FA continue Terry racism probe

England's governing Football Association (FA) said it would seek to "conclude its own inquiries" after former England captain John Terry was cleared by a London court Friday of charges he racially abused rival footballer Anton Ferdinand.

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy in February over the allegations, prompting Fabio Capello to resign as England manager in protest.

Capello's exit came just months before England, defender Terry included, competed in the 2012 European Championships.

The FA suspended its own disciplinary inquiry into the incident, which took place when Terry's Chelsea played Ferdinand's Queens Park Rangers on October 23 last year, so as not to prejudice criminal proceedings.

After Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle found the 31-year-old Chelsea captain not guilty at the end of a five-day trial at Westminster Magistrates Court, the FA issued a short statement on its website.

"Further to today's (Friday's) court verdict in relation to John Terry, the FA made the following statement:

"The FA notes the decision in the John Terry case and will now seek to conclude its own enquiries. The FA will make no further comment at this time."

After hearing four days of evidence at a London court, chief magistrate Howard Riddle decided that Terry was not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence in a confrontation with Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand during a match last October.

Terry maintained he only used an offensive term sarcastically to counter Ferdinand's accusation that Terry had used an obscenity.

Photo: Photosport