A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE ?

There`s an old saying that `justice delayed is justice denied` and so questions have rightly been asked following the decision to delay England captain John Terry`s court appearance on a charge of racial abuse against Queens Park Rangers` defender Anton Ferdinand until 9th July - just after the final of this year`s European Championships. The most pertinent question is why the delay?

Now of course there must be a presumption of innocence until proven guilty and although on the one hand the delay may be seen as convenient for Mr. Terry, it has put the Football Association in a difficult position.   It`s all very well Mr. Terry insisting that he will not relinquish the England captaincy, as this might be seen as an admission of guilt, but the FA may feel that retaining him as captain might be so `sensitive` that they feel they should relinquish it for him by suspending him until his trial is over.   Either way, it`s fraught with difficulties and repercussions.

Surely the sensible thing would be to press for an earlier trial date so that the matter can be resolved without further delay.   That way, everyone will know the verdict well in advance of the Championships and either adjustments will have to be made to the England line-up or Mr. Terry can go into the fray with the shadow of uncertainty lifted from his shoulders.   I would have thought that even he, or even especially he,  would want the matter cleared up as soon as possible.

Football is having a bad enough press as it is without the wheels of justice grinding so slowly as to encourage conspiracy theories concerning the convenience or otherwise of this delay.   As things stand, it doesn`t look right and things that don`t look right seldom are.


UPDATE : Last night I included this in the piece above:-
`the FA may feel that retaining him as captain might be so `sensitive` that they feel they should relinquish it for him.....`
Seemed to work a treat !!