SAF handed touchline ban

[depolo08]

Sir Alex will have to oversee affairs from the stands against Everton (h) and Portsmouth (a) after the United boss was handed a touchline ban at an FA Regulatory Commission hearing on Thursday.

The manager, who admitted the charge of improper conduct, was given a four-game ban for recent comments made about referee Alan Wiley, although two games are suspended until the end of the 2010/11 season. He was also fined £20,000 and warned about his future conduct.

Commission Chairman Peter Griffiths QC 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 Sir Alex be found guilty of a similar charge before the end of the 2010/11 season. It will be in addition to any sanction imposed for that offence.

Source

Bad news, but it's been in the offing for a while now. Fergie needs to tone down a bit on the referee bashing. We were really poor in the draw with Sunderland. He should've directed the wrath at the players, not the ref.

Thoughts?

[tess11]

SAF does a lot of his strategizing through the press, but I really don't know what he was thinking he would accomplish with his remarks about the ref from that game. At the time, it struck me as irrational. I think the ban is fair, and suspending two of the matches is lenient.
He's a brilliant manager, obviously, but that doesn't make all of his decisions right. I hope he's able to pull this squad together, and looking for someone to blame for their rather poor performances isn't going to get the job done. They need to pull up their socks, and they need him to help them do it.

[mg91]

I agree, the ban is fair. The comments were made completely out of frustration, and it was bloody embarrassing when those stats came out showing Wiley had done more running than most of our players...

[mikethered]

just saw sky news and the report about saf's ban. the smug face on the commentator said it all, the usual "i am not bashing united and have no agenda but.....". ah well, he deserved it right enough but surely someone somewhere is going to look into the declining standards of refereeing in the premiership?
my boy,not a football fan,asked why we couldn't have foreign refs doing premiership matches? say german refs for the prem,and spanish refs for the german league(you can see where i am going). because refs are only human,and they do support their own teams,and in a 50-50 situation,would they be tempted to give the decision to a team they support?? i don't know,but i do know that united will not get any help whatsoever from the refs now,hairline decisions will go against us etc.
we will still win the prem for a record fourth consecutive time,get to the final of the euro cup(and beat madrid 2-1),beat arsenal in the final of the fa cup, and beat chelsea in the final of the league cup!!!!!!!! and solve world poverty during all this. ole.

[goldenboot]

only words from me "ALEX IS GOD"