FA won’t ask Terry for phone records

THE Football Association will not ask John Terry to submit his mobile phone records before appearing at a hearing into the racist allegations against him. Terry has been charged by the FA with using ‘abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour’ towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand, including ‘a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race’. It was thought that the phone records could shed light on what happened that day, even though they were not used in evidence when Terry was acquitted of a racially aggravated public order offence at West London Magistrates’ Court in July. As it remains a relatively minor offence in the eyes of the law, the Metropolitan Police were not able to seize Terry’s phone records or those of Ferdinand or other witnesses. But it was believed that an FA Independent Regulatory Commission could have requested the phone records in an attempt to better understand what happened on the pitch and afterwards in the dressing room area at Loftus Road on October 23.

Sportsmail understands, however, that the FA have no plans to make such a request. Terry played for England against Moldova last Friday but it is believed he had become deeply disillusioned with the FA for deciding to press on with their case despite his acquittal. A hearing that does not include his personal phone records as evidence would certainly be regarded as less confrontational by the Chelsea captain.