FA to review sanctions for racial abuse

LONDON (Reuters) -- The English FA's sanctions for racial abuse are to be reviewed in the wake of the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand case, FA chairman David Bernstein said on Tuesday.

Bernstein said the FA's disciplinary commission got Terry's punishment "pretty much right" and he did not want black players breaking away and forming their own association or union.

Terry was banned for four matches and fined 220,000 pounds by an independent FA panel for racially insulting Ferdinand when Chelsea played Queens Park Rangers a year ago.

A number of players have said they felt that Terry escaped lightly compared with Liverpool's Luis Suarez who was banned for eight matches for racially insulting Patrice Evra last year.

Some players, including Ferdinand and his brother Rio, boycotted the Kick It Out campaign's anti-racism activities last weekend claiming that the organisation was ineffective.

Bernstein told a news conference on Tuesday, called to launch the activities celebrating the FA's 150th anniversary next year, that the whole issue would be looked at again shortly as there is no fixed sanction for racism under current FA rules.

Bernstein said: "It's on the agenda to look at it again.

"The FA received a certain, probably limited degree of criticism for its processes in the Terry thing. We will look at that.

"I think the tariffs will need looking at but given the existing scenarios and given other punishments elsewhere actually the commission got it pretty much right."

Any rule change would come in from the start of next season.

Bernstein also defended the Kick It Out body following the weekend's events when a number of high profile Premier League players refused to wear warm-up t-shirts with the Kick It Out logo.

It also emerged on Tuesday that talks about setting up a black footballers' association have begun.

Peter Herbert, who chairs the Society of Black Lawyers, said talks about the formation of an organisation - which has a working title of the Black Players' Association - were "at a preliminary stage".

Bernstein said: "Do I hope players will stay within Kick It Out? Yes I do. Fragmentation would be a shame, but at the same time we have to understand on moral issues people have to be able to make their own choices. But I hope it doesn't lead to a fragmentation, in the interests of everybody."

Bernstien also confirmed England would be playing Brazil, Scotland and Ireland at Wembley as part of their 150th anniversary celebrations which include the Champions League final at Wembley and the UEFA congress in London.