We haven't forced Terry to quit England, claim FA as race hearing with Ferdinand starts at Wembley
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UPDATED:
09:10 GMT, 24 September 2012
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John Terry was not forced to quit England over his racism hearing, the FA have claimed as the case starts at Wembley.
FA general secretary Alex Horne has revealed they are mystified by Terry's decision to retire from international football. He insisted the disciplinary hearing over Terry's racism charge was entirely separate to his England prospects.
Terry announced he was quitting the international scene in a statement on Sunday night, claiming the FA's decision to pursue a case against him after he was cleared in court of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand made his position in the national team 'untenable'
Horne, on his way into Wembley, told Sky Sports News: 'It's a personal decision. I don't see how we've made it untenable, they're two very separate processes.

The last cap: John Terry lined up for England away in Moldova at the beginning of September where he won his 78th and final cap
'It's something that happened in a
match – it shouldn't be taking a year to resolve but we feel we're
reaching a conclusion on that.
'That's a very different process from
our England procedures, they sit in different compartments and I could
separate the two in my mind, but it doesn't look like he could.'
Club England managing director Adrian
Bevington also spoke to Sky Sports News on his way into Wembley, saying
the Chelsea skipper had 'always given his all' and had been a 'great servant' for his country.
Terry could face a lengthy ban if
found guilty by the FA of using racist language during a match for
Chelsea against QPR on October 23 last year, but has taken any decision
over his England future out of its hands. Terry has categorically denied
racially abusing Ferdinand.
Terry's QC George Carter-Stephenson arrived at Wembley before 8am.
Weeks have already been spent in legal argument. The reason such time has elapsed since Terry’s charge is that his counsel have been challenging the make-up of the panel.
Only the chairman is the FA’s man. The rest are independents, including former Blackburn Rovers midfield player Stuart Ripley. He works as a solicitor for Brabners Chaffe Street, based in the north-west.


'Untenable': Terry criticised the FA in a statement
The
Chelsea captain dramatically called time on his 78-cap England
international career after becoming convinced that the FA are determined
to find him guilty of the offence.
The
31-year-old was cleared of the same charge in July at Westminster
Magistrates Court following an investigation into his Loftus Road row
with the QPR defender last October.
But
his acquittal prompted the FA to open their own hearing where the
charge includes 'reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of
Ferdinand'.
Sportsmail,
who exclusively revealed Terry was walking away from his England
career, understands the FA's failure to acknowledge their rule 6.8 –
which says the outcome and evidence of any civil or criminal court trial
should be regarded as the correct version of events – was the final
straw for the Blues' defender.
His relationship
with the governing body has deteriorated to such an extent he felt
unable to continue as an England player.
He has felt increasingly isolated by
the FA’s stance in recent weeks and there have been several days of
legal argument that have convinced him his position is untenable.
Terry admitted in a statement that it 'breaks his heart' to walk away from Roy Hodgson's set-up.

Flashpoint: The John Terry and Anton Ferdinand racism case is due to reach its conclusion this week

He
said: ‘I feel the FA, in pursuing charges against me where I have
already been cleared in a court of law, have made my position with the
national team untenable.
‘Representing
and captaining my country is what I dreamed of as a boy and it has been
a truly great honour. I have always given my all and it breaks my heart
to make this decision. I wish Roy and the team every success for the
future.'
Terry made his
final appearance for England earlier this month helping Hodgson's men
open their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign with an emphatic 5-0
victory over Moldova.

Busy summer: Terry attends his court case (above) a month on from playing for England at Euro 2012 (below)

His England career lasted nine years, and he won the first of his 78 caps in a friendly against Hungary in June 2003.
Terry had two separate spells as
captain of the national side. He was first appointed David Beckham’s
successor in 2006 but in 2010 was replaced following the storm around
his alleged affair with team-mate Wayne Bridge’s then girlfriend.
Former England manager Fabio Capello
re-appointed him as skipper in March last year but the FA relieved him
of the duty this February after the Ferdinand incident, a decision which
led to the departure of Capello.

Snub: Ferdinand refuses to shake Terry's hand in the recent meeting between Chelsea and QPR
In his statement he added: ‘I now look
forward to playing for Chelsea, and I want to thank the fans and the
club for their continued support.
'I would like to thank the England
managers who have selected me for my 78 caps. I have had great pleasure
in sharing that honour with all the players that I’ve played with. I
would like to thank them, the fans and my family for their support.’
JOHN TERRY FACTFILE

1980: December 7 – born in London.
1998: October 28 – Makes Chelsea debut against Aston Villa.
2001: September – One of four players fined two weeks' wages by Chelsea after their behaviour at a Heathrow hotel is criticised on the day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
2002: Terry and Chelsea team-mate Jody Morris are cleared after being charged with assault and affray in connection with a nightclub incident. Terry, uncapped at the time, is ruled out of the World Cup after the Football Association decide he should not be considered for international duty with England until the legal case is completed.
2003: June 3 – Makes England debut as substitute against Serbia and Montenegro.
2006: August 10 – Chosen to replace David Beckham as England captain by head coach Steve McClaren.
2008: August 19 – Named as permanent captain of England by Fabio Capello.
2009: December 20 – Chelsea defend Terry after allegations he took secret cash payments to lay on a behind-the-scenes tour of the club's training ground.
2010: January 29: Named as the sportsman behind a gagging injunction involving his private life. A court order had previously been in place, covering an alleged relationship between married Terry and French model Vanessa Perroncel – a former partner of team-mate Wayne Bridge.
February 5 – Axed as England captain following a meeting with Capello.
2011: March 19 – Restored to the role of permanent England captain by Capello.
October 23 – Releases a statement denying he made a racist slur against Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea's defeat at QPR after videos had circulated on the internet.
December 21 – The Crown Prosecution Service announce Terry will be charged with racially abusing Ferdinand and is due to appear before West London Magistrates' Court on February 1, 2012.
2012: February 3 – Terry is stripped of the England captaincy for a second time. The decision was taken by members of the 14-strong FA board, without consulting Capello.
February 8 – Capello resigns as England manager two days after criticising the decision to strip Terry of the captaincy.
July 13 – Cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court of making a racist insult to Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea's match against QPR in October last year.
July 27 – Charged by the FA with using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards QPR defender Ferdinand. It is further alleged that this included a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Ferdinand. Terry denies the charge and requests a personal hearing.
September 23 – Announces his retirement from international football, shortly before the start of his personal hearing to answer the FA charge.