Alex Ferguson's bully boy tactics with Alan Wiley make a mockery of the FA Respect campaign
By Oliver Holt
Published 23:00 06/10/09
Most of the time, Sir Alex Ferguson is a credit to the game he loves but now and again, he lets himself down with the kind of antics that remind us the sneering bully in him is alive and well.
His ill-judged diatribe on the supposed lack of fitness of referee Alan Wiley was an unusually clumsy attempt to deflect attention away from Manchester United’s poor performance against Sunderland.
But Ferguson’s attack not only made a mockery of the FA’s Respect campaign, it also ensured that Wiley will now be a soft target for the boo-boys at every Premier League ground he visits.
In those circumstances, it is particularly sweet that ProZone statistics appear to show that Mr Wiley actually ran further than most of the United team during Saturday evening’s match at Old Trafford.
Cue bleep tests all round at Carrington, presumably, and plenty of time for Sir Alex to think about the way he behaved while he considers the FA charge that must surely be heading his way.
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