The solution to the 'Fergie can say what he likes but Rafa gets charged' problem

[Craig_H]

Simple really. Incredibly simple, in fact.

Next time Rafa wants to criticise a referee, just quote Ferguson word for word.

Then let's see what happens.

Starting with this:

The game was decided by the decision not to give us a penalty. They had great confidence to hang on knowing the referee was on their side.

Keith Hackett has a lot to answer for - he is not doing his job properly. He has to be assessed.

I'm assessed as a manager, players are assessed - and that performance should not be accepted.

Hackett is in a nice, comfortable position and does nothing really. I don't think he makes a contribution to the referees' performances in our country.

That should be addressed. He's not doing his job properly.

That guy will go and referee next week, no problem.

You see his [Hackett's] favourites always get the games and that's disappointing.

It was ridiculous not to be given a penalty, I cannot explain it.

And there was no yellow card in the first minute when [Lassana Diarra - replace with a relevant player from the side we just played] put [Ronaldo - replace with Torres] on the track and made no attempt to play the ball.

[Diarra - replace with previously named player] had eight or nine fouls in the match. It's incredible.

I've got to agree with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Someone is going to get a serious injury in our game. He's had one himself with Eduardo.

Easy as that.

[Craig_H]

Ginsoak's roll of honour:

29 Nov 2000
Ferguson will not be reprimanded for his finger-jabbing exchange with referee Mark Halsey during Tuesday night's Worthington Cup defeat at Sunderland.

December 12, 2001
ALEX FERGUSON is likely to escape punishment for his harsh criticism of referee Paul Durkin following Manchester United's defeat against West Ham on Saturday.Ferguson felt Durkin should have awarded United at least one penalty during the 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford.He claimed Durkin does not give United penalties, adding: ''He used to be a good referee, but not now.''

16 August 2007
The Football Association is not expected to take action against Sir Alex Ferguson following his comments about referee Steve Bennett."Steve Bennett sent him off at (Manchester) City (in January 2006) and will have loved the opportunity to send him off again," Ferguson told MUTV.

29 May 2008
Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz have escaped punishment for their behaviour after their Pompey FA Cup exit. The Manchester United duo launched a tirade of criticism at referee Martin Atkinson following the Blues' 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford in March

March 24, 2009
Ferguson also escaped censure, despite openly criticising the performance of the referee, news that will no doubt anger Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, who accused his United counterpart in January of getting preferential treatment from the FA. The United manager had said, “It’s Phil Dowd, so what do you expect?”, when asked for his assessment of the referee’s performance.

August 9, 2009
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insisted the referee was to blame for his side’s defeat to Chelsea in the Community Shield

[Craig_H]

Ferguson said:

“It’s Phil Dowd, so what do you expect?”, when asked for his assessment of the referee’s performance.

No punishment.

Rafa asked whether it's difficult to get a second penalty after you've had one already:

"With this referee, yes."

Incredibly, the ref for both games was Dowd.

Ferguson and Rafa say basically the same thing, almost word for word, about the same ref. Outcome: Ferguson isnt punished. Rafa is charged.

No preferential treatment for the mancs. No. Of course not.

[Shaggy]

It is absolutely unbelievable and if I thought about it for too long I would probably explode.

[Neil Young]

It is absolutely unbelievable and if I thought about it for too long I would probably explode.

Someone should write to the FA and someone in the media with the relevant points from this thread.

Craig thought of it and has nothing better to do so I nominate him.

[Craig_H]

Who says i havent already?

[Tee]

Good on you Craig if you did, because that ****in purplenose **** makes my blood boil with the crap he is allowed to get away with. About time he was exposed for what he really is.

[ashey]

Rafa could pull a blinder & quote Whiskey Breath @ the FA hearing & make them look complete cnuts.

[DannyMan2006]

That list Craig should be in the media. But the papers back the winning horse so Rafa will always get the rough end of the stick until he wins the league.

[Craig_H]

I actually did email the FA

Here it is:

The FA and equality
From: ****** ******* (*******@hotmail.com)
Sent: 01 September 2009 19:06:06
To: [email protected]

Dear Sir or Madam,

Given the fact that the Football Association likes to promote a sense of equality for all within football, regardless of race, creed, nationality, religion or other areas of diversity, I would like to enquire as to why Rafael Benitez has received a charge of improper conduct, while Sir Alex Ferguson has regularly acted in an equally (if not more) improper manner, and yet managed to escape punishment?

I provide the following examples of this inconsistency.

Rafael Benitez's comments after the game at Tottenham on 16th August, in the post match interview, when asked whether it is difficult for a referee to give a second penalty kick after he has already awarded a team one spot-kick, were: "With this referee, yes", with regards to match official Phil Dowd.

Ironically, Mr Ferguson, when asked about the same referee on March 24th 2009, said the following:

“It’s Phil Dowd, so what do you expect?”

However, for some reason, Mr Ferguson's comments, which were more disrespectful and improper than those of Mr Bentiez, were not punished.

Mr Ferguson also said the following:

"The game was decided by the decision not to give us a penalty. They had great confidence to hang on knowing the referee was on their side.

Keith Hackett has a lot to answer for - he is not doing his job properly. He has to be assessed.

I'm assessed as a manager, players are assessed - and that performance should not be accepted.

Hackett is in a nice, comfortable position and does nothing really. I don't think he makes a contribution to the referees' performances in our country.

That should be addressed. He's not doing his job properly.

