Estate agent who will settle Rio's fate

He was also head of the panel which in 1999 made an example of Robbie Fowler by banning him for four matches when he pretended to snort cocaine after scoring for Liverpool during a Merseyside derby.

Both sides appeared to be claiming some sort of first moral victory in the Ferdinand case.

The FA insisted that the use of the word "refusal" in their charge meant that the £30million defender was still facing a serious offence as the commission could still find, on the basis of the evidence, that he had deliberately avoided the test.

The Ferdinand camp, backed by Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, took heart from the fact the United player was charged under rule 1c, "the failure or refusal by a player to submit to drug testing", rather than 1e, which refers to a "wilful failure to comply".

The use of the word "wilful" has gained great play since the scandal blew up.

But according to the interpretation of the FA's lawyers that was never applicable because it deals only with players who refuse to take the test in the testing room.

What is clear, though, is that the FA's rules on drugs are to be rewritten and tightened as a result of this case.

The whole matter is further confused by the fact that the FA's rules differ from FIFA's, which make no discrepancy between "failure", "refusal" or "wilful failure".

And these again slightly differ from those adopted by most sports and laid down by the World Anti-Doping Agency, to which so far football has refused to sign up.

New FA chief executive Mark Palios is committed to a tough line on drugs, although now the charge has been laid Palios has no further input and he has no say over the commission's findings.

Taylor said: "Not only the governing body, the FA, but the testing agency, the clubs and the players have all got to sing from the same hymn sheet and know exactly what is expected. There has not been that clarity.

"I have got to make sure that can't possibly happen again, we don't have that sort of scenario and that we do adhere to the confidentiality rule, which is laid down by WADA.

"So there is a lot of things in this case whereby all parties could be said to be culpable. It would be good if the whole process could be speeded up and made efficient."

"I don't ever want to hear of a footballer being picked out for a test and not taking it because it has got to be made equally important that everybody has got to be working together on this so there is no room for misunderstanding."

When asked if he would fight against a lengthy ban for Ferdinand, Taylor said: "I would say yes. I don't think he deserves a lengthy ban at all."