Ashley Cole 'choc ice' tweet: Police probe racism allegations

A possible racist comment made against Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole is being investigated by Derbyshire Police.

A Twitter user, believed to be from Derbyshire, referred to Mr Cole as a "choc ice" on the social networking site over the weekend.

Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand then replied: "I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic hahahahahaha!!"

A Derbyshire Police spokeswoman said the force had received complaints "regarding alleged racist comments".

"These concerns will be fully investigated to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed," the spokeswoman added.

Derbyshire Police confirmed the original "choc ice" tweet was being investigated, not Mr Ferdinand's reply.

'Type of slang'

The allegation comes days after Chelsea captain John Terry was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates Court.

Mr Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, Rio's brother, during a game in October 2011.

Mr Cole, 31, told the court that his captain was not racist.The term "choc ice" is understood to mean "black on the outside, white on the inside".

In a statement, issued through his lawyers, Mr Cole said: "Ashley Cole wishes to make it clear that he and Rio Ferdinand are good friends and Ashley has no intention of making any sort of complaint.

"Ashley appreciates that tweeting is so quick it often results in off-hand and stray comments."

Mr Ferdinand later tweeted: "What I said yesterday is not a racist term. It's a type of slang used by many for someone who is being fake."

A Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said the force would not be investigating Mr Ferdinand's comments.

Ronaldinho Loses $750k Coca-Cola Sponsorship For Being In Same Room As Pepsi Can

Pepsi and Coca-Cola are still at each other’s throats after all these years. Who knew? Word is coming in from Brazil this morning that Coke have pulled the plug on Ronaldinho’s $750,000-a-year sponsorship deal after he gave a press conference for his latest club, Atletico Mineiro, from behind a couple of cans of Pepsi - Pepsi being an official sponsor of Mineiro and all.

Ronaldinho also took a brief swig from the Pepsi (horror beyond horror!) which proved to be the final straw, with Coca-Cola issuing the following brief statement: “Coca-Cola recognises the career and the value of Ronaldinho. However, due to recent developments it has become impossible to continue the partnership.”

It is also being reported that Coke were just about ready to tear up the contract anyway, with a string of lackadaisical performances for Flamengo and a sprinkling of webcam-based debaucheries, etc, leading the company to believe that they perhaps weren’t quite getting their money’s worth out of ‘Brand Ronaldinho’.

Oh well, we imagine it won’t be too long until Pepsi come calling.

Rio Ferdinand Should Quit Twitter and Focus on Playing for Manchester United

Rio Ferdinand used to just be a footballer. Now he's the footballer we follow on Twitter—and the one whose increasingly loose use of the social media site is the primary reason you read about him these days.

Ferdinand's latest ill-advised move came in the wake of the John Terry trial, a sorry affair that concluded with Terry found not guilty of racially abusing Ferdinand's younger brother, Anton. If ever there was a time for dignified silence this was it, but Ferdinand senior couldn't help himself.

Following the magistrates' verdict, Ferdinand received a Tweet from a user that read: "Looks like Ashley Cole’s going to be their choc ice. Then again he’s always been a sellout. Shame on him." (Guardian)

The suggestion—certainly as most of us read it—was that Cole had in some way betrayed his heritage as a black man by giving evidence in defense of his Chelsea teammate Terry. Ferdinand has since claimed he doesn't believe the term "choc ice" to be racist, but regardless of his understanding he should have known better.

"I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic! hahahahahahha!!," Ferdinand tweeted back in validation—thus bringing the initial message to the attention of his 3 million followers and dragging football's already sullied reputation through yet another mile of mud.

Ferdinand quickly deleted the Tweet from his timeline, but not before the world's media had jumped all over it and he'd succeeded in exacerbating the fallout from the Terry racism affair. According to the Telegraph, the FA may yet decide to take action against the Manchester United defender.

It's remarkable to me that his manager Sir Alex Ferguson hasn't already done so. This is not the first time Ferdinand's Twitter account has propelled the news agenda, and it's hard to believe Ferguson hasn't confronted his player to challenge his use of the site.

When Ferdinand was left out of Roy Hodgson's England squad for Euro 2012, he made his feelings abundantly clear though Twitter. "'What reasons?????!!!," he wrote, in reference to Hodgson's assertion his decision was made purely for footballing ones.

Justified or not, it surely wasn't the right medium for his grievances. It betrayed a lack of class and put Ferdinand on the same level as rabid fans who troll the internet screaming opinions to anyone who'll read them.

Free speech is all well and good, but if Ferdinand continues to engage his fingers before his brain he runs the risk of undermining not just his own reputation, but that of the club Ferguson has built a dynasty at these past 25 years.

