Ferguson charged over referee remarks

Alex Ferguson was charged Monday with improper conduct by the Football Association (FA) for publicly labelling referee Alan Wiley “unfit”.

The Manchester United manager made his comments after the Premier League champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland at Old Trafford on October 3.

Ferguson apologised for the remarks but that didn’t stop the FA from pressing charges against the Scot which could lead to a possible touchline ban and fine.

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”.

The FA said Monday in a statement: “Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct.

“The charge relates to media comments made by Ferguson about referee Alan Wiley following United’s match against Sunderland at Old Trafford on October 3. He has until November 3 to respond to the charge.”

Ferguson, in his apology, said: “I apologise to Mr Wiley for any personal embarrassment my comments may have caused and to the FA for going public with my views.

“In retrospect I accept that they could be deemed as expressing those views in an inappropriate form. It was never my intention to bring the focus of intense media interest on Mr Wiley and I will apologise to him personally when I return from an overseas trip during the international break,” he said.

Ferguson’s outburst outraged leading English referees and now retired former top official Jeff Winter, blasted it as “a cowardly attack.”

“Every game Alan Wiley takes charge of now where he makes a decision which upsets some fans is going to result in chants of ‘You’re not fit to referee’, he’s going to be known as the ‘unfit ref’,” Winter told the Guardian newspaper.

“Sir Alex won’t care though. He’s a knight of the realm and he thinks he’s untouchable, bullet proof,” added Winter, who dubbed Sir Alex “a bully”.

At 49, Wiley is one of the oldest referees officiating at the top level in England. His supporters say his fitness, like that of other officials, is subjected to weekly monitoring and an annual assessment.