Manager Ferguson admits FA charge

[dww]

[BBC]

Ferguson criticised Wiley's fitness

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted a charge of improper conduct for his comments on referee Alan Wiley's fitness.

Ferguson made the remarks about Wiley after the 2-2 draw with Sunderland on 3 October and has requested a personal hearing with the Football Association.

The 67-year-old Scot, who later apologised to Wiley, could face a hefty fine or a touchline ban from the FA.

The referees' union Prospect has called for Ferguson to be banned.

BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar said: "The improper conduct charge seemed inevitable given the anger among Wiley's colleagues and the FA's determination to promote respect for game officials.

"The United manager admitted in match programme notes that he'd been angry with his team's performance that day, and that he thought Wiley was a good referee.

"He'll now have the chance to explain his remarks in person. A touchline ban of some kind seems the most likely outcome."

Ferguson said following United's draw with Sunderland at Old Trafford: "The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit."

He later said he was sorry for any personal embarrassment caused to Wiley, claiming the comments were to highlight "what I believe to be a serious and important issue in the game".

Alan Leighton, head of officials' union Prospect, told BBC Radio 5 live after Ferguson's apology that he felt it was "half-hearted".


He called on Ferguson to receive a Uefa-type coaching ban, which is more than a touchline ban.

Leighton later told BBC Sport: "We think that the attack on Alan Wiley was an attack on his professionalism, struck at the heart of his professionalism and was totally unwarranted.

"Since then we believe he has broadened out that attack to talk about the fitness of other referees and hasn't retracted that main allegation that Alan was unfit.

"Some people suggest it is us picking on Sir Alex. I'm not interested in previous. If this had gone unchecked, other managers would have felt able to make similar slurs and that fundamentally brings the game into disrepute."

While managers are allowed to comment on an official's performance, the FA insists any remarks must not imply bias, question their integrity or engage in what could be construed as a personal attack.

Ferguson has a history of improper conduct charges for incidents involving referees.

In the 2007/08 season Ferguson was given a two-match touchline ban and was handed a £5,000 fine for a rant at referee Mark Clattenburg at half-time during a match at Bolton

And during the 2008/09 campaign Ferguson was banned for two games and fined £10,000 after admitting a charge of improper conduct.

The Scot came on to the pitch to remonstrate with referee Mike Dean after United beat Hull on 1 November.

[focusedonfootball]

uefa coaching ban. yes please. Ferguson would not be allowed in the tunnel, dressing room or technical area before or during the match and would be prohibited from making contact with the team in any way.

[Joe King]

Well he couldn't say no, could he?

[Vermilion]

I see he's claiming today that the bad press Ferdinand has had lately, mainly debating his form, is down to a modern culture of humiliating people.

In a bid to quell criticism that he has lost his focus on football, Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand this week pulled out of the northern premiere of the film 'Dead Man Running'.

And when Sir Alex Ferguson was questioned about Ferdinand's form at Friday's press conference, the United boss was drawn into a tetchy confrontation with a reporter, saying: "I just have to put [the criticism] down to the modern culture of humiliating people."

You couldn't ****in make it up.

[Leyton388]

**** him the sooner he ****s off out of football all together will be a great day. He will forever be tarnished as a ****** who bullied everyone who crossed him and that is why he will never be regarded as the greatest manager in alot of peoples eye's.

His claim he knocked us of our perch is so far from the truth it is laughable. He didn't win his first title until 1993 and by that time Arsenal and leeds had won the league so in the real world it was arsenal and leeds who have the right to say they knocked us off our perch.

[spud_gun]

**** him the sooner he ****s off out of football all together will be a great day. He will forever be tarnished as a ****** who bullied everyone who crossed him and that is why he will never be regarded as the greatest manager in alot of peoples eye's.

His claim he knocked us of our perch is so far from the truth it is laughable. He didn't win his first title until 1993 and by that time Arsenal and leeds had won the league so in the real world it was arsenal and leeds who have the right to say they knocked us off our perch.

You sure about that?

We've not won the league in 20 years.

They've won 10 in that time.

Time to take your head out of the sand mate.

[Assassin]

"I just have to put it down to the modern culture of humiliating people, which you do very well, and sensationalise"

The ****ing purple nosed **** does this to refs every game!!! I hope the FA use this quote against him when he appears for the hearing

[Leyton388]

You sure about that?

We've not won the league in 20 years.

