Top British soccer player, John Terry, hauled into court over language on the field

We read:

"Terry learned at the end of a damp training session at Chelsea's training ground near Cobham, Surrey, that he will be brought before a district judge and charged.

The order for Terry to appear before a district judge relates to a penalty box clash with QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in October. Prosecutors decided there was enough evidence, including TV images of the incident that were beamed around the world, to put him on trial.

He is accused of calling Ferdinand a `f****** black ****' during the match at QPR's Loftus Road stadium.

But afterwards he told Ferdinand, whose brother Rio plays alongside Terry for England, that the remarks had been taken out of context, insisting he actually said: `Oi, Anton, do you think I called you a black ****?'

Terry will first appear in court next February but the case is likely to drag on for up to six months as lawyers prepare for a trial. The maximum punishment Terry faces is a œ2,500 fine, a sum he earns in just two hours and 38 minutes on his œ160,000-a-week salary.

Last night, Terry, 31, said he was `disappointed' with the decision and that he hoped to clear his name `as quickly as possible'. He said: `I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends.

Source

Heated passions on the field are normal and should be treated that way.