Football clubs urged to take lead to stamp out vile on-field insults

The Chelsea and England defender was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

It was alleged that Terry had maliciously called QPR defender Anton Ferdinand a “f****** black c***” during a match on October 23 last year.

Ouseley feels football clubs have a social responsibility to “take a lead” on the issue.

The chairman of Kick It Out told Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme: “The vast majority of people who play football, they may have prejudices, but they don’t necessarily go on the football pitch to express them.

“We have got to look at those who commit these offences and deal with them very thoroughly. If you look at John Terry’s performance in the Ukraine and Poland (at Euro 2012) it was immaculate both on the pitch and off the pitch. And that shows you what can happen.

“Most people were astonished when they realised that Wayne Rooney had one yellow card only throughout the whole of the Premier League season. And that’s a transformation.

“I think if clubs themselves are taking a lead about what standard of behaviour and conduct they expect and what they won’t put up with, and if the football regulatory authority, which is the Football Association, does likewise in the way that it carries out its responsibilities with regards to conduct then I think we can transform the game.”

Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand, Anton’s brother, has defended his response to a tweet which referred to Ashley Cole as a “choc ice”, insisting it was not a racist term. Instead, the Manchester United defender, a former England international, said the term was slang for “someone who is being fake”.

Ferdinand laughingly reacted on Twitter last night after one person sent a tweet to him  accusing Cole, who was a  defence witness in the John Terry racism trial, of being a “choc ice”.

The term is commonly understood to mean “black on the outside, white on the inside”.

The person wrote: “Looks like Ashley Cole’s going to be their choc ice. Then again he’s always been a sell out. Shame on him.” Ferdinand replied: “I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic! hahahahahahha!!”

Users began discussing the comments and reacting to them and Ferdinand wrote: “And if I want to laugh at something someone tweets....I will! Hahahahaha! Now stop getting ya knickers in a twist!”

Ferdinand’s initial comment has now been deleted from his Twitter account, but the 33-year-old did speak about the issue yesterday. He tweeted: “What I said is not a racist term. It’s a type of slang/term used by many for someone who is being fake. So there.”

Cole, 31, had told the trial that Terry, his Stamford Bridge captain and friend, was not racist.

The Chelsea and England defender last night moved to calm the situation down regarding the comments made on Twitter and issued a statement through his lawyers.

It said: “Ashley Cole has been made aware of the discussion following comments appearing on Twitter and wishes to make it clear that he and Rio Ferdinand are good friends and Ashley has no intention of making any sort of complaint.

“Ashley appreciates that tweeting is so quick it often results in off-hand and stray comments.”

The original tweet was believed to have been made by a man from Derbyshire.