Ferguson banned and fined (2 games touchline ban and £20k)

MementoMori

Pretty much what everyone suspected at the time.

Personally I'd prefer match bans ( including training sessions) as opposed to touch-line bans. The monetary fine is a joke in cases like these but not much you can do - unless the FA brought in something like percentage fines. i.e. manager fined two weeks wages as opposed to set monetary amounts.

Ferguson hit with FA fine and ban

Ferguson launched a stinging attack on Wiley's fitness on 3 October
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has received a two-match touchline ban for his comments about referee Alan Wiley's fitness.

The Football Association handed the 67-year-old a four-game ban, with two of those suspended until the end of the 2010-11 season.

Ferguson has also been fined £20,000 and warned about his future conduct.

He made disparaging remarks about Wiley's fitness after his side's 2-2 draw with Sunderland on 3 October.

Ferguson apologised to the official and pleaded guilty to the FA's charge of improper conduct, but requested a personal hearing.

Peter Griffiths QC, chairman of the FA's four-man regulatory commission, said: "Each member of the commission recognised Sir Alex Ferguson's achievements and stature within the game.

"Having said that, it was made clear to Sir Alex that with such stature comes increased responsibilities.

"The commission considered his admitted remarks, in the context in which they were made, were not just improper but were grossly improper and wholly inappropriate. He should never have said what he did say."

The suspended sanction will be automatically activated should Ferguson be found guilty of a similar charge before the end of the 2010-11 season on top of any sanction imposed for that offence.

Referees' union Prospect wanted Ferguson to be banned from stadiums during his team's matches following his criticism of Wiley's fitness.

606: DEBATE
Should have been banned to the stands for the remainder of the season

Staeh
Ferguson launched into a furious attack on Wiley in the wake of his side's 1-1 draw against Sunderland, fuming: "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".

But Alan Leighton, head of Prospect, felt Ferguson's apology had been "half-hearted".

He called on the Scot to receive an enhanced ban, as opposed to the standard touchline ban which allows managers to observe matches from the stands.

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 he was given a two-match touchline ban and fined £5,000 for a rant at referee Mark Clattenburg during a match at Bolton.

And during the last campaign he was banned for two games and fined £10,000 after remonstrating with referee Mike Dean after a match against Hull.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8314326.stm

Soby

About time:D

Paleface

He's not going to stop moaning about referees. No other manager will either.

Liam O

This is just going to turn into Alex Ferguson bashing thread...

Also lol at the OP for suggesting training session bans

The Davestator

A 4 match touchline ban with 2 suspended until end of 2010/2011 - he'll never last that long without giving out about refs, so he'll have another 2 this season i reckon:rolleyes:

Paul Tergat

MementoMori wrote: »

Personally I'd prefer match bans ( including training sessions) as opposed to touch-line bans.

Why dont we just ban him from management full stop? Thats what you want isnt it? Ridiculous thing to say

Mr Alan

ferguson doesnt attend training sessions afaik.

cournioni

The way referee's have performed in United matches since SAF's outburst have been punishment enough, IMO. This ban won't have any effect on United or Ferguson and neither will the fine.

Dave!

Mr Alan wrote: »

ferguson doesnt attend training sessions afaik.

He does yeh

Paul Tergat

Mr Alan wrote: »

ferguson doesnt attend training sessions afaik.

He does Al, just google ferguson training session and you'll see various pics.

Headshot

Mr Alan wrote: »

ferguson doesnt attend training sessions afaik.

well you got that pretty wrong

FearDark

About time. But he'll still go and blast refs everytime Man Utd drop points, face it he gets away with twice as much as other managers do.

Paul Tergat

FearDark wrote: »

About time. But he'll still go and blast refs everytime Man Utd drop points, face it he gets away with twice as much as other managers do.

Yeah he bribes the FA and the refs to get away with bans and then there's the unjustified stoppage time :rolleyes:

Man Utd are often made an example of. This being an example of such.

gosplan

It would be unfair to introduce it now without warning but the FA should state that from next year they'll be introducing stadium bans. in fairness, what's a touchline ban when you've an assistant and a mobile phone.

cournioni

What the heck is the problem with having an opinion on referee's SH!TE performances? Fcuking pathetic. Every manager should entitled to his opinion on a ref's display.

