NO TEARS SHED..

It hasn`t taken long for the Barclay`s Premier League to bring us back down to earth from the euphoric weeks of the Olympics and the Paralympics, when we were privileged to witness true sporting competition by true sporting heroes.   And one of the main players in the cultural wasteland of the `best league in the world` is, of course, our old friend John Terry.

Last evening he came to the conclusion that the Football Association`s decision to pursue their hearing into his alleged misconduct, made his continued involvement with the England team `untenable.`   For me, it was one of those moments, like the one when Thatcher left Downing Street for the last time or when, in the not too distant future, Ferguson will finally shuffle away from Old Trafford.   Both lead to feelings of relief, of a burden being lifted and a page being turned.  

And so it is with Terry`s announcement.   Now, as a tough tackling centre back he may still be useful to Chelsea but I have long held the view that, as the captain (twice removed) of our national team, he has lacked the respect, the presence, the unequivocal acceptance of, say, Billy Wright, Jimmy Armfield or the impeccable Bobby Moore.   In short, I have long felt that we could and should have done better for someone to represent the country than the tiresomely troublesome Terry.   

There`s an `independent` FA panel currently looking into whether any action should be taken against Terry following the now infamous incident involving Terry and Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road almost a year ago, so it would be wrong to comment on that save perhaps for the encouragement of seeing one time Southampton flanker Stuart Ripley as one of the four independent panellists.   After he finished his distinguished playing career, Ripley went back to his studies and qualified as a Solicitor, having completed a first class combined honours degree in Law and French in 2007 - a prime example of ex-footballer makes good.

But Terry`s contention that his retirement from international football is the fault of the FA  is interesting and says much about his mindset.   Surely, whatever his prowess in an England shirt, his string of alleged off-field misdemeanours and all too frequent  controversies made his continued selection for England untenable in themselves. 

There are inevitably those who spring to Terry`s defence;   the apologists, the Stamford Bridge faithful and the sports writers of daily newspapers who are clearly Chelsea supporters.   But I for one will shed no tears at his departure.  It`s  just a pity he didn`t come to the conclusion he now has some time ago.