interactive
index

This page is for reader comments regarding the England team or international football.  Send your remarks to England Football Online and we'll try to put them up soon after we get them. Please tell us your name, city or town and country.  Younger readers are welcome to contribute.
 

Forum Archive
2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2010	Kids Forum

 

Terry Burgess, Witham, Essex, U.K., 13 October 2003, on the Ferdinand saga:

Can I thank you for your comments and observations regarding the Rio Ferdinand affair.

I have been utterly dismayed at the way the UK press have reported this incident and almost to a man, all have failed to recognise the basic injustice of the FA's actions. Further, they have chosen to target and ridicule Gordon Taylor of the PFA and have publicly pilloried the players in a most vitriolic and distasteful way.

Phone-ins have shown some support for the 'injustice' point of view, in particular on Radio 5 Live, but so many people, at first, seemed to be blinded by the fact that Rio Ferdinand missed the drug test and, therefore, should have '...the book thrown at him...'. Then we had all the offers to play for the national side if those '...over paid, prima-donnas...' didn't want to play in Istanbul. 

I agree totally with everything you say in your comments on the subject. That the FA's current procedures regarding drug testing and discipline in the game in general need reviewing is not in doubt. However, that does not give the FA the excuse that they can change those rules as they go along.

 It is with interest that I note that, regardless of the hearing today (the 13th) that Rio Ferdinand should still be available for selection by his club in the next two League games and the Champions League fixture against Rangers. I waited for the FA to tell us that UEFA had told them Ferdinand couldn't play under the circumstances, but UEFA haven't said that at all.

So, the reason for the FA wanting to hijack the 'due process' of their own law is still a mystery to me.

Yuvraj Pradhan, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, 12 June 2003, on his predictions: 

Euro 2004 probable squad:
Goalkeeper:  David James 
Defence:  Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Danny Mills, Rio Ferdinand 
Midfield:  David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Danny Murphy, Paul Scholes
Strikers:  Michael Owen (my favourite), Emile Heskey

PY:  Since you only picked 11 players, we think you mean the starting team rather than the squad.  We believe several of your picks--Cole, Mills, Murphy and Heskey--are highly unlikely to start barring unforeseen injuries to other candidates.  You wouldn't be a Liverpool fan, would you, Yuvraj?

PY