Ferdinand given 8 Month Ban

[Rob]

Originally Posted by diothoir For a start, Cantona got a worldwide 9-month ban ( http://www.unitedmanchester.com/spor...-biography.htm ) which is longer than Rio's for you math impaired people.

For the memory impaired people, Cantona was immediately suspended by Manchester United until the end of that season. They agreed a 5 month ban with the FA and later on, the FA changed their mind after agreeing a deal and also helped him get police conviction.

The fact is that he missed a test. If an athlete like Paula Radcliffe missed a test, imagine the uproar. Why should football be any different? Anyway, its been pretty clear that Palios has been desperate to tighten up the rules since he took over, and Rio was the first one he could get at.

Football has different rules to Athletics. Just as Baseball, Cricket, Rugby, Basketball and just about every other sport under the sun do. Personally I feel the athletics rules are too severe especially considering how they treated the likes of Mark Richardson and Dougie Walker.

Also, it was obvious that Ferdinand was going to get banned until after the European Championships because there would have been a furore about hypocrisy otherwise.

You mean like there was for Stam, Davids, that Man City player nobody can remember, etc?

Rio missed the test, Man Utd didn't remind him, I'm honestly surprised he didn't get a longer ban. If this were any other player I'd expect the same: Drugs are unacceptable and missing a test is completely unacceptable.

You might expect the same but their aren't concrete rules and that's the problem. It's been a clear case of rules for one person and rules for others. Why did Blatter stick his nose in this case when he didn't for any others? Why were there 3 members of the FA on the 8 man commission deciding the case? Why did it take 3 months to get a ruling?

[Rob]

Originally Posted by Paranoid Rattlesnake It can take ages to give a sample for a drug test, Ferdinand has been made an example of and he didn't even take drugs.

How long would it take you to piss in a cup?

Seriously it takes less than a week to have a sample checked and results of the test made available. Remember, Rio actually passed his drug test.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by packt up Sorry but thats bullshit. How long does it take you to take a piss? Yeah thats right - because Man U are bigger than football itself.

Yeah that's why United are pissed eh!

You think any member of G14 is going to sit by and watch FIFA go at Man United? I don't think so! All it takes is for someone to piss them off and every member of G14 quits FIFA and makes their own federation.

[Dazz]

Originally Posted by The Mask To be honest, I don't give much of a fuck about England. Sure, I want them to win but if I had to choose between winning the champions league with utd or the world cup with england, it'd always be united. Also, I'm not overly sure why any United player would want to play for England. They're treated like scum of the earth by everyone up until they pull on the white shirt.

Yeah I agree, I would rather see Chelsea win the league then England win the World Cup, I support England, but I don't give a shit really, Chelsea are the only team I actually always care about. England are gay.

[packt up]

Originally Posted by Rob Yeah that's why United are pissed eh! You think any member of G14 is going to sit by and watch FIFA go at Man United? I don't think so! All it takes is for someone to piss them off and every member of G14 quits FIFA and makes their own federation.

Why the hell would the G14 leave FIFA at Man U's beck and call If the G14 quits FIFA I will eat all my faeces.

[packt up]

Originally Posted by Rob You might expect the same but their aren't concrete rules and that's the problem. It's been a clear case of rules for one person and rules for others. Why did Blatter stick his nose in this case when he didn't for any others? Why were there 3 members of the FA on the 8 man commission deciding the case? Why did it take 3 months to get a ruling?

You may think its a case of different rules and they are. THINGS HAVE CHANGED since the Negouai case.

Palios has come in to crack down on drugs. FIFA have said they are going to crack down on drugs.

Added to this was the fact that Rio and Man U refused to accept that they had done wrong. Requesting a personal hearing to lay the blame at the FA's door is not going to endear themselves to the FA. Rio didn't even accept the charge of "the failure or refusal by a player to submit to drug testing as required by a competent official".

HOW THE HELL can he claim that he didn't fail to take a drugs test.

Maybe if he accepted the damn charge, accept his own error and moved on then he wouldnt hhve got such a long ban.

[Mike]

Mask, Dazz, you unpatriotic sons of bitches.

[Paranoid Rattlesnake]

Originally Posted by packt up Sorry but thats bullshit. How long does it take you to take a piss? Yeah thats right - because Man U are bigger than football itself.

Erm i'd like to see you take a piss after training, de-hydration can be a factor with players which is why the test should have been carried out before not after training.

