The Football Association hearing into Rio Ferdinand’s missed drugs test has continues in Bolton with the The Manchester United defender expected to blame the testers for his failure to attend a routine drugs test.
Ferdinand will argue that procedural errors by anti-doping officials were responsible for his failure to provide a drug test.
It has been reported that Ferdinand’s legal team, will argue that the officials made errors when they attempted to collect the sample and also failed to give Ferdinand a chance to return when he realised his mistake.
According to a report in today’s Guardian, the UK Sport officials did not notify Ferdinand in person that he had been selected to take a test and instead asked United’s club doctor Mike Stone to tell him.
Ferdinand will also claim that the officers should have stayed with him until he had taken the test.
As well as a personal statement from Ferdinand the panel will today hear evidence from his manager Sir Alex Ferguson. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has sent a reference which will be read out. Manchester City midfielder Eyal Berkovic, a former West Ham team mate of Ferdinand’s who was shopping with him at the time the test was due, was alos expected to provide a statement.
