John Terry cleared of racial abuse

[Sam Slater]

And you're allowed to vote.

[Sam Slater]

To be honest, Max, this isn't about race, but money and profile. If you or I had been caught on camera calling a mixed race, or black person a "fucking black cunt" we'd have been found guilty and fined. No excuses.

It is why Steven Gerrard got away with pinning a DJ up against a bar and continually uppercuted him in 'self defence'. It is why a banker can get off with just losing his job for defrauding millions out of people but a council estate chav will get 2 months jail for nicking a bottle of water.

It's about money and the more you've got the more you can put two fingers up to the system.

[David Johnson]

Max
I was talking about your comment about a "tsunami of immigration" that Labour allowed. Immigration is just as high under Cameron which is why I put in the link I did.

[Sam Slater]

It's a joke and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth (that's what Bridge's ex said after Terry left, apparently).

A side issue, for me, is an interest in what the FA are going to do now the criminal case is over. This case was purely a decision on whether a crime had been committed, not on whether Terry has broken any FA rules. Suarez's excuse of cultural ignorance didn't wash and he got an 8 game ban. Rooney got a 3 game ban for just saying the word phrase 'fuck-off' down the camera and now John Terry has admitted, on oath, that he said the words 'fucking black cunt'.

For me, he's using racist, derogatory remarks which goes against the laws of the game and makes a mockery of the Respect and Kick it Out campaigns. If they do nothing not only would it be inconsistent, but would send a message to kids that you can be racist as long as you say you're just repeating something you've heard, or it's all in the name of sarcasm.

For me he's broken FA rules and should be punished.

[max_tranmere]

I agree that happens in the main, but there are exceptions.

Jonathan Aitken and Jeffrey Archer are two. Aitken was an even more well-connected toff than David Cameron is, not only Eton and a family line of top Tory and land-gentry folk going back centuries, but his uncle was the press baron Lord Beaverbrook and his mother was the equiry to Winston Churchill. Aitken still got 18 months for perjury, lost his home and all his money, was ostricised by all the people who used to know him, and said later that he came very near to committing suicide as a result.

I only vaguely remember the Jeffrey Archer case, but I know he went to jail. It was something like: he lied in Court over the liaison he had with a call girl, sued the newspaper who wrote about it (the Daily Star?), got a fortune out of them in Court, saw the editor of the paper sacked over the whole thing - and it turned out he had lied about it all. He was well connected and had held high office, like Jonathan Aitken had done, but he still got sent to prison.

Top footballers may be rich and may own large houses and have fancy cars, but the Establishment will never fully embrace them because they are from working class backgrounds. I find it interesting what you said, there may be some merit in it, but I wonder if you or I could afford the same legal team that Terry had we would not have got off too.

[max_tranmere]

With all the momentum built up by 13 years of a Government it is very hard for an incoming Government to just overturn it immediately. Cameron seems keen to get on top of the immigration problem - it just might take him a while.

[Sam Slater]

Good points, Max. Maybe the well-connected in society think that lying on oath is a bigger crime than defrauding commoners out of some money, a fight amongst the working class in a club and some other similar scum calling each other racist names.

[David Johnson]

He's had 2 years and as you can see there has hardly been any change whatsoever.

[David Johnson]

Agree entirely.

[max_tranmere]

Not sure I get the context of your last comment. A bit of sarcasm in there, or not?