yeah, that’s odd.

    Give that a kick in a minute.

    [Updated] ’tis fixed. Le sigh.

  7. Blue Witch says:

    I clearly picked the wrong one 🙂

  8. lyle says:

    I’m seeing it looking like it’s fixed.

    Screenshot of current comments

    I’ve added a key to make sure your stylesheet isn’t cached

  9. Blue Witch says:

    Tries again…. 🙂 or 🙁 ?

  10. lyle says:

    I have my uses / skills.


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