‘I don’t think John Terry is a racist, I think he said a racist thing’: Kieron Dyer DEFENDS ex-Chelsea captain over his controversial racism row with QPR team-mate Anton Ferdinand … and admits he’s heard racist remarks from white players ‘hundreds of times’

• John Terry and Anton Ferdinand clashed during a match back in October 2011
• Terry was cleared of racial abuse in court but charged and fined by The FA
• Kieron Dyer, a team-mate of Ferdinand’s in 2011, reflected on the incident 

By Jack Bezants for MailOnline

Published: 06:31 EDT, 23 June 2020 | Updated: 07:53 EDT, 23 June 2020

Kieron Dyer does not consider John Terry to be racist for what he said in an on-field exchange with with Anton Ferdinand in 2011 and says he regularly heard racist remarks from white players during his career.

Terry was cleared in court of racially abusing Ferdinand but was charged by The FA, banned for four matches and fined £220,000 after a four-day hearing. Terry did not deny saying the words ‘black’ and an expletive, but claimed he was repeating what he thought Ferdinand had said. 

The incident occurred in QPR’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in October 2011. Ferdinand’s older brother, Rio, was upset that Ashley Cole, a black team-mate of his through England and also of Terry at Chelsea, testified for Terry in court.

Kieron Dyer said he often heard racist remarks from white players during his career

John Terry and Anton Ferdinand (second left) clashed in a Premier League game in 2011

Terry was cleared of racial abuse in court but charged and fined by the Football Association

‘With the John Terry and Rio thing – Ashley and Rio fell out because Ashley defended John Terry in court,’ Dyer, who played alongside Terry for England and was a QPR player when the incident happened, said. ‘When people ask me “is John Terry a racist?”, I don’t think John Terry is a racist, I think John Terry said a racist thing. 

‘Anton said ‘you bang your team-mate’s missus’, he got angry and said ‘you black c***’ in retaliation. 

‘He said a racist thing which is wrong. But I’ve seen John Terry, I’ve been around John Terry, do I think he is racist? No.’

Terry allegedly once had an affair with the ex-wife of his former Chelsea team-mate, Wayne Bridge.

Dyer also referenced his infamous on-field clash with his then-Newcastle team-mate Lee Bowyer. 

‘Everyone would being up “did you fight with Lee Bowyer because he’s a racist?” No, Lee Bowyer is not a racist,’ Dyer said, speaking to The Kick Off.

Dyer was a QPR player in 2011 and had played alongside Terry in the England setup

Dyer said people would ask him if his fight with Lee Bowyer at Newcastle was to do with racism

Dyer said that the dressing room culture in his era as a player saw white players make black jokes in the dressing room.

Dyer came through the ranks with Ipswich in 1996 before joining Newcastle in 1999. He joined West Ham in 2007 and also had spells at QPR and Middlesbrough, as well as winning 33 caps for England. 

‘There have been times in changing rooms where white players have made black jokes but I just think it is a dressing room culture – it was then,’ Dyer said. ‘You could get away with saying certain things. 

‘I know they’re not a racist so I could take it as a joke. But if I thought someone was being racist I would have them up on it. But hundreds of times there have been times in changing rooms where that has happened. Probably in today’s football that doesn’t happen so much.’ 

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Retired NFL Saftey Usama Young shared a personal accounting of growing up as a black man in America. Young wrote an emotionally charged piece on ‘The Players’ Tribune’ in the first-person accounting on race relations. The article goes on to provide an in-depth look into the Super Bowl Champions’ life off the field.

The Players Tribune is a media platform founded by MLB player Derek Jeter. The site aims to provide an intimate conversation between players and their fans. The first person stories published directly from the athlete’s perspective offers a never before seen depth into the player’s life story.

Usama Young details a harrowing incident he experienced as a young black man when he moved to PG County, Maryland. Young detailed the experience to forever change his outlook on being black in American society.

The incident involved Young and his elder brother being pulled over by law enforcement under questionable conditions. Usama Young being only 12 at the time said that the experience of being judged by the skin of his color impacted him greatly. The police were unable to locate narcotics (which were never there in the first place) and told the young men to move along.

Usama Young: “We’re Just trying to get home”

Usama explained what it truly meant to be viewed as the hoodlum stereotypes that black men are subjected to.

