Rio Ferdinand’s eight month suspension for missing a drugs test is still one of the most controversial disciplinary cases in English football.
The crazy thing is that it all came from nothing.
In September 2003, doping control officials from UK Sport showed up at Carrington for a routine, unannounced test, and Rio was one of the names on their list. This was not unusual.
However, Rio forgot he was supposed to do the test and left training for a pre-arranged lunch meeting with ex-team mate Eyal Berkovic at Selfridges. Club officials have since said he could be a bit “dreamy” on things like media duties, and that it was “in character” for him to forget.
While at lunch, the club doctor called to ask where he was. Ferdinand apologised and offered to come straight back, but the officials had already gone. The test was rearranged roughly 48 hours later.
It came back clean.
As far as Rio or the club were concerned, that was the matter dealt with. But the FA were not happy. Their stance was that allowing players to miss tests and provide samples later (when any evidence of drug abuse could have left the system) undermined the entire process. In their view, Rio had effectively refused the test, and that was a very serious issue.
Two months later, Rio Ferdinand received a £50,000 fine and an eight month ban, ending his season and ruling him out of Euro 2004. Manchester United were top of the league at the time – without Rio, they finished 3rd.
United’s Response and Ferdinand’s Perspective
Manchester United and Alex Ferguson in particular, backed Rio firmly. They stated that the punishment was excessive, especially given the fact that other players at other clubs – like Manchester City’s Christian Negouai – had received much lighter punishments for similar ‘offences’, and that Rio had tried to rectify the situation quickly. Even the PFA supported him.
Ferdinand himself was adamant that it was a minor mistake and not an attempt to get away with doping.
To everyone at United, it looked like the FA was simply making an example of Rio Ferdinand because he was a high profile player at a high profile club. A warning to everyone else. Especially since it came at a time when football’s anti-doping credibility was being called into question.
There was no evidence, and has never been any evidence, to show any wrongdoing other than a busy man, who was known for forgetting non-footballing commitments, letting something slip his memory.
It was absolutely his responsibility. But the punishment in no way fitted the crime.
The anger was palpable – it even caused a boycott from fellow United players who refused to play for England unless Rio was re-instated. That anger still lingers. In his autobiography, Sir Alex Ferguson wrote that his “indignation endures to this day” about the way Rio was treated.
Impact: The Reason For Rio’s Cornrows
No one knew this at the time, but Rio’s famous cornrow hairstyle came as a direct result of the doping ban.
This was not a style choice. Rio was determined to clear his name, and found out that a follicle test can prove longer term history of being drug free. While a urine test shows what is in your system there and then, a follicle test can give months or even years of information.
Hair grows from follicles that are fed by your blood supply, so as hair forms, any traces of drugs in your system get locked into the hair strand. Hair grows at roughly 1cm per month, so you can sort of look back in time by analysing a strand of someone’s hair.
So Rio used this as another way to prove his innocence, and as a by-product, made himself one of the most distinctive players in the Premier League.
The case also had a big impact on how clubs handled random doping tests. In 2003 it was all fairly informal: someone would tell the player they were needed after training and the player would wander over when they were done. After this, clubs made sure their players turned up as expected.
It changed Rio too. He has spoken about how he was bitter at first, but eventually, he used his anger to fuel his training and came back stronger. It showed the elite mentality of Rio Ferdinand, who returned as one of Manchester United’s most important players for years to come, winning everything it was possible to win and becoming a club legend.
He handled it like a pro.