The FA are so dull and very very petty. It's embaressing hearing their lame excuses as to why they lay these bans and fines out. I know that there is a "Respect" campaign going on at the moment, but come on, it adds to footballs drama. I don't care if its Ferguson, Benitez, Wenger or Martin O Fcuking Neill. Its great listening to managers have a right go, and showing their views. It's what makes the post match interviews interesting.

wandatowell

Shocked with the 2 game ban tbh, never thought the FA had to balls the stand up to Fergie or any top 4 sides manager

ShooterSF

Sounds like the F.A are still bitter over this.

BaZmO*

Mr Alan wrote: »

ferguson doesnt attend training sessions afaik.

What a strange thing to say.

Chardee MacDennis

The Davestator wrote: »

A 4 match touchline ban with 2 suspended until end of 2010/2011 - he'll never last that long without giving out about refs, so he'll have another 2 this season i reckon:rolleyes:

he has already gotten away with another incident of ref bashing so what makes you think he will ever serve those 2...

keane2097

I actually don't understand why manager's aren't allowed to say a ref's been terrible on a given day.

We all know they very often are terrible.

The mindless, constant protection they get from the FA is a clear disincentive to improvement.

A fair punishment.

Fergie's treatment of refs seemed to have backired at Stamford Bridge last week.

Could come back to haunt him and united.

deisedevil

Fergie has only said what every other manager wants to say about refs when decisions go against them. The current rules surrounding what you can and can't say about a refs performance are unfair, I can't see why a refs poor performance can't be talked about.

But the rules are there right now and until they aren't he should abide by them and realise he's not above them. Hopefully he will now. Besides it being against the rules I wish he hadn't started on his crusade against referees through the media because it hasn't helped anything for the club.

event

which games does he miss?

MagicMarker

Mr Alan wrote: »

ferguson doesnt attend training sessions afaik.

WTF? One of the greatest managers of all time and you think he's achieved this by not attending training sessions?

Seriously!?

Bandit12

He'll never change

Mitch Connor

rarnes1 wrote: »

A fair punishment.

Fergie's treatment of refs seemed to have backired at Stamford Bridge last week.

Could come back to haunt him and united.

Which is even worse.

Fergie said some might not be physically fit enough.

If it is 'backfiring' on him, then the refs are showing they are not professionally fit enough to ref games. Which is surely a lot worse.

The Muppet

What! no points deduction, it's a travesty.



I've heard the rumour elsewhere that Fergie doesn't attend training sessions, He probably doesn't attend them all.

Holsten

English FA = Bottlers.

Should have been much more severe.

flahavaj

Mr Alan wrote: »

ferguson doesnt attend training sessions afaik.

I must've imagined those photos of him on the training ground wearing that ridiculous bobble hat and tracksuit.:eek:

starbelgrade

I blame the ref, personally.

Fratton Fred

PORNAPSTER wrote: »

What the heck is the problem with having an opinion on referee's SH!TE performances? Fcuking pathetic. Every manager should entitled to his opinion on a ref's display.

The FA are so dull and very very petty. It's embaressing hearing their lame excuses as to why they lay these bans and fines out. I know that there is a "Respect" campaign going on at the moment, but come on, it adds to footballs drama. I don't care if its Ferguson, Benitez, Wenger or Martin O Fcuking Neill. Its great listening to managers have a right go, and showing their views. It's what makes the post interviews interesting.

If Ferguson has an opinion then he should talk to the FA, not start showboating in front of the cameras.

Boggles

Fratton Fred wrote: »

If Ferguson has an opinion then he should talk to the FA, not start showboating in front of the cameras.

What do mean? Ring them up like?

Can a manager even do that? From my reading of it the only time you can talk to the FA is when you are summoned and arrive by black cab.

The FA again have made an example of Ferguson and United, if anything it should put to bed the usual moronic suggestions that United are favoured by the FA.

cournioni

Fratton Fred wrote: »

If Ferguson has an opinion then he should talk to the FA, not start showboating in front of the cameras.

