Gary Neville has revealed just how close the England players were to going on strike back in 2003. Neville urged his England teammates to go on strike in support of Rio Ferdinand.
The former Manchester United and Leeds defender had been handed an eight-month ban in December 2003 for a failed drugs test. Ferdinand would eventually be banned for eight months – missing Euro 2004 – as well as being fined £50,000 after being found guilty of missing a drugs test.
However, Neville was left furious after Ferdinand had been suspended and banned before his hearing had even taken place. So angered by the decision, Neville was one of the ringleaders involved in calling for England players to go on strike before their qualifier with Turkey in Istanbul in 2003.
The entire England squad at the time received ballot papers and were asked whether they were willing to strike if Ferdinand wasn’t reinstated. And Neville, speaking about the strike threat for the first time with Ferdinand, has revealed the response was a unanimous ‘yes’.
“England suspended you and banned you before the actual hearing, which was post-tournament,” the current Sky Sports pundit said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. “I went to see (David Beckeham) Becks, who was the captain, and I said we need to get all the players together because I feel quite strongly about it.
“We got all the players together. We had an anonymous vote and it was unanimous. There are a couple of players who have come out since and said they voted against it, but they are lying. It was unanimous that we would all go on strike. It didn’t help you in the end.”
While Ferdinand said: “I have never said thanks, but thanks for that. It didn’t get me anywhere, but it was a big risk for a player to do that. I really appreciate it.”
The England players did eventually board the plane to Turkey that week and despite a missed penalty from Beckham, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team got the 0-0 they needed to reach Euro 2004. The Three Lions would go on to be beaten by host nation Portugal on penalties in the quarter-finals.
View 2 ImagesEngland qualified for the Euro 2004 after drawing against Turkey(Image: (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images))
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Speaking back in December 2003, Neville revealed anger, saying: “We didn’t like what had happened to him and still don’t like what has happened to him. It was pretty close. It was just frustrating for us.
“We just did what we felt was right. Probably the best thing that happened was we made the point, because it showed we had something about us.
“There definitely were thoughts in my head that it (the game) would not go ahead. It was such an injustice – they could have done it to any of us next time.”
In regards to the ban imposed on his team-mate, Neville told MUTV at the time: “I couldn’t believe the sentence and it sickened me, to be honest. All you ask for, whether you are at school or at work, is to be treated like the next guy.
“But that hasn’t happened with Rio and I think he was compromised after The FA left him out of the England squad. People make mistakes and he has done wrong, but he has our full support.”
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