“For 10 minutes, we sat there as people drove by rubbernecking at the “young black thugs.” It felt like an eternity. And then, after all that, the officers just took off the cuffs and told us to be on our way”

“Being 12 years old, I was just … shook. Helpless. That’s the only word for how you feel in that situation”.

The former NFL player also touched up the systemic nature of black oppression. So many years later, It appears that very little has changed.

“At that time, the police in PG County were notorious for pulling over young black men. We knew the deal. But we never expected to be cuffed and humiliated over nothing”.

Additionally, the former Raiders safety contemplates the future his children grow up in. One thing is certain there are tough conversations to be had in the future.

Paris (AFP) – Spartak Moscow youth team player Leonid Mironov will not be charged for racially abusing Liverpool teenager Rhian Brewster during a UEFA Youth League game last December, after UEFA found no evidence to confirm the allegation.

Mironov admitted swearing at Brewster, who was the leading scorer in England’s Under-17 World Cup triumph last year, but denied making a racial slur.

UEFA on Wednesday announced that an investigation had not found any evidence of racist abuse, after an inspector took statements from five players from each team and two match officials.

European football’s governing body acknowledged that Brewster’s allegation was made in good faith.

“Leonid Mironov was also interviewed by the inspector and stated that he indeed swore at Rhian Brewster, but he unreservedly denied using any discriminatory language,” UEFA said in a statement.

“After concluding his investigation, the inspector found no evidence to corroborate the allegations.”

Liverpool responded by calling on authorities to do more in tackling discrimination in the game, after Brewster had claimed UEFA “don’t care” about racism in the aftermath of the incident.

“We would like to place on record our admiration for the courage shown by Rhian Brewster throughout this process and commend his exemplary conduct,” a spokesman for the Premier League club told Britain’s Press Association.

“In keeping with Rhian’s stance, the club encourages football’s governing bodies to facilitate the most robust processes possible to identify and tackle discrimination in the game at all ages.”

Last month the English FA didn’t take any action against Liverpool first-team forward Roberto Firmino after the Brazilian was accused of racially abusing Everton’s Mason Holgate in a similar incident.

The 17-year-old Brewster has struggled with knee injuries since the Under-17 World Cup last season, and is yet to make an appearance for the Liverpool senior side.

Paris (AFP) – Spartak Moscow youth team player Leonid Mironov will not be charged for racially abusing Liverpool teenager Rhian Brewster during a UEFA Youth League game last December, after UEFA found no evidence to confirm the allegation.

Mironov admitted swearing at Brewster, who was the leading scorer in England’s Under-17 World Cup triumph last year, but denied making a racial slur.

UEFA on Wednesday announced that an investigation had not found any evidence of racist abuse, after an inspector took statements from five players from each team and two match officials.

European football’s governing body acknowledged that Brewster’s allegation was made in good faith.

“Leonid Mironov was also interviewed by the inspector and stated that he indeed swore at Rhian Brewster, but he unreservedly denied using any discriminatory language,” UEFA said in a statement.

“After concluding his investigation, the inspector found no evidence to corroborate the allegations.”

Liverpool responded by calling on authorities to do more in tackling discrimination in the game, after Brewster had claimed UEFA “don’t care” about racism in the aftermath of the incident.

“We would like to place on record our admiration for the courage shown by Rhian Brewster throughout this process and commend his exemplary conduct,” a spokesman for the Premier League club told Britain’s Press Association.

“In keeping with Rhian’s stance, the club encourages football’s governing bodies to facilitate the most robust processes possible to identify and tackle discrimination in the game at all ages.”

Last month the English FA didn’t take any action against Liverpool first-team forward Roberto Firmino after the Brazilian was accused of racially abusing Everton’s Mason Holgate in a similar incident.

The 17-year-old Brewster has struggled with knee injuries since the Under-17 World Cup last season, and is yet to make an appearance for the Liverpool senior side.

Spartak Moscow’s Under-19s captain Leonid Mironov will not face punishment by Uefa for allegedly racially abusing Liverpool starlet Rhian Brewster.

Uefa announced on Wednesday morning they had found “no evidence” to support Brewster’s allegations of racial abuse by Mironov during Liverpool Under-19s’ 2-0 win at home to Spartak in December.

However, Uefa said they believed Brewster had made his complaint in “complete good faith”.

