Rio Ferdinand

[gazzae]

Well Rio has been banned for 8 months and fined £50k for missing his drug test. This means that he will miss Euro 2004.

If you ask me this is way over the top, as the last footballer who missed a drugs test, because he was picking his mother up from the airport, only got a slap on the wrist and a £2,000 fine.

Doesn't suprise me. He's a man united player. They always come down harder on manu because they have the biggest profile in football

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Defiant

Doesn't suprise me. He's a man united player. They always come down harder on manu because they have the biggest profile in football

I'd partly agree with that, because if they want to make an example of someone, it makes sense to do it to a high profile player.

[gazzae]

Oh well, at least Wes Brown is nearing full fitness.

Silly boy Rio, I wonder if he will still get paid?

[lemarsh]

I suspect the severity of the ban is due to Sep Blatter's interference, and the FA wanting to remain in his good books.

No one has come out of this with any credibility:
1) Rio - Stupid for not taking it, and no excuse
2) Man Utd - For letting him go
3) Sport UK - Why do they not test when they turn up? Surely that is the best time - give no one any prior knowledge, and then they have no opportunity to forget. Also, why not wait for him to return to take the test on the same day.
4) The FA - Far to long in waiting for the disiplinary to take place - it should have been done (without his name being made public) within 2 weeks.
5) Sepp Blatter - for interfering in something that does not concern him

I suspect that the ban could have been made until the end of the season (6 months), but the FA wanted Rio not to be available for Euro 2004 - and another possible controversy. (I.e. FA did not want him playing for Man Utd, but do want him playing for England)

Also, why does the ban start on the 12th January. If he is guilty, then it should be immediate. He has had the chance to prepare and argue his case.

[Graham F]

should of been 2 years, he is a very lucky boy

[Nor]

The thing is, he spoke to the testers 2 hours after his appointment and asked to take the test then and they told him no we aren't testing you now you are too late. Why on earth did they do this. Surely it'd have been sensible to test him 2 hours after but still file a report saying he missed the initial appointment.

That would have been the sensible thing to do. But oh no, not with beauracracy. I can just see the guys so excited about being able to say he didn't turn up.

Thing was, he wasn't taking any drugs, he passed one soon after and nothing was in his system. He is just an ********, something he has in common with most footballers, why it dragged out so long I cannot fathom. Shoulda been done and dusted 3 months ago. The FA have shot themselves in the foot. If they dealt with it 3 months ago he'd be playing in Euro 2004 for them but now he isn't

[lemarsh]

2 years for failing to take a test, when he took it 36 hours later, and offered to come back on the same day?

Let's not forget, the test was clear

[Graham F]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

2 years for failing to take a test, when he took it 36 hours later, and offered to come back on the same day?

Let's not forget, the test was clear

Makes no odds football is such a backwards sport in regards to drugs if he competed in most other sports failing to take a drug test means an automatic 2 year ban - end of!

[Nor]

So your argument is that it should be 2 years because its all abit stupid and backwards the system ?

[Graham F]

Originally Posted by Nor

So your argument is that it should be 2 years because its all abit stupid and backwards the system ?

No my agruement is it should be 2 years as alot of banned sustances can be out of the body within 24 hours so failing to take a test is/should be the same as failing one.

The system within football from the way the tests are run to the way it takes months to get matters resolved when they need to discipline players. Football could do a lot worse than look around at other sports and wake up to the fact that [I]some[I] players do take drugs in order to make them preform better

[lemarsh]

Originally Posted by Scooby

Makes no odds football is such a backwards sport in regards to drugs if he competed in most other sports failing to take a drug test means an automatic 2 year ban - end of!

Every participant in any sport works to the rules (and penalties) of their governing sport.

Football in this country did not have any (as far as I am aware) specific rules against missing a test, and where a president was set last year, a £2k fine and a slap on the wrists.

Would the same ban have been imposed on a 3rd division player, without the FIFA boss huffing & puffing - I don't think so. Now I am no Man Utd fan (quite the opposite), but the rules must be the same for everyone

[Nor]

Originally Posted by Scooby

No my agruement is it should be 2 years as alot of banned sustances can be out of the body within 24 hours so failing to take a test is/should be the same as failing one.

The system within football from the way the tests are run to the way it takes months to get matters resolved when they need to discipline players. Football could do a lot worse than look around at other sports and wake up to the fact that [I]some[I] players do take drugs in order to make them preform better

Like Skiiing where they ban someone for taking a decongestant ?

Fact is, in this case Ferdinand made himself available to take the test 2 HOURS after his appointment and they said no because they are beaurocratic fools. If you can't see that as a failure in their system I can only assume you have an ulterior motive.

[lemarsh]

Originally Posted by Nor

. If you can't see that as a failure in their system I can only assume you have an ulterior motive.

Let's keep it clean - and no (implied) insults......

[Nor]

How is that an insult ?