Rio Ferdinand
QPR defender Anton Ferdinand emulated his brother Rio by refusing to wear a T-shirt in support of equality group Kick It Out's anti-racism campaign before Sunday's clash against Everton.
Just 24 hours after Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand angered his club's manager Alex Ferguson by ignoring his instruction to wear the anti-racism t-shirt, it was the younger Ferdinand's turn to snub the Kick It Out campaign.
Kick It Out had asked all Premier League players to wear the T-shirts – featuring the slogan 'one game, one community' – in pre-match warm-ups before their games this weekend in a bid to draw attention to the evil of racism.
But QPR centre-back Ferdinand was the victim of racial abuse from Chelsea skipper John Terry in a match at Loftus Road last October. And both Ferdinand brothers are believed to feel Kick It Out should have done more to push for a stronger punishment for Terry, who was hit with a four-match suspension and £220 000 fine after being found guilty of racist abuse by the Football Association.
Ferdinand was joined in not wearing the T-shirt by QPR team-mates Shaun Wright-Phillips and Junior Hoilett. Everton's Nigeria international Victor Anichebe was another who decided against showing support towards Kick It Out at Loftus Road, along with team-mate Sylvain Distin.
Reading striker Jason Roberts, the most vocal opponent of Kick It Out's t-shirt campaign, and Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott, who was allegedly racially abused by Turkey midfielder Emre while playing for Everton in 2006, refused to don the anti-racism outfit on Saturday. – Sapa-AFP