Ashley Cole says John Terry is 'inspiring' figure at Chelsea star's 'race abuse' trial

 
Ashley Cole
AFP/Getty Images
Paul Cheston12 July 2012
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Ashley Cole today described John Terry as “inspiring, cool, calm and collected” and denied hearing his club captain’s on-pitch foul-mouthed tirade at Anton Ferdinand.

Cole appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court to give evidence for his “close friend” Terry who denied making a racially aggravated offensive comment.

The England left-back, formerly married to Cheryl Cole, admitted that he, too, like Terry, had suffered abuse from players and fans about his private life.

Terry has admitted shouting “f*** off, f*** off, f***ing black c***, f***ing knobhead” at Ferdinand in Chelsea’s match with QPR last October.

Cole said he was “less than a car’s length away from his captain at the time and didn’t hear a word.

But he could see Ferdinand 25 yards away making a “fist-pumping gesture” and heard the words “Bridge” or “black” followed by the word c***.

“I can make out the words. I don’t hear it out loud but I am looking at the time,” Cole told the court.

Terry claims the racist comment was merely repeating the words he says Ferdinand had falsely accused him of saying. Ferdinand has denied in court ever using the word “black” or accusing Terry on the pitch of making a racist comment.

But he did make the gesture to goad Terry about his affair with the girlfriend of his former team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Ferdinand said that it was only after the match when he was shown You-Tube footage of the game that he realised what Terry had said.

Cole also told the court that he had refused to shake Ferdinand’s hand at the end of the game and told him that what he had done to Terry had been “out of order”.

Cole also supported Terry’s evidence that after the match Ferdinand visited the Chelsea dressing room and denied that he believed Terry was a racist and the two rivals had shaken hands.

Ferdinand has told the court that Terry never mentioned racism to him in the changing room. At that stage he was unaware of the “black c***” comment.

Earlier Terry, in a second day in the witness box, told the court that he had phoned Ferdinand’s brother, Rio, but the Manchester United player had refused to take his call.

Prosecutor Duncan Penny told the court the former England captain had called Ferdinand “black” because it was a feature of his rival “you chose to pick on”.

The case continues.

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