John Terry ‘upbeat’ as FA hearing goes into a third day
John Terry is “positive and upbeat” as the Football Association hearing into accusations he used racist language towards QPR defender Anton Ferdinandenters a third day.
Chelsea assistant boss Eddie Newton made the assessment of Terry’s mental state after the defender led his side a League Cup win over Wolves on Tuesday.
“He’s been fine, dealing with the situation at hand,” Newton said after the 6-0 victory. “He’s coming in and doing what he has to do at the club. He’s been very positive and upbeat.”
Centre-back Terry, 31, played in the win over Championship side Wolves despite missing training to attend the hearing at Wembley Stadium on both Monday and Tuesday.
Terry timeline
23 October 2011: Terry denies making a racist slur against Ferdinand during Chelsea’s defeat at QPR after videos circulate on the internet.
1 November: Metropolitan Police starts investigation.
21 December: Crown Prosecution Service charges Terry with racially abusing Ferdinand.
3 February: Terry stripped of the England captaincy by FA board.
8 February: Fabio Capello resigns as England manager over the decision.
13 July: Terry cleared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court of making a racist insult to Ferdinand.
27 July: Terry is charged by the FA.
24 September: FA hearing begins.
He arrived there again at 08:00 BST on Wednesday to continue his defence.
BBC Sport’s Richard Conway says former England manager Fabio Capello and his assistant Franco Baldini have provided statements to the FA’s independent regulatory commission at the request of Terry’s lawyers, who were keen for the pair to attend the hearing.
“But it is unlikely they will be seen at Wembley,” Conway said.
Among other things, the statements are understood by BBC Sport to determine whether it is usual for a player found not guilty in a criminal trial to then have to answer an FA charge relating to the same incident.
Reports suggest Terry’s lawyers want the FA charge against the former England captain dismissed because he was found not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in July.
Two weeks after being cleared, the FA charged Terry with using “abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour” towards Ferdinand during October’s Premier League game at Loftus Road.
Just hours before hearing was due to begin, Terry announced hisretirement from international duty, claiming the FA hearing had made his position with the national team “untenable”.