Source: Manchester_EveningNews
Fergie must explain ref outburst
THE Football Association have written to Sir Alex Ferguson asking him to explain his stunning outburst over referee Alan Wiley on Saturday.
The United manager, who has seven days to respond, was furious that not enough injury time had been added in the 2-2 Premier League draw with Sunderland at Old Trafford and blasted the official, saying he "wasn't fit enough for a match of that standard."
While the FA have halted bosses speaking about officials before matches, managers are free to discuss the refs and their performances, as long as it is in the context of the game.
They must not, however, imply bias, question their integrity or comment on anything of a personal nature.
Premier League officials, battling to implement the Respect programme, can barely believe the personal attack on Wiley, who has to take and pass the FIFA fitness test and has his heart rate monitored together with his movement in ever game analysed.
At the beginning of every season all top pro refs and others on the national list have to complete six 40m sprints each in 6.2 seconds as well as run ten 400m laps during which they have to twice sprint 150m in 30 seconds.
Retired ref Jeff Winter told M.E.N. Sport: "It was an absolutely incredible accusation to make. It was unfounded and insulting.
"Alex Ferguson is famous for his mind games but what was the point of this? Why can't he just accept that on this occasion his team didn't perform as well?
"Alan Wiley, under the rules top refs work under, cannot defend himself and Alex Ferguson knows that so in that respect he is attacking a soft target."
Fergie isn't alone in his criticism of refs. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is currently on an FA improper conduct charge for criticising Phil Dowd at Spurs in August.
And yesterday Sam Allardyce called for ref Peter Walton to be sacked for not awarding what he thought was a penalty as Blackburn were hammered 6-2 at Arsenal.
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