That guy will go and referee next week, no problem.


You see his [Hackett's] favourites always get the games and that's disappointing.

It was ridiculous not to be given a penalty, I cannot explain it.

And there was no yellow card in the first minute when Lassana Diarra put Ronaldo on the track and made no attempt to play the ball.

Diarra had eight or nine fouls in the match. It's incredible.

I've got to agree with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Someone is going to get a serious injury in our game. He's had one himself with Eduardo."

These comments are highly provocative and do nothing to aid the 'Respect' campaign, yet Mr Ferguson again emerged unscathed from this clearly aggressive attack, which called into question the integrity of Mr Hackett and the FA as a whole.

There are numerous examples:

29 Nov 2000
Ferguson will not be reprimanded for his finger-jabbing exchange with referee Mark Halsey during Tuesday night's Worthington Cup defeat at Sunderland.

December 12, 2001
ALEX FERGUSON is likely to escape punishment for his harsh criticism of referee Paul Durkin following Manchester United's defeat against West Ham on Saturday.Ferguson felt Durkin should have awarded United at least one penalty during the 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford.He claimed Durkin does not give United penalties, adding: ''He used to be a good referee, but not now.''

16 August 2007
The Football Association is not expected to take action against Sir Alex Ferguson following his comments about referee Steve Bennett."Steve Bennett sent him off at (Manchester) City (in January 2006) and will have loved the opportunity to send him off again," Ferguson told MUTV.

29 May 2008
Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz have escaped punishment for their behaviour after their Pompey FA Cup exit. The Manchester United duo launched a tirade of criticism at referee Martin Atkinson following the Blues' 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford in March

March 24, 2009
Ferguson also escaped censure, despite openly criticising the performance of the referee, news that will no doubt anger Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, who accused his United counterpart in January of getting preferential treatment from the FA. The United manager had said, “It’s Phil Dowd, so what do you expect?”, when asked for his assessment of the referee’s performance.

August 9, 2009
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insisted the referee was to blame for his side’s defeat to Chelsea in the Community Shield.

So once more, I am keen to enquire as to why Mr Ferguson has on numerous occasions, and will continue to I'm sure, receive different and preferential treatment from the FA with regards to disrespectful and improper comments aimed at referees, whilst Mr Benitez is charged for something far less improper, and for what can only be described as 'removing his glasses', an action which is far more vague and open to interpretation than the comments of Mr Ferguson.

I sincerely hope that the ethnicity and nationality of the respective managers is not behind the fact that equality, in this case, appears not to exist within the mantra of the FA.

I look forward to hearing from you in response.

Kind regards.

I sent to to the department of the FA that campaigns for equality in football and fights discrimination.

I got the following automated reply:

Thank you for your email
From: [email protected]
You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as junk
Sent: 01 September 2009 19:06:33
To: ****** *******@hotmail.com

Dear Supporter

Thank you for contacting The Football Association to report discrimination.

This e-mail address is strictly reserved for those wishing to report allegations of discrimination such as racism or homophobia. Please note that we are unable to respond to any other type of query sent to this e-mail address.

If you have a football related query or comment you would like to make please contact The FA Customer Relations Unit via the link below who will be happy to respond:

http://www.TheFA.com/Feedback

Kind regards,

Customer Relations Unit
The Football Association
25 Soho Square | London | W1D 4FA
T +44 (0) 20 7745 4545 | F +44 (0) 20 7745 4546 |
www.TheFA.com <http://www.thefa.com/>


**If you wish to find out more about The FA's equality work, please click on the link below.**

https://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Equality

There you go.

I might send it to some football journalists/writers too, if people fancy posting their direct email addresses.

[DannyMan2006]

I actually did email the FA

There you go.

I might send it to some football journalists/writers too, if people fancy posting their direct email addresses.

I think you should also send it to that other web address they posted. The football related address.

[Shaggy]

I actually did email the FA

Here it is:



I sent to to the department of the FA that campaigns for equality in football and fights discrimination.

I got the following automated reply:



There you go.

I might send it to some football journalists/writers too, if people fancy posting their direct email addresses.

Haha go for it!

Apparently, (I've read this elsewhere) during the close-season managers were issued with some sort of 'respect the referee' edict...specifically aimed at managers. From then, anyone who steps out of line will be punished.

I can't find anything to support this online.

That also doesn't explain why Ferguson got away with his remarks after the Charity Shield. The one explanation I have heard for that is the edict was a PL one, and the Charity Shield is an FA fixture. Tenuous at best IMO.

[Craig_H]

I think you should also send it to that other web address they posted. The football related address.

If you contact them via their web address, you have to register your details as a 'fan' and join their ****ty scheme, before you can contact them.

The twunts.

[DannyMan2006]

Haha go for it!

Apparently, (I've read this elsewhere) during the close-season managers were issued with some sort of 'respect the referee' edict...specifically aimed at managers. From then, anyone who steps out of line will be punished.

I can't find anything to support this online.

That also doesn't explain why Ferguson got away with his remarks after the Charity Shield. The one explanation I have heard for that is the edict was a PL one, and the Charity Shield is an FA fixture. Tenuous at best IMO.

Well that's fair enough if Fergie gets punished for his next outburst. It's only a matter of time.

[DannyMan2006]

If you contact them via their web address, you have to register your details as a 'fan' and join their ****ty scheme, before you can contact them.

The twunts.

Ahh, fair enough. **** that ****.