IN deciding the fate of Rio Ferdinand, the Football Association had to send an unequivocally strong message about drug testing in the sport.

By banning him for eight months, it has done just that and - even though it means Ferdinand will miss playing for England in Euro 2004 - we applaud them for it.

Forget the £50,000 fine which accompanies the ban because, at less than a week's wage for a leading Premiership player, it is incidental.

Stopping him playing football for eight months, and missing one of the world's most important tournaments, is what will hurt and Ferdinand's punishment has to be meaningful.

Manchester United, not surprisingly, described the sentence as "savage". An appeal will almost certainly follow.

But Ferdinand has only himself to blame for his stupidity in failing to take a drugs test.

There will inevitably be other cries of "unfair" to echo Manchester United's claim of injustice, but the punishment in other sports would have been more severe and swifter.

At 25, Rio Ferdinand has plenty of his career ahead of him. There will be other World Cups and European Championships.

He will emerge from his ban a lot wiser for the tough line taken by football's rulers - and his fellow footballers will know the score too.