If I were Ferguson I'd advise Ferdinand strongly to step away from Twitter. At 33, his playing days are numbered and there have already been signs in recent season that his decline is beginning to quicken. The last thing he needs are the kind of distractions that come Joey Barton's way every time he takes his outspoken views to social media

Ferdinand only need look at the careers of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes for examples. Their respective longevity has been earned through complete focus, and the respect in which they're both held is a result of letting their feet do the talking. Neither will be taking to Twitter anytime soon, that's for sure.

Maybe Ferdinand is all too aware of his fading prowess on the field. Perhaps harnessing a strong presence on Twitter is part of his preparation for what comes next? He already has a restaurant in Manchester and a magazine to run, and a strong media profile certainly would suggest the offers will come flooding in off the pitch when they dry up on it.

If Twitter is vital to his evolution, then so be it. But at least show the club who pays your wages—and the fans who continue to sing your name—that you appreciate the power of your position and deserve their respect.

Time is running out for Rio Ferdinand the footballer, and he'd be well advised to spend what's left of it enthralling his 3 million followers with his defending—rather than defending his latest post on Twitter.

Drogba Wants Terry and Lampard to Join Him at Shanghai Shenhua

Didier Drogba was greeted by hundreds of ecstatic fans as he arrived in Shanghai to join his new club on Saturday and immediately called for a couple of his Chelsea team-mates to join him.

Drogba, whose switch to the Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua has transformed him into one of the highest-paid footballers on earth, said he wanted to see John Terry and Frank Lampard at the club.

“I need to speak to my president,” Drogba said. “Because I want them in my team.”

Drogba was met at Pudong international airport with deafening chants of “Drogba-la-la-la-la-la”. Fans clad in the club’s blue and red strip paraded through the airport waving Ivory Coast flags and photographs of Drogba.

The welcome party then relocated to Shanghai’s glitzy Ritz-Carlton hotel where the former Chelsea striker was officially unveiled.

“Believe me, it’s not about money. I’m really happy to be here,” said Drogba, whose two-and-a-half year contract at Shanghai Shenhua is reputedly worth nearly £200,000 a week. “I am opening a new chapter and the new chapter is Shanghai Shenhua.”

Cameron Wilson, from Wild East Football, an English-language blog on Chinese football, suggested money may have been a factor in the move.

“He obviously enjoys basking in the glory. I think it’s not purely about football - that is pretty clear. There’s obviously a commercial aspect, sponsors want to be associated with these big names.”

As China’s economy has boomed, a growing number of top-flight foreign players have been lured to the Chinese Super League but Drogba is the country’s biggest catch to date.

His arrival comes after French striker Nicolas Anelka signed for Shanghai Shenhua in January and Argentina’s former coach Sergio Batista was installed as the club’s manager in May.

Drogba vowed to fight for “better results” for his new side who are in 13th place in the 16-club league and compared his new boss, the Chinese videogame tycoon Zhu Jun, to Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

“Mr Abramovich wanted to win major trophies in Europe and he built the team to achieve this and I think that is what my new owner is doing.”

Lagos State-GTBank Principals Cup 2011-2012 Finals

Hearty congratulations to the winners of the 2011-2012 Lagos State-GTBank Principals Cup: Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School (Male) & Kuje Senior Secondary School (Female).

We wish the champions all the best in their endeavours!

Listening device found at footballer's home

A recording device that looks like a small piece of cardboard was planted at the home of a Premiership footballer to record details about his private life, MPs were told during an inquiry into the murky world of private investigators.

The transmitter was picked up during a security sweep of the player's house after he became suspicious about stories in the media, said Gerry Hall, managing director of security company IPS. He declined to name the footballer, who is still playing in the league.

Mr Hall said the small square of cardboard had a transmitter embedded in it that worked at a range of up to 100 yards. "It could easily be dropped into a wastepaper basket and transmit for 30 hours," he told MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee.

He highlighted the sophisticated nature of surveillance devices available at low cost to private investigators operating in the unregulated industry.

He demonstrated one device resembling a memory stick that could be plugged into a computer to record conversations in the room. Ten years ago, it would have cost about £20,000, now it was available for around £10.

Mr Hall said an investigator could easily persuade a company receptionist to let them in and would need just seconds to plant the device. He said his company had just found one in a chairman's office.

The chairman of the committee, Keith Vaz, said: "Recent high-profile events, such as the phone hacking scandal, have thrown light on the sometimes shady world of private investigators. Despite this, the industry still remains entirely unregulated.