John Terry

[Gulliball]

Alpine, he is allowed to continue playing for England. However the captaincy is another issue as the role is symbolic; he is the face of the country that is presented to the media worldwide, and the ambassador of the team that literally leads them out and picks up the trophies. For him to be in such a serious trial immediately after the tournament is an awkward position and I can completely understand why they've taken the decision they have.

[Alpine Joe]

I can also understand why they've taken the decision they have. That doesn't alter my opinion that the decision is wrong, totally unprincipled & flys in the face of what I'd hope our national F.A would stand for. However the media will go into overdrive in rubbishing Capello over the next week or two, after all tonights decision was clearly on the cards from the moment David Davies was used as unofficial spokesman to claim Capello was the guilty party for daring to voice an opinion.

I was totally opposed to appointing a foreign Manager, but i must admit that Mr.Capello can leave with his head held high & I'll continue to admire the principaled stand he took against the worms at Soho Square.

[Gullscorer]

Gulliball While many of us can understand that leaving someone in their job in situations such as the one descibed above would continue to give them the opportunity to potentually continue committing the offences they are accused of, there are those who can't quite see why removing an armband from a player would stop him from committing further offence. Indeed was he not wearing the Captains armband for Chelsea when the alleged naughty words were uttered ?

I would compare it to deciding a teacher wore a blue shirt to school on the day of the alleged offence against the child & allowing them to continue teaching children but while they're being investigated are banned from wearing a blue shirt to school.

Terry is still doing the same job & being allowed to mix with the same black opponents on football pitches every week...just as the accused teacher would be if he was NOT suspended.

Had the F.A Premier League explained to Spurs that Joe Jordan, Kevin Bond or Clive Allen should take over the role of Manager & deal with transfers in & out of the Club until Redknapps reputation regarding such financial matters had been upheld in the face of allegations to the contrary then I could understand what they were trying to get at.

As it is we end up with an Italian (Capello) reminding us of the principal of innocence until guilt has been established & the danger of pre-judging people. An incredible reversal in roles as 30 years ago, maybe even 20 it would have been the British explaining the idea of fair play & justice to the foreigners.

How times change.


And as for the claim that it was a 'tough decision' I really can't see cravenly capitulating to the politicians showed any backbone at all. The F.A will do as they are told, they'll even hang Capello out to dry in their haste to follow instructions. Their willingness to follow orders couldn't have been any more clearly demonstrated than the speed with which they acted to please their masters before they even picked up the phone to tell Capello that he no longer had a Captain.

If you're looking for decency, honesty or a willingness to make tough decisions I'd suggest the last place to look for it would be Soho Square. Whether it's the number of black players included in an 'England Greats' video or the unseemly haste to wrench the armband off the England Captain the bigwigs at the F.A will always stop shagging their secretaries long enough to ask 'how high' when their politically correct masters tell them to jump.

Excellent post.

[gullintwoplaces]

Agree with Gullscorer. Alpine Joe's post is the best I have seen on this topic. This has been a witchhunt, no doubt about it, and the FA have been told what to do by the PC witchfinders who have lost all sense of natural justice.

[cambgull]

Yes Matt has criminals to protect :~D

And this would be brilliant if it wasn't for the fact he was representing the prosecution.