*snore*

Whats more entertaining for us fans? A manager having a go publicly or going to the FA? I know for a fact that I wouldn't have got the same laugh out of the City game if Mark Hughes hadn't opened his gob in front of the press.

Referee's deserve the same amount of criticism as the players and managers do. What happened to the days when referees answered players back along the lines of "its not my fault you're having a shocker etc.". That is what sport is about my friend.

Kev_ps3

Absolute joke. So managers cant complain about refs?! Football is going downhill..

Boggles

Heres the joke:

Leighton bashes FA for leniency:


Referees' rep slams ban on United boss Ferguson

Fri, 13 Nov 02:12:58 2009
Buzz Up!

LONDON (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson was told he'd "got off lightly" by the union representing England's top referees after receiving a four-game touchline ban for an outspoken attack on referee Alan Wiley.

The Manchester United manager, who admitted a Football Association (FA) charge of improper conduct, publicly labelled Wiley as "unfit" after his Premier League champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland at Old Trafford on October 3.

But on Thursday he was banned for four games, of which two are suspended until the end of the 2010/11 season, fined 20,000 pounds (33,148 dollars) and warned as to his future conduct following his "grossly improper and wholly inappropriate" comments about Wiley.

However, Alan Leighton, national secretary of officials' union Prospect, accused the FA of "flunking" the issue by not imposing a harsher punishment upon the 67-year-old Scot and so undermining their own 'Respect' campaign, designed to encourage better behaviour towards referees.

"From our point of view it is disappointing. The Football Association had a chance to make a point and they flunked it," Leighton said. "We don't think this is sending the right message out to other managers.

"This is not a personal vendetta against Sir Alex but he has a particular stature within the game and if he is seen to be getting off lightly other managers may think what he said was not beyond the pale."

Peter Griffiths, chairman of the commission which imposed the ban on Ferguson, said after Thursday's hearing: "Each member of the commission recognised Sir Alex Ferguson's achievements and stature within the game.

"Having said that, it was made clear to Sir Alex that with such stature comes increased responsibilities.

"The commission considered his admitted remarks, in the context in which they were made, were not just improper but were grossly improper and wholly inappropriate. He should never have said what he did say."

Ferguson, who will receive the commission's full findings on Friday, has the right of appeal.

But should he accept the ban, Ferguson is now set to be barred from the dug-out for United's Premier League matches later this month at home to Everton and away to Portsmouth

The commission said the suspended sanction would be automatically activated should Ferguson be found guilty of a similar charge before the end of the 2010/11 season on top of any sanction imposed for that offence.

Ferguson accused Wiley of not being "fit enough for a game of that standard" and of "walking up the pitch for the second goal needing a rest".

Soon after the original incident, Ferguson apologised to Wiley for speaking out, although, significantly, not for the content of his remarks.

"I apologise to Mr Wiley for any personal embarrassment that my remarks may have caused and to the FA for going public with my views," Ferguson said.

"My only intention in speaking publicly was to highlight what I believe to be a serious and important issue in the game, namely that the fitness levels of referees must match the ever-increasing demands of the modern game."

Following his side's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool last month, Ferguson questioned whether Andre Marriner, who took charge of the game at Anfield, had the required experience for a match of such significance.

He also accused Martin Atkinson of being in an "absolutely ridiculous" position when he awarded Chelsea the free-kick that led to their winner against United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Mars Bar

Referee's need to grow a pair of balls...

Talk about players being poncy?! Referees are worse now...

Handsome Bob

So what's he going to get for his lack of faith comment last week?

Headshot

LZ5by5 wrote: »

So what's he going to get for his lack of faith comment last week?

nothing because rafa said something along the lines of "Can you get two penalties at an away ground? No. With this referee, I knew that this was impossible."

Handsome Bob

Headshot wrote: »

nothing because rafa said something along the lines of "Can you get two penalties at an away ground? No. With this referee, I knew that this was impossible."

lol, where did I say I concured with what's happening? I think it's a load of bollocks that a manager can't say boo if he feel he's been hard done by.

therokerroar

The funniest thing about this whole incident was, when the statistics were analyised, it turned out that Alan Wiley covered more distance than almost 85% of his players did that day.