13 Oct 2009

Referees union wants more done on Ferguson

5:57 am on 13 October 2009

The head of the English football referees' union wants Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson banned for claiming match official Alan Wiley was not fit enough.

Ferguson has since apologised for any embarrassment his remarks after the draw with Sunderland may have caused.

But Alan Leighton, head of the officials' union, says the apology was half-hearted.... and a punishment should be a Uefa-type coaching ban, which is more than a touchline ban.

An analysis of Wiley's fitness following the initial remarks from Ferguson after the recent 2-all draw at home to Sunderland showed the referee's performance proved he had run more than most of the players during the game.

Ferguson said he would be contacting Wiley to talk to him personally but he still left a question mark hanging over the fitness of referees in England.