To Kick It Out kick Terry out

While the furore rages whether John Terry should go to the European Championships, now that his trial for race hate has been postponed to July, no-one questions the motives of his club Chelsea.  After all, they are the ones who have requested the delay because it might affect their players i.e. they might have to sacrifice a few hours away from the Playstation or Xbox to attend court.  It is a risible excuse.  Tottenham Hotspur manage to soldier on. The true reason is Chelsea’s cynicism, seeking to manipulate the legal process, for if John Terry was convicted his football career would be over – he certainly could not continue to be club captain – and this would damage Chelsea as they desperately strive to stay in contention for Champions League qualification for next season.  Whether Terry’s name is ultimately cleared or not, let alone justice taking its course is not important to the Stamford Bridge hierarchy and I do find their contempt for the anti-racist cause and indeed that of the English national team sickening.  Say England were to triumph in Poland and the Ukraine and then the person who led the team was convicted of race hate, it would taint the whole achievement. 

Of course, John Terry has to stand down as captain for a second time.  Innocent until proven guilty maybe but life isn’t fair and previous indiscretions have long exhausted any reservoir of goodwill.  This would really send a signal that racism will not be tolerated anywhere, even on the previous ‘sanctuary of the pitch’.  Maybe Terry should direct some of his ire at his employers for dragging it out.  In no other profession could a person of standing be allowed to continue in post – they would be suspended on full pay, with another employee standing in the breach until the charges were resolved one way or another.  Spurs are a special case because no-one could fill the manager’s role adequately.  Politicians are accused of a litany of misdemeanours, but if Chris Huhne is put on the path to prosecution by the police tomorrow, then he has to abdicate his responsibilities until the matter is settled.  If he did get his wife to take speeding points on his behalf, he has broken the law (incidentally, so has she; talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face).

I remember that a defence counsel recounted in a newspaper interview that he often had clients who liked to dress in a brassy suit and tie, in the manner of their idol John Terry dressing for formal occasions.  This suited-and-booted swagger instantly alienated the jury and made a conviction more likely.  Instead, the lawyer tried to convince the client to appear in their normal clothes to show humility and the kind of personal background they come from.  I fear come July he is going to have to become a lot more persuasive.

Notwithstanding the charges, there is an argument that Terry shouldn’t go to the Euros in a professional capacity.  No-one disputes that he has put his body on the line over the years and played through the pain barrier, but this attrition has dulled his physical capabilities.  He was part of a defensive team that was repeatedly cut apart by the German’s Young Turks (a description befitting in more ways than one) at the World Cup.  That was in 2010.  Who’s to say, two years on, the same won’t happen, if not worse?  With the voices of Jason Roberts and Piarra Power saying his presence would be toxic in the dressing room, that is the most powerful of indictments and, all in all, it seems folly to stick with Terry.  Fabio Capello and the FA have to act.