If showing your disgust and distaste with how the FA handled a racism case involving your own brother(!!!) means not wearing a anti-racism shirt, it should be fine by everyone. Rio Ferdinand has the right and the reasons to leave the kick racism out of football jersey off of him, even if it meant defying the words and gospel of Alex Ferguson.

Now, it’s rumored that the furios and embbarassed Ferguson will fine Ferdinand two weeks of pay, £220,000. That’s the same fine John Terry got for calling Rio’s brother Anton a “f&^*^%$ b%$#^ c&*^.” Seems logical, doesn’t it? It all comes down to one thing – Alex Ferguson’s ego, and playing hard ball with a player he doesn’t need as much as he used to.

Ferguson said prior to the match that all United players will be wearing those jerseys. Every one. And Rio Ferdinand went out and did what he thought was the right thing, because he feels this shirt and orginization don’t mean much when the strongest body in English football lets John Terry off the hook, giving him a lenient punishment of a fine that he shrugs off as a week or two of pay and four matches off the pitches. Ferdinand, and other players, expected more.

Ferguson after the match? I am disappointed. I said yesterday that the players would be wearing it in support of the PFA and that every player should adhere to it, and he goes and lets us down. We will deal with it, don’t worry.

Once again, this is about Alex Ferguson’s ego, nothing more. Not the battle against racism, but about a senior player, an influential player, going out against something Ferguson declared just a day earlier, and went out to do something that goes against the preachings of the manager. Luckily for Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand is far from the form that made him one of the best centre backs in the world, so it’s going to be easier to get angry and vindictive with him over the subject, maybe get rid of him in the future. When you’re not as good anymore, it gets easier for managers to find reasons to dump you.

Both at Reading and at Stoke the managers had no problem with Jason Roberts and Kenwyne Jones. Maybe they have less pride to swallow. Maybe they just see things a bit clearer than Alex Ferguson.

Then there was Lord Herman Ouseley commenting on the matter beforehand, which made a nice little point: Would Rio tell England where to stick their shirt if picked or does he think the FA has done enough to tackle racism? Will he tell Manchester United where to stick their shirt and £150,000-a-week or have they done enough to tackle racism?

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