Anton Ferdinand gives race-row statement to FA

Branislav Ivanovic, Anton Ferdinand and John Terry Terry's side fell to their second Premier League loss of the season at Loftus Road

Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand has given a statement to the Football Association (FA) relating to claims of racial abuse by John Terry.

Ferdinand said he has "very strong" feelings on the matter, but will not elaborate until a "thorough" FA inquiry has been concluded.

He said he will not make any further comment in the "interests of fairness".

England captain Terry has denied the allegations, which relate to Chelsea's 1-0 loss at Loftus Road on 23 October.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, Ferdinand said: "I have very strong feelings on the matter, but in the interests of fairness and not wishing to prejudice what I am sure will be a very thorough inquiry by the FA, this will be my last comment on the subject until the inquiry is concluded."
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We are keen to draw a line under this alleged incident and focus on our forthcoming fixtures

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes

He also thanked everyone at QPR, including manager Neil Warnock, supporters and his team-mates, for their "unwavering" support.

The FA announced the investigation after it was claimed Chelsea captain Terry shouted racial abuse during the west London derby.

Some viewers claimed video replays from the match between the sides showed Terry using racist language, while the FA said it received a complaint.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas earlier stated that a post-match conversation between Terry and Ferdinand had marked "the end of the story".

But the Metropolitan Police is assessing evidence from the incident after receiving a complaint.

In a statement following the Blues' loss, Terry described the incident as a "misunderstanding" and claimed that his accusers "have leapt to the wrong conclusions about the context of what I was seen to be saying".

He added: "I would never say such a thing - and I'm saddened that people would think so."

Speaking before his team's defeat at Tottenham on Sunday, QPR chairman Tony Fernandes stressed his club's condemnation of all forms of racism but added it was time to concentrate on the future.

"As a club, we will provide our players with our unequivocal support when alleged incidents like this occur," he said.

"However, we are keen to draw a line under this alleged incident and focus on our forthcoming fixtures."

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy in February 2010 after allegations that he had had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, an international team-mate.

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