This JT AF trial

[MattyRangers]

I dont see what point you are trying to make? That not all tweets are 100% accurate? Well this is nothing new and the article comes off as pretty boring because of that.

Mr Meldrew, is that you?

[stainrodisalegend]

No, the point I have made is that this case could change what happens on a football pitch, if it doesn't we will see more players in court. As rangersbitch's article points out this has nothing to do with Anton making a complaint to his employer, or about conduct in a place of work. The football pitch has been a sanctuary from the law for a long time, this case means it will not be if JT is found guilty and the police will have to treat every incident where a member of public makes a complaint about an assualt (for example), with witnesses and camera's as sources of evidence, seriously. This could be as big for football as Bosman.

I would rather there is an element of leaving things on the field, others don't want that, but you can't have it half or both ways. Either breaking the law on a football pitch means a criminal investigation or it doesn't. You can't limit it to racial slurs because the application of the law cannot be selective like that.

Think it depends on the severity of the alleged crime. Am sure 99 per cent of cases will still be dealt with by the FA as dont think the CPS will want to get involved. But career-ending injuries, uncontrollable acts of violence off the ball (ala Barton) and racist shouting cd start to come under their umbrella. Inevitable really: a football pitch is not an embassy, what goes on on the pitch is as much the business of the police as stuff that happens on the street.

[QPRDave]

Ray Wilkins appeared as a character witness along with 15 of his teamates, including Kalou........think terry and his pals are going to make AF look like a liar and very foolish,

[Kit]

AF cannot be made a liar because Terry has admitted saying the words in question. Having read more on this whole sorry mess, if what the transcript says is true with the comments about AF's Girlfriend then Terry hasn't got a leg to stand on, it is just whether his lawyers can convince the judge that no one is 100% convinced of exactly what was said, that could get him off the hook.
I unfortunately believe his lawyers will do this, whilst I am more convinced than ever Terry did say it, his lawyers will say it has to be 100% proven.

[80sCasual]

AF cannot be made a liar because Terry has admitted saying the words in question. Having read more on this whole sorry mess, if what the transcript says is true with the comments about AF's Girlfriend then Terry hasn't got a leg to stand on, it is just whether his lawyers can convince the judge that no one is 100% convinced of exactly what was said, that could get him off the hook.
I unfortunately believe his lawyers will do this, whilst I am more convinced than ever Terry did say it, his lawyers will say it has to be 100% proven.

Absolutely no way, he has admitted that he did say it so how can his lawyers now say he may not have.
Bang to rights imo.

[QPRDave]

Don't JT's lawyers only have to convince the magistrate that there is an element of doubt?, having 15 teamates happy to speak up for you including at least 2 black team mates surely will give said magistrate that element.I fear for Anton

[Kit]

Absolutely no way, he has admitted that he did say it so how can his lawyers now say he may not have.
Bang to rights imo.

I would love you to be right on this but I can see this smarmy odious individual wriggling out of this on it not being 100%. Not sure people like Ashley Cole have actually helped him but his lawyers will put enough doubt in the Magistrates mind to let him off. We will see tomorrow but from everything I have read you would think he is guilty but this is Terry we are talking about.....................

[Telegraph]

John Terry racism trial: Chelsea defender used 'straightforward racist abuse' towards

Making his closing speech, prosecutor rubbishes claim that Chelsea defender was sarcastically repeating racist slur.



More...

[DeepcutHoop]

I don't understand what Terry's defence team is actually arguing. They claim that Terry was just sarcastically responding to an accusation from Anton, but seem to be using the abuse from the crowd and from Anton as an excuse for something.

If they were defending Terry snapping and saying something in anger, then that might make sense and give him a supposed excuse, that he was provoked by intolerable abuse. But if they are claiming he was quite calm throughout, and was merely enquiring if Anton had accused him of something, why does the abuse he was receiving matter?

[Bluehoop]

Decision at 2pm Friday according to SSN

[QPR1234]

12 character references for me smells of desperation from the defence.

i expect however him to be let off as they do not have enough evidence to convict.

[stainrodisalegend]

i hope the defence bring up the example of how he blatantly lied when he was sent off. shows the character (or lack of) of the witness

[hal9thou]

I'm not saying the Mrs baiting is an excuse, although I'd have thought it was a dumb tactic since JT thrives upon that kind of stuff.

the worst thing about all this is that level of abuse is sooo dumb these days, the cricketers do it better.

[Johnnykc]

Don't JT's lawyers only have to convince the magistrate that there is an element of doubt?, having 15 teamates happy to speak up for you including at least 2 black team mates surely will give said magistrate that element.I fear for Anton

Interestingly, I heard that Drogba and Mikkel refused......

[MattyRangers]

Is it just me that thinks the whole character witness things aload of b0ll0x?

So I could go out, blatently, on camera, call a black bloke a "black ****", clear as day, but if I get 15 mates to go and say Im a really nice man and Ive always spoken well to black people in the past, that means the incident is fine? What bearing does having your mates stick up for you have on the actually incident in question?

A quiet church going man thats not so much as dropped a piece of litter in his live is guilty as sin if he stabs a man in the chest in a random act of violence, regardless how many people say what a nice guy he is and how he hasnt previously harmed a fly.