Anton Ferdinand has revealed that he “beat [himself] up for years for not speaking out” about the alleged racial abuse he received from John Terry, in an interview with The Guardian’s Donald McRae.
Anton Ferdinand Says He ‘Hated What Football Stood For’ After Clash With John Terry
Reasons Behind Documentary
Speaking ahead of his participation in a BBC documentary entitled ‘Football, Racism and Me’, Ferdinand says: “I wish I would have spoken but there was so much publicity and legalities. And, honestly, the pressure was too much.”
The incident took place in an ill-tempered west London derby between Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea in November 2011. It involved Terry uttering the words “f*****g black c***” to Ferdinand, which the former QPR defender saw footage of on his wife’s phone after the game had ended.
Speaking about his reaction to the altercation, Ferdinand stated: “I was hurt and angry. People that haven’t had racial language shouted at them online or by another person won’t understand that and that’s why I made the documentary – to show the ripple effects.
“People at board level ain’t ever going to feel that. What they can do is open their minds and become understanding by listening to people who have felt it, and working closely with us.”
Terry faced a courtroom trial in July 2012 for a racially aggravated public order offence but was deemed to be not guilty as television cameras did not capture all of what the former Chelsea centre-back had said.
However, the FA found Terry guilty of “using abusive and/or insulting words … which included a reference to colour and/or race”. It also cost him the England captaincy, which caused the Three Lions coach at the time, Fabio Capello, to resign.
Ferdinand Says Actions of Greg Clarke ‘Are a Kick in the Teeth’
Asked about his thoughts on the events that led to Greg Clarke’s resignation as chairman of the FA earlier this month, the 35-year-old said: “I was disappointed because the good work that they’re doing with the diversity code got spoilt.
“It was a kick in the teeth and shows how far we are from making things better.
“But the board and people right across the FA should mirror the England team – which is diverse. Throughout every age group England’s teams are a mixture of different races and that should be mirrored.”
Ferdinand’s documentary ‘Football, Racism and Me’ will be shown on BBC One on Monday, 23 November 2020 at 9pm.
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