Football: Ferdinands ‘disappointed’ in race row

LONDON: Brothers Rio and Anton Ferdinand released a statement expressing disappointment with the football authorities’ efforts to tackle racism in the game, but pledging to help find a solution. They claimed that the campaigning organisation, partly funded by the PFA and the FA, was not doing enough to tackle discrimination in the game. “It has been a year since the incident [between Anton Ferdinand and John Terry] at Loftus Road,” read the statement. “During that time, some of the deep divisions that exist in football have been exposed. In the coming months there will be ongoing discussions, we are sure, on finding a way forward. Although we have been left disappointed by the PFA and the FA’s actions over the last year, as a family, we are committed to working with football’s existing organisations towards the betterment of the game and to achieve immediate action.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2012.