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Thursday, February 6, 2014

REVEALED: How Sir Alex Ferguson got his way with referees at Manchester United

    FERGIE TIME Sir Alex Ferguson pointing to his watch was a familiar sight during his management days
Sir Alex Ferguson's reputation often preceded him during his trophy-laden tenure as Manchester United manager.

Ferguson was renowned for his treatment of referees, in particular a tactic of pointing at his watch towards the end of games where United needed a goal.

The retired Scot claimed in his autobiography he did that in order to create tension for the opposition, but former referee Dermot Gallagher has revealed there was more to it than that.

Describing one particular incident Gallagher said: "I remember going to Old Trafford at the end of the season.
    Ferguson, Fergie, Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United, Man Utd
      REF BLAST: Ferguson reacts on the sidelines to an officiating decision [GETTY]

"Manchester United had three games that week and I was given the game on the bank holiday Monday. It was chucking it down with rain and Fergie pulled me aside and said 'do me a favour, call the game off'.

"I asked why and he said 'there’s nowhere else to fit this game in and the Premier League will have to extend the season. We'll have a better chance of winning the match and we'll win the league at Old Trafford'.

"At half time United were losing 3-1 and the pitch was like a swimming pool. As we came off he said 'I know we're 3-1 down but please call it off, we could do with a hand here'. They managed to pull it back to 3-3 and in the last minute Dennis Irwin ran into the box and went down in front of the Stretford End and I only gave a goal kick.

"At full time Fergie sprinted across the pitch and shouted at me furiously. My wife said, 'Fergie had a right go at you about that penalty didn't he'. I told her he hadn’t mentioned the penalty.

"She asked why he came tearing across the pitch at me then. The truth is he ran over and asked me if I was going out to dinner that night. I said 'no' and he asked 'why are we leaving so early then?"

Ferguson hand-picked David Moyes to replace him at Old Trafford last summer, with research proving United got more injury time under their former manager.

Findings show United were given an average of 79 seconds extra when losing after 90 minutes, while Moyes has received an average of just 40 in the same circumstances.

Incidentally, United have only scored once in injury time under Moyes and that was during injury time of extra time. 


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