They've won 10 in that time.

Time to take your head out of the sand mate.

Pos Name Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1 Leeds United 42 22 16 4 74 37 82
2 Manchester United 42 21 15 6 63 33 78
3 Sheffield Wednesday 42 21 12 9 62 49 75
4 Arsenal 42 19 15 8 81 46 72
5 Manchester City 42 20 10 12 61 48 70
6 Liverpool 42 16 16 10 47 40 64
7 Aston Villa 42 17 9 16 48 44 60
8 Nottingham Forest 42 16 11 15 60 58 59
9 Sheffield United 42 16 9 17 65 63 57
10 Crystal Palace 42 14 15 13 53 61 57
11 Queens Park Rangers 42 12 18 12 48 47 54
12 Everton 42 13 14 15 52 51 53
13 Wimbledon 42 13 14 15 53 53 53
14 Chelsea 42 13 14 15 50 60 53
15 Tottenham Hotspur 42 15 7 20 58 63 52
16 Southampton 42 14 10 18 39 55 52
17 Oldham Athletic 42 14 9 19 63 67 51
18 Norwich City 42 11 12 19 47 63 45
19 Coventry City 42 11 11 20 35 44 44
20 Luton Town 42 10 12 20 38 71 42
21 Notts County 42 10 10 22 40 62 40
22 West Ham United 42 9 11 22 37 59 38


That a long way from our perch.

[spud_gun]

Pos Name Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1 Leeds United 42 22 16 4 74 37 82
2 Manchester United 42 21 15 6 63 33 78
3 Sheffield Wednesday 42 21 12 9 62 49 75
4 Arsenal 42 19 15 8 81 46 72
5 Manchester City 42 20 10 12 61 48 70
6 Liverpool 42 16 16 10 47 40 64
7 Aston Villa 42 17 9 16 48 44 60
8 Nottingham Forest 42 16 11 15 60 58 59
9 Sheffield United 42 16 9 17 65 63 57
10 Crystal Palace 42 14 15 13 53 61 57
11 Queens Park Rangers 42 12 18 12 48 47 54
12 Everton 42 13 14 15 52 51 53
13 Wimbledon 42 13 14 15 53 53 53
14 Chelsea 42 13 14 15 50 60 53
15 Tottenham Hotspur 42 15 7 20 58 63 52
16 Southampton 42 14 10 18 39 55 52
17 Oldham Athletic 42 14 9 19 63 67 51
18 Norwich City 42 11 12 19 47 63 45
19 Coventry City 42 11 11 20 35 44 44
20 Luton Town 42 10 12 20 38 71 42
21 Notts County 42 10 10 22 40 62 40
22 West Ham United 42 9 11 22 37 59 38


That a long way from our perch.

Scum 10 league titles in the last twenty years.
Leeds 1 league title in the last twenty years.

Us 0 league titles in the last twenty years.

Simples

[Vermilion]

I think what 'liverpooltj' is saying, is that we had already fallen off our perch well before Fergie started winning anything.

And i tend to agree, i don't think Fergie had anything to do with our decline, imo it was more self inflicted anyway.

[spud_gun]

I think what 'liverpooltj' is saying, is that we had already fallen off our perch well before Fergie started winning anything.

And i tend to agree, i don't think Fergie had anything to do with our decline, imo it was more self inflicted anyway.

Point taken

I'd always interpreted his 'knock of perch' remark to be about supplanting us as the most successful club in the country.

[Red_Polo]

Well tbh that would make it an even more stupid a thing to say

[pondus]

It was back on October 3 that Sir Alex Ferguson issued his now famous criticisms of referee Alan Wiley after the 2-2 draw with Sunderland. He apologised a week later.

On October 19, Sir Alex was charged with improper conduct. He pleaded guilty on October 27 and requested a personal hearing.

Two weeks later, the Football Association have yet to set a date. The case has now dragged on for five weeks, allowing Ferguson to be on the touchline for big games against Liverpool and, today, Chelsea, when he might have been up in the stand.

Quite how this squares with the FA’s code that high-profile disciplinary cases would be dealt with instantly - and complex cases within 28 days - is uncertain.

Surely it cannot be, as the cynics (and naive young managers of other Premier League clubs) suggest, that the game’s authorities are frightened of Sir Alex, even when he is so penitent?

[Shaggy]

[Tee]

£20k fine and a 2 match ban. What a ****ing joke.