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Leading By Example In The Crusade For Respect
Posted 26/04/08 17:47
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On March 22, Sir Alex Ferguson declared that the "lack of respect" shown
towards referee had become "ridiculous".
"We are talking about introducing this into the grass-roots level, respect for
the referee," the Manchester United manager declared. "It is absolutely
correct."
Asked specifically how ManYoo were working to improve relations with
Premiership referees, Ferguson explained: "We tell them to shake the hand of
the referee after the game, when it is finished. It is sometimes difficult but
you have to do it."
Here are just a few examples of the respect that Ferguson and his assistant
Carlos Queiroz have shown towards England's referees this season:
* "I told the referee what I thought - some referees don't like it. They don't
like the truth. But I just told him how bad he was in the first-half" -
Ferguson 's explanation for why he was sent off by referee Mark Clattenburg
during the defeat to Bolton in November.
Ferguson later admitted a charge of using abusive and/or insulting words,
although, after refusing to attend his hearing in person, there was no apology
forthcoming to Clattenburg.
* "I thought the whole game was looking like it was going to go to pieces as a
football spectacle. For Manchester United it's not right. There is something
wrong when Manchester United get seven bookings" - Ferguson returns to a
familiar theme after Clattenburg referees ManYoo's draw at Tottenham in
January.
* "This game was decided when Ronaldo's penalty was refused. That gave them
great confidence to hang on knowing the referee was on their side" - Ferguson
earns himself a disrepute charge after questioning the integrity of referee
Martin Atkinson following United's FA Cup exit to Portsmouth. The rant
continues for five minutes. It is then taken up by Carlos Queiroz...
* "The referee is a disgrace and he didn't do his job. We did our job,
Portsmouth did their job, but the referee didn't do his. Sadly, we still have
referees who don't understand what is the right thing in the game and who they
should protect. It is a pity and I feel sorry the game has moved to a situation
where referees deserve red cards. This referee deserves somebody to come to the
side of the pitch after five minutes, give him a red card and pull him out of
the game. That is my opinion of this robber" - Queiroz, his master's voice,
takes his lead from Ferguson and launches an even more hysterical rant against
Atkinson.
An inevitable FA charge eventually reaches Old Trafford, although Ferguson
remains unrepentant, asking a reporter "Did you see the game" in response to be
asked if he would plead guilty.
* "It is a hard to say what is going on with this game. I have to talk about
some of the decisions in the last few weeks that have damaged this football
club. We are not in the FA Cup final because of a bad decision when we should
have had a penalty against Portsmouth . Against Barcelona in the Champions
League on Wednesday, there should have been three penalties but only one was
given. Something is wrong with football" - An extract of Queiroz's angry rant
after Chelsea beat United courtesy of a late penalty - the first United have
conceded this season - by Michael Ballack.
* "It was absolutely diabolical. It is a major decision Granted, it hit his
hand. But he has not lifted his hand above his shoulders, above his head,
anything like that. It is going straight to Rio Ferdinand. The referee should
have seen that rather than the linesman. If we're not going to get those
decisions then we are under pressure" - Having refused to speak to Sky Sports
in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, Ferguson eventually emerges on MUTV
to blame officialdom for the loss at Stamford Bridge.
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