Brewster, who won the World Cup with the England U-17 side last October, had to be restrained by his teammates at the end of the victory over Spartak in December before he told referee Mohammed Al-Hakim of the incident involving Mironov.

Uefa subsequently charged Mironov with racist behaviour and carried out an independent investigation into the incident, in which they asked players from both teams and the match officials about it.

In a statement released by the European governing body, they said: “The inspector took statements from five players from both teams, as well as from two match officials, who were in the vicinity of the alleged incident. None of these heard any discriminatory words.

“Leonid Mironov was also interviewed by the inspector and stated that he indeed swore at Rhian Brewster, but he unreservedly denied using any discriminatory language.

“After concluding his investigation, the inspector found no evidence to corroborate the allegations, which he believed were made in complete good faith by the Liverpool player Rhian Brewster.

“Therefore, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, following the recommendation of the inspector, established that there was no evidence that would legally support sanctioning the FC Spartak Moskva youth player Leonid Mironov and thus decided to close the disciplinary proceedings.”

In September, Liverpool’s Bobby Adekanye – who was born in Nigeria – was subjected to racist chants and gestures from some Spartak fans in Moscow.

Uefa responded by charging the Russian club – whose stadium will be used for this summer’s World Cup – and forcing them to partially close their academy stadium for their next fixture, which left just 500 seats empty. 

Speaking about his experience of racism in football after the Spartak game, Brewster told The Guardian: “I love the game. I’m never going to stop loving it. 

“It’s just disappointing to know it’s still in the game. If it wasn’t in the game, it would be so much better. You wouldn’t have to worry about playing abroad, worrying about what the fans are going to say, or what another player is going to say. 

“I wouldn’t have to worry that if I score they are going to call me all types of names.”

Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has been cleared by the Football Association after an allegation he racially abused Everton defender Mason Holgate.

But the governing body has dismissed suggestions Holgate made the claim in anything but good faith, while also explaining why it took so long to reach a decision.

The FA spent more than six weeks investigating allegations Firmino racially abused Holgate during the FA Cup third round showdown between the Merseyside rivals at Anfield on January 5.

Having been shoved into the crowd by the Blues player during a challenge, an unhappy Firmino confronted his opponent and was captured on camera shouting at Holgate in Portuguese.

An instantly-outraged Holgate was seen complaining to referee Bobby Madley that he had been racially abused, with the incident later included in the referee’s official report.

Now, almost 50 days after the flashpoint, the FA said interviews with 12 players and officials from both teams revealed nobody directly heard the words alleged to have been said by the Liverpool man.

Linguistic specialists and unseen footage further highlighted Firmino had no case to answer, although the FA stressed Holgate’s allegation was not intentionally malicious.

In a statement explaining their decision, they said: “Having considered all of the available evidence, we consider it is not sufficient to raise a charge against Firmino.

“However, we are completely satisfied that the allegation was made in absolute good faith by Holgate and that there is no suggestion of this being an intentionally false or malicious allegation.”

Firmino admitted insulting Holgate in Portuguese but, in a statement, vehemently denied he had used any racist language.

“As difficult as it has been to remain publicly silent, given the serious and damaging nature of what it was claimed I said during the game, I did so to demonstrate my respect for the process and to allow the issue to be investigated in the most thorough way,” he said.

“It is critical for football that tackling racism and all forms of discrimination is taken extremely seriously. As someone who has experienced racist abuse during my life, I know how damaging and hurtful it can be.

“Now the process is concluded, I would like to place on record, for the avoidance of any doubt, I did not say the word, or a variation of the word, that was claimed and subsequently reported in the media.

“I did not use any language that referenced race. I did not – and would never – reference a person’s skin colour or culture, by means of insult, during a dispute or an argument.”

The club response

Everton released a statement backing Holgate while accepting the outcome of the disciplinary procedure.

“The club welcomes the FA’s expression of complete satisfaction that the allegation made by our player, Mason Holgate, was done so in absolute good faith, that proper process was followed and that there is no suggestion of malice or dishonesty on Mason’s part,” it read.

“The club also welcomes the FA’s commitment to continue to treat all allegations of a discriminatory nature with extreme seriousness. In challenging circumstances, the FA has reached its determination and, as a club, we accept this.”

Liverpool admitted the length of the investigation had been “hurtful” to Firmino while praising the player’s behaviour during the last six weeks.

