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Rio charged by FA over "choc ice" tweet


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Rio Ferdinand has been charged by the Football Association over comments he made at the end of the John Terry trial.

Following Terry's acquittal for allegedly racially abusing Ferdinand's brother Anton, the Manchester United defender responded to a tweet that characterised Terry's Chelsea teammate Ashley Cole - a defence witness in the trial - as a "choc ice".

The term is commonly understood to mean "black on the outside, white on the inside" and was a reference to Cole's testimony in court, in which he said he never heard Terry make a racist remark towards Anton Ferdinand during a match at Loftus Road in October.

An FA statement said: "The FA has today charged Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand with improper conduct in relation to comments posted on Twitter.

"The allegation is that the player acted in a way which was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race."

Ferdinand has until 4pm on Thursday to respond to the charge.

The move extends still further a case which has cast a shadow over the game for more than nine months now.

Last week, Terry was charged with improper conduct by the FA for the comments he made to Anton Ferdinand, a charge he has vowed to contest.

Now, Rio Ferdinand must clear his name or risk a hefty fine or potential suspension ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

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And not one person from the anti-racism lobby has commented on Rio (or Frimpong for that matter who has also been charged).

I'm talking about rent-a-quotes like Blissett, Crooks, Carlisle, Salako, Roberts. People who can't wait to be on TV and boost their profile even more.

Strangely quiet on this one, aren't you chaps .. ?

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What I find ironic and sad too about this is that the use of expressions like "coconut" and "choc ice" implies a belief that somehow black people and white people are different on the inside.

Shylock said it much better than I can when he said :

"If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in thatâ€

Jews/Christians/ whites/blacks, it's no different. It seems to me that Ferdinand in accusing Ash of being a choc ice is being far more racist than JT might or might not have been.

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What I find ironic and sad too about this is that the use of expressions like "coconut" and "choc ice" implies a belief that somehow black people and white people are different on the inside.

Shylock said it much better than I can when he said :

"If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in thatâ€

Jews/Christians/ whites/blacks, it's no different. It seems to me that Ferdinand in accusing Ash of being a choc ice is being far more racist than JT might or might not have been.

Well said. What's bothersome about that quote is that it reinforces ethnic stereotypes, trumpeting the absurd notion that black people should behave a certain way that's distinct from the way that white people behave. What Rio said is racism in its purest and most insidious form and is far, far worse than calling somebody a black c**t in the heat of an argument. That isn't to say that calling somebody a black c**t is acceptable, just that what Rio did is much more racist. Race relations will never improve until we stop perpetuating the absurd notion that races are anything but a social construct. People are people, some are good and some are sh*t, but the color of their skin isn't the reason this is so. Unless, of course, they're ginger. Given that gingers have been scientifically proven to lack souls, that's a different story entirely.

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Unless, of course, they're ginger. Given that gingers have been scientifically proven to lack souls, that's a different story entirely.

I would like to make it clear that any coppery tinge to my hair is entirely due to chemicals! :laugh2:

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I've been waiting from a comment from Lord Ouseley of 'Kick it Out' on the choc ice case. He did not disappoint:

However, at the same Wembley conference, influential Kick it Out anti-racism campaigner Lord Ousley said he was surprised Ferdinand had been charged because he had not instigated the Twitter conversation in the first place.

It is expected this would be a major component of Ferdinand's defence.

He's really determined to stamp out racist comments. isn't he?

Edited by Backbiter
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