RIO Ferdinand is likely to drop his battle with the FA over his eight-month suspension - unless next month's appeal decides to lengthen the ban.
Ferdinand, his advisers, and Manchester United's representatives will attend the appeal hearing on March 18 and 19, hoping that their conciliatory gesture of voluntarily beginning the ban last month will bring a similar softening of attitude from the FA.
Ferdinand could have postponed the ban indefinitely by using the FA's disciplinary procedures, then by seeking redress through the Court for Arbitration in Sport and the civil courts.
But the player and his lawyers decided to start the ban on January 20, pending an appeal, a step backwards after United and the FA appeared to be on the brink of war over the matter.
The decision annoyed some United fans, who saw it as an attempt to give Ferdinand the chance to play in Euro 2004, while sacrificing the club.
Annoyance
Annoyance has deepened as United's defensive form has nose-dived in Ferdinand's absence, conceding nine goals in four Premiership games.
Ferdinand is hoping that the FA will shorten the ban.
There has been widespread speculation that they will chop it to four or five months, the length of time that Dutch players Jaap Stam and Edgar Davids were out after testing positive for drugs.
But such a move would leave the FA wide open to charges of cynical manipulation, as it would mean Ferdinand would be available for England at the European Championships in June.
Ferdinand's lawyers are expected to produce new evidence and to point out that the eight-month ban is inconsistent.
But if the FA refuses to budge, Ferdinand will be advised not to take the matter further.
However, if the FA decide to lengthen the ban on appeal, the row would get extremely ugly and would almost certainly land in a court of law.
As it stands Ferdinand will be available for United again early next season, but taking the matter beyond the FA appeal hearing - which will be headed by Ian Mills QC - is not seen as being in anyone's interests.
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Either Rio was guilty of the offence, in which case he should have admitted the guilt from the beginning to save the agonies of the club and the fans who support him; or he was innocent other than his forgetfulness, in which case he should fight to the very end. To declare now that he will not contest further after the appeal hearing, is wholly unacceptable and a great disappointment on his personal integrity. If he thinks this a tactics to please the FA in the hope of a lighter penalty so that he can be considered in time for the European Championship, he is badly letting down the club and the fans. For now, I am prepared to believe he is innocent and will urge him to fight all the way to clear his name.
I know nuts about the law in England worst off if it is by the FA. But like any court of law, they should base their punishment on other cases before the current ones. eg. like the Stam and Davids cases. If guilty then punishment would be the same. If miss test then it should be half RIGHT?
One law for the rich another for the poor, thats always ben the case. Rio is going to except the ban, as he has more time to use his new car,and as he mist the test he thinks perhaps he was guilty of something althougth Alex told him he was innocent like all ex Leeds Players
I am a die hard United fan and have travelled all over the world supporting the greatest team in the world. That's where it ends when it comes to Rio F, I believe that there is some cover up somewhere by United and Ferdinand, I honestly think that he has had a dabble ( too much money for the poor lad ) and United realised this and made him miss the test, all I can say on the matter is what I have said before, they got rid of Stam for nothing as I can see or because mr beckham didn't like what he said, he was in with Fergie then and the money men of united didn't want him to be upset when they had seen him as a money spinner. So Stam had to go. I think Ferdinand has done a far greater misdemeanour than Stam and has got off very lightly, if he didn't cost United the astronomical figure that he did I am sorry he would be shown the door for letting everyone down. But they can not let him go because we are dealing with a tainted character now, we all need to grow up a bit and step back and look at football for what it is, money money money!!!!!
There is a lot of people who support there football team with tainted spectacles on and no matter what there team does they stick up for them no end, well I don't agree with that in normal life situation so I definitely don't agree with it when it comes to football.
I think we should get rid of him and have done and buy 2-3 New defenders in the summer and build a team that will act with some pride to play for us and not some spoilt little crying boys, because that's all they are. If the likes of Real Madrid or any other BIG European side came in for most of the United clan and offered a far better deal they wouldn't think twice and that not who we want at United I am sorry!!!!!
Lets face it, the whole thing was handled badly from the minute the testing team arrived at Carrington. Totally unprofessional. I have been subjected to random drugs testing in the armed forces and it is handled in quite a straight forward manner. The team arrives and produces a list of personnel required to provide a sample. NONE of those personnel are allowed to leave the vicinity until they have provided a satisfactory sample under supervision (if you get what I mean). Couldn't be simpler could it really? Having "made the mistake" Rio has been badly advised by the Club and its full time lawyers (one of whome is on the board), his personal lawyer, the PFA, and lastly FA representatives who should have pre-warned him which way the case was likely to be viewed and what the punishment was likely to be. He should have admitted guilt and stupidity and thrown himself on the mercy of the FA. Had everything been admitted honestly and frankly, if the sentence had been too draconian, then he could have gone to press with the total transcript of the proceedings (this was not a court of law) and the general public would have been able to assess for themselves whether the hearing and punishment was fair or whether he was strung up and made an example of. This appeal is doomed to failure. Too many agencies and interested parties (both in and out of football) have had too much to say on the matter and have influenced the outcome. Lets just get on with it now and although I feel sorry for Rio, he is still getting paid, he is young enough to come back and from Utd's point of view, it should be treated like a long term injury. We need to move on. This thing with Rio, along with the Coolmore Mafia has totally wrecked the season and tarnished the good name of the club.