City fan banned over Rio clash

The fan who confronted Rio Ferdinand at the end of the Manchester derby has been banned from attending football matches for three years.



Manchester City fan Matthew Stott, 21, was told he came close to going to prison, but instead his 56-day jail term was suspended for 12 months.



Stott had to be restrained by City keeper Joe Hart from confronting Ferdinand, who was bleeding from a cut caused by a coin thrown from the stands.



Ferdinand had been celebrating Robin van Persie's late winner for United at City's Etihad Stadium when tempers boiled over.



TV footage of the incident was played at Manchester Magistrates Court showing Stott, who had drunk eight pints of lager before kick-off, trying to confront Ferdinand.



Stott, a landscape gardener of Southfields, Knutsford, pleaded guilty to encroaching on the field of play and using insulting words or behaviour.



As well as the football ban and suspended jail sentence, he was ordered to do 120 hours community service, must pay £145 in costs and observe an 8pm to 6am home curfew for three months.



District Judge Richardson said: "He chose to attack somebody on a football pitch. But for the timely and appropriate intervention of the City goalkeeper the situation would have been a lot worse and could have triggered a serious incident of disorder."



Rebecca Caulfield, defending Stott, said her client could now not remember what he had done.



She added: "He's lost his job, he's received death threats and his family has suffered intimidation by members of the public, in person, by telephone, camping outside his father's flat, and threats on Facebook."



Stott issued an apology through his solicitor the day after the match saying he was "extremely ashamed" of his actions.

Ferdinand reveals fans confrontation

Veteran defender Rio Ferdinand has opened up on the time he was confronted by a gang of hooded Manchester United fans at his home.



The group turned up outside the player's house to demand that he sign a new deal eight years ago.



Ferdinand's future had been the subject of speculation at the time after he had been photographed with then Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon in a restaurant, but that had been a chance encounter.



Ferdinand was asked to come to the door but could not see anyone on his security monitors.



The 34-year-old told FourFourTwo magazine: "So I go to the side door and grab a big bit of wood, jump on the side of the wall and I'm just about to scream 'raaaah!' when I see there's a massive group of people, with hoodies and caps covering their faces.



"I just thought, 'I'm going to get served up in a moment, so go bananas and they'll think you're a nutter!'



"Then one of them said, 'We're the United boys, f***ing sign your contract,' and I was like, 'What you talking about? I've only just started negotiating two months ago, what you worrying about?"'



Explaining the background, he added: "Basically I went to see my agent for half-an-hour and Kenyon was with him.



"Someone's taken a picture and made out like we're having a bloody meal together. So I'm saying to these guys, 'If I'm going to do a deal with another club, do you think I'd be doing it in broad daylight?'



"One of the neighbours had called the police by then and they got off when they heard the sirens."



Ferdinand, in a question and answer section with fans, also spoke of the lowest point of his career, when he was banned for eight months after failing to attend a drugs test in 2003.



He said: "If that sort of thing can't make you more responsible, then I don't know what can.



"People assume I must have had something to hide but I did all the tests that were asked in the end and the judge said I had proved beyond any doubt I had nothing in my system - those tests trace stuff from months back.



"So I never had any doubt in my mind, it was just irresponsible of me not to go to the test at the time and I got punished severely for it.



"Eight months of my career just gone, just like that. It was easily the lowest point of my career, especially as I knew people were trying to tarnish my name by saying I was into drugs.



"That's the most disappointing thing for me, that people assumed I was involved in drugs or had something to hide."

Rio offered West Ham return

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has offered Rio Ferdinand a route back to Upton Park.



The 33-year-old defender is in the last year of his current deal at Manchester United, although Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he would like him to stay at Old Trafford.

However, Allardyce has now confirmed that the door is open for Ferdinand to return to the club where he began his career and played over 150 games before leaving for Leeds United in 2000.

"If it's at the end of the season and he hasn't got a new contract and he is released by Manchester United, then we would be interested," said Allardyce.

"If he wants to live back in London eventually, which is where he comes from, which you know quite a few players want to do when they come to the end of their careers, that is an advantage for us.



"It depends entirely on Rio or which other clubs might be interested in him."

Ashley Cole has no problem with Rio Ferdinand

Ashley Cole has issued a statement stressing that he is "good friends" with Rio Ferdinand after the Manchester United defender appeared to mock his decision to support John Terry in court.



Cole appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in support of his Chelsea team-mate after Terry was accused of a racially aggravated public order offence towards Ferdinand's brother, QPR defender Anton.



Terry was found not guilty on Friday.



A Twitter user subsequently wrote a message to Rio Ferdinand suggesting Cole, who told the court he was a long-standing friend of the Ferdinand brothers, was a "choc ice". The term is commonly understood to mean "black on the outside, white on the inside".



The Twitter user said: "Looks like Ashley Cole's going to be their choc ice. Then again he's always been a sell out. Shame on him."



Ferdinand tweeted in response: "I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic! hahahahahahha!!"



The Manchester United player then responded to criticism of his remark by writing: "And if I want to laugh at something someone tweets....I will! Hahahahaha! Now stop getting ya knickers in a twist!"



Cole, who has played regularly alongside Rio Ferdinand and Terry for England, then issued a response through his lawyers.



It read: "Ashley Cole has been made aware of the discussion following comments appearing on Twitter and 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."

Rio suffers groin problem

Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping that defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Chris Smalling will be fit for next Sunday's trip to Sunderland.



With Jonny Evans already a major doubt for the Stadium of Light encounter, a selection headache at the back loomed when Ferdinand limped off in some discomfort towards the end of the 2-0 win against Swansea.



Ferdinand's central defensive partner Smalling was also being troubled by injury as he completed the game alongside Phil Jones, who moved into the middle after substitute Rafael slotted in at right-back.



"Rio got a bit of a spasm in his groin," revealed Sir Alex . "Chris Smalling has a little groin strain, too. But I don’t think it’s serious. I think they’ll both be available next week."