LONDON (AFP) - England defender Rio Ferdinand formally denied the misconduct charge he faces for failing to take a routine drug test and requested a personal hearing with the Football Association.
The Manchester United player waited until the very last minute of his two week appeal deadline to respond to the charge relating to the missed control at United's training ground on September 23 A FA spokesman confirmed: "Rio Ferdinand has responded to the charge issued on October 29. He has denied the charge and requested a personal hearing. "A date for the hearing will be scheduled in due course." Ferdinand will seek to explain at the personal hearing why he left Manchester United's training ground on September 23 when UK Sport's doping control officers were waiting for him to provide a urine sample. The FA judged his actions sufficiently serious to suspend the player from international matches pending the outcome of the disciplinary procedures but the player has been allowed to play on for his club. United are supporting Ferdinand's claim that he simply forgot about the test, partly because he was preoccupied with moving house. That claim appeared to be undermined by the subsequent emergence of pictures of the player shopping in Manchester city centre on the day of the missed test. Ferdinand, 24, maintains he has never used performance enhancing or recreational drugs. ________________________________________________________________________ Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/tsUolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************** Reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe from the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
