Wilkins ready to support Terry in FA race hearing

Published on 26/09/2012 03:01

John Terry’s disciplinary hearing will go into a third day today as the Chelsea skipper continues to contest a charge of using racist language.

Terry is facing an FA independent regulatory hearing into a charge that he used racist language towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand in October last year. The 31-year-old was accompanied by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck at the hearing at Wembley Stadium yesterday morning, and the defender departed shortly after 1pm. He is expected to 
return today to hear evidence in his favour – with team-mate Ashley Cole likely to be called upon again to testify. Cole gave evidence that helped exonerate Terry in his Westminster Magistrates’ Court case in July related to the same incident, telling the court: “We shouldn’t be sitting here.”

Meanwhile, former Chelsea coach Ray Wilkins, who also testified on the defender’s behalf in court, has said he is prepared to go to the FA hearing to support the player, who announced his international retirement on Sunday. Wilkins told ESPN: “I called John immediately after his decision to resign from the England team to see how he is. We didn’t talk about my attendance at the FA hearing, but I am there for him if he needs me.”

The case centres around an incident during Chelsea’s Barclays Premier League defeat at QPR on October 23 last year when Terry and Ferdinand clashed verbally on a number of occasions.