Sepp Blatter seems to think he is bigger than everybody else when in fact these clubs in the G14 can lobby for him to be ousted from the position or as ROB said can break away and form a separate federation. This is the man who was accused of taking bribes only last year for the promise of hosting a world cup. Blatter is not an honerable man and he has no right to say a worldwide ban could be imposed on any team for a matter such as this. Who is he to get involved in the FAs dealings, FIFA maybe the governing body but all the federations that are part of FIFA should be able to run there association as they see fit and well. Manchester United are standing by a player who has done nothing more than forget/fail to take a drugs test, i don't condone this "forgetting" to take a test but the guy did pass one 36 hrs later and probably would have passed it that same day had the FAs people let him come back. Any other team would have had the FA on their side and the FA would not have released the players name. IT IS ONE RULE FOR MAN UTD AND ONE RULE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.

[Cactus Sid]

Originally Posted by Paranoid Rattlesnake Erm i'd like to see you take a piss after training, de-hydration can be a factor with players which is why the test should have been carried out before not after training. Sepp Blatter seems to think he is bigger than everybody else when in fact these clubs in the G14 can lobby for him to be ousted from the position or as ROB said can break away and form a separate federation. This is the man who was accused of taking bribes only last year for the promise of hosting a world cup. Blatter is not an honerable man and he has no right to say a worldwide ban could be imposed on any team for a matter such as this. Who is he to get involved in the FAs dealings, FIFA maybe the governing body but all the federations that are part of FIFA should be able to run there association as they see fit and well. Manchester United are standing by a player who has done nothing more than forget/fail to take a drugs test, i don't condone this "forgetting" to take a test but the guy did pass one 36 hrs later and probably would have passed it that same day had the FAs people let him come back. Any other team would have had the FA on their side and the FA would not have released the players name. IT IS ONE RULE FOR MAN UTD AND ONE RULE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.

Why the hell should the FA have to wait on a player who left KNOWING he had a drugs test to take. Ferdinand deliberately left the ground, 3 of his team mates took the test, yet he chose not too, he left the ground and did whatever it is he did, the FA should not be forced to sit around waiting for a player who appears to believe he doesn't have to take the test. Their are no excuses for Ferdinand's actions, and that is why the ban has been enforced as harshly as it has.

Also, as a former Torquay Utd trainee I can go on record as saying most of the players i played with needed a piss after playing, and just went. You seem to forget that drinks are readily available to prevent dehydration, so what your saying has no foundation. Besides, the whole point of a RANDOM drugs test is that the FA turn up at some point during training unannounced, this, as I have explained a few times, is so that they can catch out those who may have cheated.

Sepp Blatter is, I agree, a bit overboard on occasions, however you seem to forget that as the FIFA president, he has the power to do what he sees fit. G14 isn't as powerful as everyone seems to think they are. They aren't even recognised by FIFA as a footballing organisation, and the 14 clubs involved, are not the biggest clubs in Europe, so the power they have is in fact limited. You also seem to forget that in any type of federal state, the states (in this case the FA) have the ability to make their own rules, but they are still dictated to but the head of the state, in this case its FIFA. Therefore, if FIFA feel the FA are not doing what they should be, they have the right to intervene, which is what Blatter is doing.

Manchester United do, of course, have the right to stand by the player, however they cannot surely argue that the player is not guilty, although they have to say this, because they are as guilty as Ferdinand is. Ferdinand taking a test within 36 hours (although Ferdinand himself stated 72, so yes, there is something up here).

The only reason you United fans are saying all of this, is because your angry at the outcome. We don't know what would have happened if it had been a high-profile Arsenal or Chelsea player, but I have reason to believe Palios IS doing what he can to stamp out drugs in the game, and to be tougher on those who are bringing the game into disrepute by not taking tests. The FA were well within their rights to give Ferdinand an 8 month ban, and FIFA are well within their rights to punish United, if they feel the situation arises. It's nothing to do with it being Manchester United, get out of your own asses.

[Rob Ban Fan]

Like Dazz and Maaaask have said, i'd always rather have club success than national success but I still want to see England do well and i'd feel better if we could go to Portugal with Terry, Campbell, Ferdinand and the rest of a full squad.

Don't get me wrong, I think Rio should be punished and the way things have been handled is stupid (and that goes for everyone, Rio, the FA, Blatter) but this can only be seen as a blow for the national team.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by packt up Why the hell would the G14 leave FIFA at Man U's beck and call If the G14 quits FIFA I will eat all my faeces.

They won't quit FIFA because FIFA are going to cave to Man United. G14, not FIFA is the most powerful group in football and they know it. It was an extreme example.