Football: GET OVER IT, RIO; RIO APPEAL Commission rules that FA's eight-month ban is fair; Ferdinand must get his career back on track and not feel sorry for himself.(Sport) From: The Mirror (London, England) | Date: March 19, 2004 | COPYRIGHT 2004 MGN LTD. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: Martin Lipton

IT WAS the verdict he feared, the end of a deeply-held ambition and a devastating personal blow.

But while Rio Ferdinand was officially cleared of dodging his infamous drugs test because he feared the findings, his name will always be linked with the sample that never was.

Hopes of ending the campaign as part of a European Championship-winning England team were destroyed by the verdict from the three-man appeal panel.

As FA spokesman Nick Barron read out the findings, Ferdinand and his entourage, including agent Pini Zahavi, were deep in ...

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