John Terry was 'not prepared to be called a racist':
Former England captain said he was 'hurt' by accusation that he racially abused Anton Ferdinand, court hears
For live tweets from the trial, follow @ccdavies and @DTguardian
Former England captain John Terry said he was not prepared to be called a racist, his trial has heard.
The 31-year-old told the Football Association a week after being accused of racially abusing Queen Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand that racism was not in his character.
Terry is accused of calling Ferdinand a "fucking black cunt" during a Chelsea match against QPR on 23 October last year.
A recording of the interview was played on Tuesday at Westminster magistrates court.
He said: "I have been called a lot of things in my football career and off the pitch, but being called a racist I am not prepared to take.
"That's why I came out and made my statement immediately.
"I am not having Anton thinking that about me or anyone else.
"That's not my character at all."
Terry denies a racially aggravated public order offence.
The centre-half told the FA investigator Jennifer Kennedy that he was repeating back to Ferdinand what he believed he had said to him.
Terry said he thought Ferdinand was accusing him of calling him a black cunt.
Terry said: "I was taken aback by that. I have never been accused of that."
Terry went on to say in the interview that he was angry at thinking Ferdinand was accusing him.
"I felt strongly about it and wanted to clear it up before I left the stadium or he got the chance to leave the stadium," he said.
Terry told the investigator that Ferdinand was shouting abuse at him over allegedly having an affair with Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge's former girlfriend.
Terry said he was aware how the CCTV looked to people who did not understand the context.
Saying that Ferdinand shouted "black cunt" at him, the defendant said his opponent obviously was not calling him that, so he repeated it, then called him a "fucking knobhead".
Terry said he could not think of anything he said that would make the QPR player believe he had racially abused him. "I know I have nothing to hide," he said.
He added that, with all the cameras and thousands of fans present, a player would not shout racist abuse across the pitch at someone.
He said of the accusation: "I was hurt by it, taken aback and really surprised."
He added: "It's something I took and didn't like it at all.
"I have never been accused of that before, inside or outside football.
"I took it to heart. If I had something to hide I wouldn't be projecting it in front of the Sky cameras and the people in the ground.
"I could have easily had my hand over my mouth or whispered in his ear."
The Chelsea captain acknowledged the footage "did not look good" but repeated that he had nothing to hide.
His representative, Keith Cousins, told the hearing that Terry was "rhetorically responding" to what he thought Ferdinand had accused him of.
"The important factor is what you thought you were being accused of," he said.
Terry, who listened to the interview in the glass dock, said if the same thing happened again he would go straight to the referee.
He said whenever players sign for Chelsea, regardless of their colour, he accepted them, took care of them and welcomed them into his home.
He told Kennedy that after the game he was anxious to speak to Ferdinand and did so with his team-mate, the left-back Ashley Cole.
He said: "I said, 'Was you accusing me of calling you a black cunt?' – my exact words – and he said, 'No, not at all.'
"I said to him, 'I thought you were accusing me of calling you a black cunt.'"
Terry said he then said "good" and that he did not want Ferdinand thinking he had racially abused him.
The defendant said he was frequently abused by fans and other players over his alleged relationship with Vanessa Perroncel, as were his family.
"As a footballer you have to take it on the chin a bit," he added.
For live tweets from the trial, follow @ccdavies and @DTguardian
Former England captain John Terry said he was not prepared to be called a racist, his trial has heard.
The 31-year-old told the Football Association a week after being accused of racially abusing Queen Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand that racism was not in his character.
Terry is accused of calling Ferdinand a "fucking black cunt" during a Chelsea match against QPR on 23 October last year.
A recording of the interview was played on Tuesday at Westminster magistrates court.
He said: "I have been called a lot of things in my football career and off the pitch, but being called a racist I am not prepared to take.
"That's why I came out and made my statement immediately.
"I am not having Anton thinking that about me or anyone else.
"That's not my character at all."
Terry denies a racially aggravated public order offence.
The centre-half told the FA investigator Jennifer Kennedy that he was repeating back to Ferdinand what he believed he had said to him.
Terry said he thought Ferdinand was accusing him of calling him a black cunt.
Terry said: "I was taken aback by that. I have never been accused of that."
Terry went on to say in the interview that he was angry at thinking Ferdinand was accusing him.
"I felt strongly about it and wanted to clear it up before I left the stadium or he got the chance to leave the stadium," he said.
Terry told the investigator that Ferdinand was shouting abuse at him over allegedly having an affair with Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge's former girlfriend.
Terry said he was aware how the CCTV looked to people who did not understand the context.
Saying that Ferdinand shouted "black cunt" at him, the defendant said his opponent obviously was not calling him that, so he repeated it, then called him a "fucking knobhead".
Terry said he could not think of anything he said that would make the QPR player believe he had racially abused him. "I know I have nothing to hide," he said.
He added that, with all the cameras and thousands of fans present, a player would not shout racist abuse across the pitch at someone.
He said of the accusation: "I was hurt by it, taken aback and really surprised."
He added: "It's something I took and didn't like it at all.
"I have never been accused of that before, inside or outside football.
"I took it to heart. If I had something to hide I wouldn't be projecting it in front of the Sky cameras and the people in the ground.
"I could have easily had my hand over my mouth or whispered in his ear."
The Chelsea captain acknowledged the footage "did not look good" but repeated that he had nothing to hide.
His representative, Keith Cousins, told the hearing that Terry was "rhetorically responding" to what he thought Ferdinand had accused him of.
"The important factor is what you thought you were being accused of," he said.
Terry, who listened to the interview in the glass dock, said if the same thing happened again he would go straight to the referee.
He said whenever players sign for Chelsea, regardless of their colour, he accepted them, took care of them and welcomed them into his home.
He told Kennedy that after the game he was anxious to speak to Ferdinand and did so with his team-mate, the left-back Ashley Cole.
He said: "I said, 'Was you accusing me of calling you a black cunt?' – my exact words – and he said, 'No, not at all.'
"I said to him, 'I thought you were accusing me of calling you a black cunt.'"
Terry said he then said "good" and that he did not want Ferdinand thinking he had racially abused him.
The defendant said he was frequently abused by fans and other players over his alleged relationship with Vanessa Perroncel, as were his family.
"As a footballer you have to take it on the chin a bit," he added.
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