Sir Alex Ferguson’s assertion that the Football Association (FA) is inconsistent in disciplinary matters has received backing from on high, according to reports today. FA chief executive Ian Watmore quit amid rumours of personality clashes on the FA’s board. And Watmore has privately backed Ferguson’s claims, according an ESPN report.
Ferguson, angered that Manchester United players have suffered sanction at the FA’s hands when competitors have not, accused the governing body of being inconsistent. It’s an assertion Watmore – an Arsenal season ticket holder – apparently agrees with.
The matter came to a head with the recent suspension of Rio Ferdinand for three matches after an incident with Hull City’s Craig Fagan. The FA added an extra match to the ban for what it described as a “frivolous” appeal.
Meanwhile Liverpool midfielders Javier Mascherno and Steven Gerrard escaped punished for almost identical incidents this season, while Thomas Vermalen’s rejected appeal for an obvious red card at the weekend did not merit an additional match ban according to the FA.
The FA also provided no charge for Gerrard’s involvement in two unsavory incidents in recent matches. First, the Scouser told an official to “f*ck off” before raising a two-fingered salute. Then a week later the Liverpool captain caught Portsmouth’s Michael Brown with a stray elbow.
Meanwhile, Mascherano received no FA charge despite clubbing a Leeds United defender in the back of the head.
“There is no consistency,” said Ferguson of the FA’s disciplinary unit, frequented as it is by amateur county association ‘blazers’.
“It is a dysfunctional unit. I didn’t expect anything to happen to Steven Gerrard. I don’t know what they are doing. There is no consistency for a start and I didn’t expect to get any.”
Ferguson’s anger stems from the injudicious FA decisions in recent years. These include – but are certainly not limited to – Rio Ferdinand’s eight month ban and £50,000 fine for missing a drug test while Manchester City’s Christian Negouai received just a £2,000 fine and no suspension for the same crime.
Almost unbelievably Greaseproof Gerrard – nothing sticks – received a red card in the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament and received no suspension. United’s Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were sent from the field in the same competition and each missed three Premier League matches at the FA’s behest.
In 2008, the FA hit Patrice Evra with a four match ban for hitting a Chelsea groundsman despite video evidence demonstrating that the Frenchman had categorically thrown no punch. Worse still, the organisation then attempted to smear United’s coaching staff by releasing carefully selected notes from the supposedly private meeting.
By contrast Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy punched a pitch invader in United’s 4-3 derby victory earlier this season and received no ban despite the incident taking place on national TV. All the more shocking given that the supporter had already been restrained by stewards.
The FA’s board, on which United managing director David Gill sits, today attempted to deny stories of in-fighting. This coming from the organisation that has still not built the National Football Centre in Burton due to internal disagreements, more than a decade after buying the land on which the compound should by now sit.
It is also the body which has overseen the financial problems at Portsmouth, Southend, Cardiff, Crystal Palace and Notts County, while allowing United and Liverpool’s owners to burden the clubs with hundreds of millions in debt.
Unbelievelably the FA still insists that an industry awash with money but responsible for 56 per cent of all football debt in Europe needs no further regulation.
No wonder Watmore jumped ship. United fans can only hope that the hypocrite Gill takes his place.
And Torres got off kicking off the penalty spot.
The FA is a joke.
Leave off Gill guys – how can he publicly support the anti Glazer movement when they are his employers? As soon as he does he will get sacked off for an even more pro Glazer (probably yank) yes man.
How many of you would quit your jobs if you didn’t like your new boss? I actually think he is in an awkward position – what should he do, would his getting sacked help rid us of these parasites?
And as for booing his son when he plays for the reserves – grow up and keep the otherwise great protest dignified.
I totally agree with this article…you are absolutely 100% right about the fukin bias FA…they always favours liverpool very much like the BBC and BBC’S MATCH OF THE DAY team known as football pundits, my fukin ass…hate that hansen and linekar bastards…
totally agree with this article…
you are absolutely 100% right about the ****** bias FA …they always favours liverpool very
much like the BBC and BBC ’S MATCH OF THE DAY team known as football pundits, my ****** *** …
**** that hansen and linekar ********
Richard i couldn’t agree more with what you have written.Poor Gill is in a no win situation.Lets not turn on our staff because we arent behaving no better than the scouse shite at Liverpool.Get behind the lada playing in the reserves,there performance at the end of the day benefits us.Give the lad a break.
Errrr what’s all this poor David Gill business – PLEASE! This is the guy who admits that the Glazers only put 250 millions of their own money into Manchester United, and Gill gave it the thumbs up sign. They then saddled us with debt and high interest repayments for YEARS. Recently they realised they could barely hope to meet the high levels of interest and so went around the world with a HUGE BEGGING BOWEL scrounging money from any willing Tom, Dick and Harry. At the same time putting Carrington and Old Trafford as part of the deal. Yes United are making a lot of money, but our debts are little lessening, and the Glazers consider to RAPE United of all profit they do make. After all, we are to be their family heirloom. No Sir, Gill gets no respect from me – EVER, after selling our great club to World MUGGERS!
With regards to the FA – they are VERY CONSISTENT, when it comes to punishing ONLY Manchester United!
Too right gents. Im actually pleased all this has come to a head with the FA as they have been doing it to us for years and years now and because of all the ABU’s its been allowed to fester as as soon as any United fan dare mention the treatment we receive they are immediatly shouted down as delusional because United actually receive preferential treatment. Yeah just like having our player miss a drugs test and then be punished 3 times more severely than players that have actually failed these tests with things like cocaine in their system. FA make me sick but they have made an error here as the world now knows just how bent they are.
I’ll bet Billy Meredith and Sandy Turnbull are turning in their graves winking knowingly at each other – seen it all before.
The FA have always ‘had it in’ for Mancs – and please do not sarcastically retort ‘rubbish’ as anyone with true NorthWest roots will also quietly nod agreeably.
I do not include Scouse in that – their origins are elsewhere – but perhaps more astutely than us they realised that the only way to beat ’em was to join ’em.
There again rats always snuggle up to each other so we are best left out of it.
Let them move goalposts, show bias, rewrite rules to suit, give byes to the Scouse when they cry.
We’ll still keep winning on pitch.
That’s what United are all about and why it makes victory all that much sweeter.
Its always seemed 2 me that football pundits and the media alike have always been reluctant 2 criticise Steven Gerrard. I have seen this player take dives, make dangerous 2 footed challenges(admittedly in his early career) and abuse match officials, yet match of the day and sky sports pundits seem allergic 2 say “Gerrard dived” or “Gerrard should have been sent off” etc. The media treat him more or less the same, treating him like some sort of national icon when lets face it, his international performances have always flattered 2 deceive. You would think that the “Big Cheeses” running football in this country would have a neutral outlook on proceedures regarding discipline of footballers, but surprise surprise, when it comes 2 Gerrard the man is untouchable. Would Rio Ferdinand get away with what Gerrard did? Doubt it. Funny how the FA likes 2 stitch Rio up, but then turn into a bunch of clueless little pussies when Gerrad needs 2 held accountable……….dont see it changing anytime soon either.
Bang on Real Red, We will conquer regardless and then stuff it down their throats with a smile 🙂
If you want to know why the FA is so rotten have a look at FA chairman Lord Triesman’s bio on Wikipedia – the man has had a pathological hatred of successful people all his life – despite having a privileged life himself.
I suspect Ian Watmore took the job in good faith and couldn’t believe how psychotic his new collegaues were – he’s right to get out of it before he himself is tarnished!