“We thank Roberto for the manner in which he has conducted himself during this difficult process, acknowledging that being subjected to such a serious allegation for this length of time has been hurtful to him and his family.

“Both the club and player were in full agreement from the beginning that if an investigation was required it should be a thorough and robust one.

“Roberto has co-operated fully with the process and shown a willingness to engage and assist throughout, with the only objective being to discover the truth of what happened.

“We are satisfied that the outcome of the process has exonerated the player of using any racist or discriminatory language.”

Asked several times if he could have missed it, Bruno, who is white, said it was possible but unlikely.

“I guess if he whispered it,” he said. “But I never saw anything that shows one of them was whispering. And I would still be in close proximity.”

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Young declined through a representative to comment and has not elaborated or spoken publicly about the incident since his initial post on Twitter on Tuesday morning. Harrison defeated Young in their first-round match, 6-3, 7-6 (4), but then lost his next one and was eliminated from the singles competition.

It is unclear whether the ATP will penalize either player. Harrison and Young have a history of acrimony, and Harrison is known on the tour for his aggressive and abrasive manner, often incurring the ire of opponents and tournament officials.

Bruno said he generally likes Young more than Harrison because Young is more approachable on court. But he said that he witnessed “ridiculous, immature behavior” from both players.

The incident occurred during a changeover at 4-3 in the first set Monday night. The players got into an argument that quickly grew so heated that the umpire had to come down from his chair to separate the players. Young, who is black, told ATP officials that the remark was made by Harrison, who is white, during that changeover.

The post on Young’s Twitter account read, “I’m shocked and disappointed, Ryan Harrison, to hear you tell me how you really feel about me as a black tennis player in the middle of our NY match.”

During its investigation, the ATP interviewed the umpire and the ball people and reviewed video of the incident, which shows Bruno standing behind Harrison. Audio of the exchange is unclear, but Bruno, who can be seen on the video drinking from a bottle of water and smirking, said he smiled because he thought the players were joking at first.

Harrison, he said, told Young not to audibly celebrate Harrison’s mistakes on the court, something that is considered poor sportsmanship in tennis. Young told Harrison to shut up, using an expletive. Bruno also said that Young leveled an abusive, nonracial, term at Harrison and challenged him to a fight. Harrison responded by holding his hand out, mocking Young for being short.

“Donald Young said, ‘Let’s take this outside, let’s fight outside,’ ” Bruno said. “Ryan kept saying, ‘You’re this tall,’ and kept gesturing with his hand, ‘You’re this tall, you’re this tall.’ ”

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At that point, the umpire came down from his chair and separated the players. Later, Young took a bathroom break and Bruno said he heard the chair umpire say something to Harrison that appeared to be a warning.

“Harrison said, ‘You should really be addressing him and give him a talking to,’ ” Bruno said, “and that was that.”

Bruno said that he and others were rotated off the court before the end of the match, which is routine. He said he and the other ball people went into a lounge and discussed what they heard. An ATP official later came in and asked for their accounts, which Bruno said he believed was before anyone knew there would be charges of racism leveled on social media.

The next morning, on his way to the tournament in Uniondale, N.Y., Bruno heard about Young’s tweet about racial abuse. Bruno said he was surprised, and when he arrived at the event, an ATP official asked him and another ball person who was present the night before to write down their accounts of what had occurred.

“Nothing more, nothing less,” Bruno said he was told. “Just write exactly what you heard.”

He said he wrote a paragraph, and that was the last he heard about it from tournament officials. But later, when he saw the fallout on social media, he felt compelled to speak out. He wrote on his Twitter account that he was present and heard nothing racist. Harrison retweeted Bruno’s post.

He said Harrison later called him and told him how he was being “brutalized” on social media.

“It was pretty nasty, some of the things I was reading,” Bruno said. “For people to just jump on the bandwagon and start, like, really damaging someone’s character without hearing any evidence or details of the conversation, it didn’t sit right with me.”

A medical imaging technologist, Bruno said he played high school tennis at Francis Lewis High School in Queens and has been a ball person for more than a decade, including assignments at the United States Open since 2007.

He said he knew that by going public with his account he could be jeopardizing his ability to work as a ball person at future events because they are not supposed to speak publicly. But he also said if he had heard anything racial, he would have spoken up about that, too.

“If I heard it, I would definitely vouch that it was said,” he said. “It’s not right.”

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