Snub! Ferdinand provokes Terry by ignoring Chelsea skipper and Cole in handshake

There was controversy at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon when the pre-match handshake was marred by Anton Ferdinand opting to ignore both John Terry and Ashley Cole in the line-up.
The QPR defender provoked an angry reaction from the Chelsea skipper, who was barely acknowledged by Ashley Cole, who appeared as a character witness for Terry, further down the line.

Controversy: All focus was on Anton Ferdinand and John Terry as the pair met for the first time since the latter was acquitted of racially abusing the former during a Premier League game last season

The Barclays Premier League encounter is the first meeting between the clubs since Terry was found not guilty of using a racial slur against the Hoops' Ferdinand in the corresponding fixture last October.
No other QPR player appeared to ignore Terry or Cole, who testified as a character witness for his England team-mate at the trial.
Terry, who remains the subject of a Football Association investigation over the charges that he denies, had been a doubt for the Loftus Road clash but recovered from an ankle injury sustained on England duty. Ferdinand himself has been hampered by a shoulder injury.

Ignored: Ferdinand snubbed Ashley Cole, who appeared as a character witness for Terry

Fury: It had been suggested the pre-match ritual be scrapped to avoid unnecessary attention

QPR fans then began making derogatory chants aimed at Terry and Cole. The pair were jeered every time they touched the ball as the highly-charged west London derby got under way.
The handshakes had been abandoned in advance of the previous two encounters between the clubs.

Tension: Both Terry and Ferdinand were jeered every time they touched the ball during the match

QPR manager Mark Hughes branded the handshake row 'ridiculous' on Friday and called for the ritual to be axed.
'Is this the best way to do it? I think it’s open to debate,' he said. 'Maybe something could be done after the match.

'The lead-up to the game has been ridiculous and everyone has been focusing on this one moment just prior to the game.

Bad blood: Terry and Ferdinand clashed last season in the same fixture at Loftus Road

'When I saw the list of questions I was likely going to answer (at his press conference) there was nine on the handshake and one on Hillsborough. Ridiculous.'
It is not the first time Terry has been involved in a handshake row. Wayne Bridge snubbed the former England captain following allegations of an affair with the Manchester City defender's former partner.
And Luis Suarez refused Manchester United's Patrice Evra's offer of a handshake, despite the Liverpool forward being found guilty by the Football Association of racially abusing him earlier in the season.

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