Ferdinand loses appeal against ban
Rio Ferdinand’s drugs ban appeal has backfired with a three-man appeals panel tonight upholding his eight-month suspension.
Ferdinand was hoping the ban imposed on him in December would be reduced when he appeared before the panel at a Heathrow hotel today.
The decision means he will not be able to resume playing until September 20, ruling him out of Euro 2004 and the start of next season.
The hearing lasted for three hours today with two-and-a-half hours devoted to Manchester United evidence on Ferdinand’s behalf and half and hour devoted to Football Association submissions.
The panel retired to consider its verdict at 3.15pm and Ferdinand’s fate was announced at just before 6pm.
The 25-year-old Manchester United defender decided to begin his suspension on January 20 when he lodged his appeal, even though he could technically have carried on playing.
The decision was made in the hope that the three-man appeals panel, headed by independent QC Ian Mill and also containing FA chairman Geoff Thompson and FA councillor Roger Burden, would cut the suspension far enough to allow Ferdinand to play in Euro 2004.
Ferdinand was not due to return to action until September 20 and appealed in the hope of reducing his suspension, although he was also aware it could be increased to as much as 12 months.
Whilethere is room for no further appeal through the FA, if he still wishes to fight the outcome of the second hearing, Ferdinand could take his case to the Sports Arbitrational Panel in Switzerland.
United director and lawyer Maurice Watkins blasted the original verdict, delivered in December, as ‘savage and unprecedented’.
The Professional Footballers’ Association were equally vehement in their belief that the suspension – which followed Ferdinand’s failure to attend a routine drugs test at United’s Carrington training ground on September 23 – was too severe.
