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Not Rio Grande but Rio BANNED!









Trigger

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2003
40,457
Brighton
Rio Ferdinand has been banned for eight months, starting from Monday, January 12, for missing a drugs test.

An independent tribunal found the England player guilty of misconduct after he failed to take a test on September 23 despite being selected to give a sample to UK Sport doping officials at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

The defender can play on for now, as he has 16 days in which to decide whether to appeal against his punishment.

But an eight-month ban would mean Ferdinand missing the remainder of Manchester United's season and the Euro 2004 finals with England.
 


Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,996
Living In a Box
Shame for England but hopefully Terry will be a good second choice.
 


looney

Banned
Jul 7, 2003
15,652
If they are updating justice then Manu need about an extra 20 red cards since the prem started at home and the next away team should be awarded 50 penalties.
 






Sorrel

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
2,759
Back in East Sussex
I suspect they gave him eight months so they could reduce it on appeal to something that will not affect England in 2004. But maybe I'm just cynical.
 


southstandandy

WEST STAND ANDY
Jul 9, 2003
5,664
Typical Man Utd - how did he only get 8 months - he was guilty !

If this was athletics he would have been banned for two years.

Too much influence in football from clubs that think they are above the law for me.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see him playing for England in Euro 2004 - but I think ultimately he got off with too soft a sentence.

And a fine of 5 days wages - get real !
 




Goring Gull

New member
Jul 5, 2003
6,725
Huddersfield
Don't think England will miss him that much anyway, theres always another Defender to play, It's if Beckham or Owen are injured then we have to worry.
 


Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,996
Living In a Box
southstandandy said:
Typical Man Utd - how did he only get 8 months - he was guilty !

If this was athletics he would have been banned for two years.

Too much influence in football from clubs that think they are above the law for me.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see him playing for England in Euro 2004 - but I think ultimately he got off with too soft a sentence.

And a fine of 5 days wages - get real !

There is case of double standards though as another player did the same and didn't receive a ban I think.
 






Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,996
Living In a Box
Kylies Stunt Arse said:
True, a Man City fringe player did the same earlier in the year and was fined £2000.

Which is why he should appeal and get a reduced punishment.

I know there is the MUFC influence etc but at the end of the day a professional player should be dealt with the same as another.
 


Beach Hut said:
Which is why he should appeal and get a reduced punishment.

I know there is the MUFC influence etc but at the end of the day a professional player should be dealt with the same as another.

I agree, although we don't know the circumstances surrounding the Man City case.

I think the fact that Ferdinand's story has changed over the course of this whole debacle hasn't helped him. The FA are obviously making an example of him, and in a way I agree with that as they don't want to look as though Man U and the top players can walk all over them.

That said, consistancy is the only way ahead.
 


marvin

New member
Jul 5, 2003
1,670
The corner quietly rusting
I still think the truly culpable in any of these cases are the club (s) not the player.

We all know players have little in their heads except themselves the club should be making sure they make the test.

Now a £20 m fine on United donated to charity would have been a better punishment in my view. :glare:

There is a difference between a fring player that is unlikely to make the first team and one that is an automatic choice for the first.

Now where's me rope....
 




The extract below is from the Prawn sandwich FC website. How those people had the neck to give him a character reference, given his past record of misbehaviour is bizarre? No doubt the Old trafford spin machine will go into action, making this overpaid arrogant prima donna to be some kind of hard done by martyr? I suspect the commission gave him eight months to give them flexability at the expected appeal, when it will no doubt be lowered to three. People are fretting he'll miss Euro 2004. IMO he should never play for England again!
---------------------------------------------
Rio Ferdinand has been suspended for eight months and fined £50,000 for failing to attend a drugs test on 23 September.

The United defender's punishment was announced on Friday evening after a two-day hearing at Bolton's Reebok Stadium. A spokesman for the three-man disciplinary commission read the following short statement:

"The disciplinary commission unanimously found that the charge was proved against Rio Ferdinand.

"It was further decided he would be suspended for a period of eight months with effect from Monday 12 January 2004 and be fined the sum of 50,000 pounds. Having requested a personal hearing, he was ordered to pay the full cost of the hearing. Such decisions are subject to the rights of appeal."

Former United manager Wilf McGuinness says he is "angered" and "disgusted" by Rio Ferdinand's 8-month ban.

Wilf spoke exclusively to ManUtd.com just minutes after the decision was announced at 8pm on Friday. Clearly angered by the news, he says the United defender has been "over-punished."

Club director and solicitor Maurice Watkins described the punishment as "savage" and "unprecedented."

Ferdinand was among the first to arrive at Bolton's Reebok Stadium on Friday morning for the second day of his hearing.

The United defender was supported by his manager Sir Alex Ferguson and team-mate Nicky Butt - one of the three players who did take the test as required on 23 September. Both Ferguson and Butt gave evidence on Ferdinand's behalf.

Manchester City midfielder Eyal Berkovic, who was shopping with Ferdinand at the time the test was due, also spent an hour giving evidence, while there were written statements and character references from both Sven Goran Eriksson and former boss Harry Redknapp.

Another key witness at the hearing was the United team doctor Mike Stone who spent two-and-a-half hours giving his version of what happened on that fateful day.

Ferdinand has 48 hours to request a written summary of the commission's judgement and then a further
 


looney said:
If they are updating justice then Manu need about an extra 20 red cards since the prem started at home and the next away team should be awarded 50 penalties.

Nice to see you in favour of something red, Looney. :D
 


Titanic

Super Moderator
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,140
West Sussex
On BBC 5 Live the reported it like this:

"Ferdinand was told at 11:00am he would be tested; he was reminded at 12:50 that he was wanted at 14:00. He made a call to his 'personal doctor' and then forgot to attend the test."

Does that sound dodgy or what !!!

He should have got 2 YEARS and a proper fine.

:angry: :angry: :angry:
 


looney

Banned
Jul 7, 2003
15,652
Zeitgeist said:
Nice to see you in favour of something red, Looney. :D


How do you feel about pulling on a blueish shirt every saturday?

Kinda like pin stripes.:clap2:
 




Murray 17

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
2,159
This is ridiculous. If you are stopped by the police and refuse a breath test it is assumed that your are over the limit and you receive a full ban, and rightly so. Getting one quarter of it is a joke.
 


Zebedee

Anyone seen Florence?
Jul 8, 2003
8,002
Hangleton
Kylies Stunt Arse said:
Rio Ferdinand has been banned for 8 months starting 12/01/04 and fined £50,000!

What a shame. Laughed? I nearly pissed myself. Good to see the FA handing out real justice for once.

:lolol: :lolol: :clap2: :clap2:
 


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