LONDON: Former England manager Graham Taylor has urged Chelsea captain John Terry to accept a four-match ban for racial abuse and bring an end to a controversy that has bedevilled English football for nearly a year.
Terry was handed a ban by the Football Association (FA) on Thursday after being found guilty of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand.
The ban will not come into force until the appeals procedure is complete.
Taylor cautioned against an appeal, telling Sky Sports: “Having sat on these panels and made judgements myself I know those people will have come to their conclusion in an honest and proper manner — they will have had legal advice.
“Whether John and Chelsea accept is it up to them, but I think it might be in everyone’s interest to put it to bed.”
Meanwhile Herman Ouseley, chairman of the Kick It Out organisation that aims to eradicate racism from football, told BBC Radio Five: “This is not about recriminations. It’s about how football moves forward from here after it has spent 11 months going through the wringer.” — AFP