Football: Ferdinand not affected by racism row

QPR manager happy with defender’s show against Spurs.

LONDON:

QPR manager Neil Warnock insists Anton Ferdinand remains unaffected by the Football Association (FA) investigation into allegations that the defender was racially abused by Chelsea captain John Terry.

Warnock praised Ferdinand for his contribution in the 3-1 defeat at Tottenham in the Premier League, the team’s first outing since the controversial Chelsea  game.

The win moved Tottenham up to fifth place in the Premier League and manager Harry Redknapp believes his side can look beyond simply challenging for a top-four finish.

“It’s wide open,” he said. “I said a few weeks ago don’t write Arsenal off. I thought Arsenal were still dangerous, in terms of the top four and they’ve proved that. I wouldn’t write Liverpool off either.”

Tottenham’s victory came thanks to a brace from Gareth Bale and a goal from Rafael van der Vaart. Jay Bothroyd’s second-half goal provided little consolation for QPR. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2011.