Soccer: Rio Ferdinand was last night facing up to an eight-month ban and a £50,000 fine after his failure to take a drug test. Eighty-seven days after neglecting to report for his test at Manchester United's Carrington training ground, the £29.1 million defender has suffered a major setback in his career.

A three-man independent commission delivered their stinging verdict just after 8 p.m. - bringing a dramatic end to a two-day hearing which many thought would end with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

The England international had been charged by the English Football Association (FA) with a "failure or refusal" to take the test at United's training ground at Carrington on September 23rd.

Ferdinand is now set to miss the rest of the domestic season and next year's European Championship.

Following the hearing, a commission spokesman read out a statement saying: "The disciplinary commission unanimously found that the charge was proved against Rio Ferdinand.

"It was further decided he would be suspended for a period of eight months with effect from Monday, January 12th, 2004 and be fined the sum of £50,000."

Yesterday the panel heard evidence from Alex Ferguson, the United manager, and Ferdinand's team mate Nicky Butt, and a character reference from his former manager Harry Redknapp.

His defence was based on proving that procedural errors by the doping control team that arrived to take the test were responsible for his failure, and that it was unreasonable for them not to allow him to take the test later in the day.

The reigning Premiership champions reacted last night with predictable fury to Rio Ferdinand's suspension.

The director Maurice Watkin's condemnation of the penalty as "savage and unprecedented" will be mirrored in the insular world of English soccer football over the weekend. But among the wider anti-doping community there was a sense of satisfaction that the FA had made an example of the most high-profile drugs case in its history.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), who has been a vociferous critic of the FA's approach to the Ferdinand case, wasted little time in condemning the verdict.

"We knew there would have to be a penalty. But an eight-month ban and £50,000 fine is, I feel, very draconian," he said. "I felt there was every opportunity for the FA to give him the benefit of the doubt. There had to be a penalty, bearing in mind the world pressure, but he has not been given the benefit of the doubt, quite clearly."

Ferdinand's former manager at West Ham, Harry Redknapp, who submitted a statement in support of Ferdinand to the hearing, said his protege had been punished for nothing more than being absent-minded. Ferdinand has maintained throughout the case that he simply forgot to provide a sample.

"I'm sure in Rio's case, having known him very well, he's not a drug-taker. He's a forgetful lad, to be honest with you," Redknapp said. "I think the ban is a little harsh. If he'd been caught taking drugs I'd have said give him two years, give him three years. He'll obviously be very disappointed. He has a great love of football. He's a fantastic footballer."

Redknapp predicted that the case would drag on for several months as Manchester United launch an appeal. He called for reform of the FA's doping control regulations, which have been exposed as thoroughly unsatisfactory by the Ferdinand case.

"They should go over and say, 'Rio Ferdinand, you're having a drugs test today and come in and get it done'," he said. "It's got to be done on a much more professional basis than it is at the moment."

John Scott, UK Sports' director of international relations who has taken over responsibility for anti-doping operations in the wake of Michele Verokken's departure from the organisation, supported the FA's conduct of the case.

"It's the responsibility of the FA to set the penalty, and while the recommended ban for this sort of offence is two years, they have obviously taken account of the circumstances," Scott said.

"Our main concern with any doping offence is that the governing body follows the rules and regulations, and we are very satisfied that the FA has gone through a proper process and a proper hearing."

United captain Roy Keane praised his team mate's conduct since he missed the test. "I think it is hard for everyone, not just footballers, to be scrutinised like that, especially when people don't know the ins and outs of the case," said Keane.

"But all we can talk about is the way Rio has handled himself. The way he has been playing he has been a credit to himself and to the club. We are all behind him."

The former United goalkeeper and European Cup winner Alex Stepney said: "The ban and fine is an absolute disgrace. I am dumbfounded. We all know that Rio has done wrong, but he is not the only one who has made a mistake in this episode.

"Rio should have been fined, but to ban him is ridiculous. For me, his England career has been thrown out of the window with this verdict."