Terry will not appeal ban

John Terry has decided not to appeal against the four-match ban and £220,000 fine for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

Terry was found guilty of having used ‘abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour’ towards QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League tie at Loftus Road last October.

An Independent Regulatory Commission branded Terry’s defence “improbable, implausible and contrived”, although it found the Chelsea skipper had meant his comments as an insult rather than racially motivated.

Terry’s legal team have been studying the commission’s written reasons for the last two weeks and had until 6pm on Thursday to lodge any appeal, but he has decided to accept the punishment.

The suspension will begin immediately and will see Terry miss the Premier League games against Tottenham, Manchester United and Swansea as well as the Capital One League Cup meeting with Manchester United.

In a statement released via his management company, Elite Management, Terry confirmed he would not be appealing and took the opportunity to apologise for any offence he may have caused.

“After careful consideration, I have decided not to appeal against the FA judgment,” he stated.

“I want to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone for the language I used in the game against Queens Park Rangers last October.

“Although I’m disappointed with the FA judgment, I accept that the language I used, regardless of the context, is not acceptable on the football field or indeed in any walk of life.

“As I stated in the criminal case, with the benefit of hindsight my language was clearly not an appropriate reaction to the situation for someone in my position. My response was below the level expected by Chelsea Football Club, and by me, and it will not happen again.

“Looking forward, I will continue to do my part in assisting the club to remove all types of discriminatory behaviour from football. I am extremely grateful for the consistent support of Chelsea FC, the fans and my family.”