Rio Ferdinand hits back at Kick It Out's "punchbag" claims

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 02 October 2014

QPR defender Rio Ferdinand hits back at Kick It Out chairman Lord Herman Ouseley who accused the player of using the anti-racism organisation as his "punchbag".

Queens Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand has hit back at anti-racism group Kick It Out after chairman Lord Herman Ouseley accused the player of using the organisation as his "punchbag".

Ferdinand claimed in his new autobiography #2sides that Kick It Out refused to attend court to support his brother Anton and his family during a race trial against Chelsea captain John Terry.

However, Lord Ouseley has told The Guardian that representative Danny Lynch sat with Ferdinand's parents Janice and Julian throughout the trial, but Ferdinand himself was absent.

The 35-year-old refused to wear a Kick It Out T-shirt two years ago due to the controversy while he was playing at Manchester United.

Today, in response to a tweet highlighting the newspaper article with Lord Ouseley, Ferdinand wrote: "read the book for clarity!"

He later added: "Ask me to wear a kick it out t-shirt but you won't wear one yourself to represent the organisation..... #InvisibleSupport pointless."

Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand back in 2011 while he was playing for QPR.