Liverpool FC Forum

by **Reg** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:45 am

March 18, 2009

Sir Alex Ferguson flouts his duties with boycott.

Sir Alex Ferguson has carried out so many boycotts down the years we should stop calling him Alex and start calling him Geoffrey instead. Sky Sports was the latest organisation to feel the frostiness of the Ferguson cold shoulder, the Manchester United manager refusing to take part in the customary post-match interview after Saturday's game against Liverpool, thus depriving more than a million subscribers a valued part of their viewing experience.

Why was Ferguson so miffed with the company that has bankrolled football (and helped to pay his salary) for the better part of two decades? Because Sky had scheduled the match on Saturday lunchtime, giving United less time to recover from their Wednesday-night exertions (Liverpool played the second leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie on Tuesday).

Never mind that the match was scheduled almost two months ago or that the timing had been requested by the police. Rational arguments (facts, as Rafael Benítez might call them) mean little to a man in a state of such advanced paranoia that he alleged in January that the entire Barclays Premier League fixture list had been part of an elaborate conspiracy against United.

The great mistake was in not confronting Ferguson earlier. By indulging his tendency to petulance and megalomania, the Premier League has only itself to blame for the shameful situation in which its most high-profile manager flouts his responsibilities to broadcasters and fans as a matter of course.

It is not just Sky - News Corporation, parent company of The Times has a 39.1 per cent stake in BSkyB - of course. The BBC, which pays almost £60 million a year on behalf of licence-fee payers for Premier League highlights, has not had access to Ferguson since 2004, ever since it aired a BBC Three documentary about his dealings with his son Jason, a football agent at the time. It is understood that Ferguson's boycott of our national broadcaster will never be rescinded.

This is nothing less than scandalous, not least when you consider that United have a contractual obligation to put up a senior management figure for interview, as well as a moral responsibility to the millions of fans who tune in on Saturday and Sunday evenings hoping to hear the views of the single most important and knowledgeable person in English football.

In the absence of any noticeable condemnation from the very organisations that exist to rein in errant behaviour - not least the United board - is it any wonder that Ferguson is so dangerously out of control? That he runs United like his own personal fiefdom? That he has routinely snubbed post-match press conferences (another part of a manager's duties) for more than seven years? That he bawls out journalists who ask awkward questions as a matter of course? That he has banned so many scribes that his own press office finds it difficult to keep track of who's in and who's out?

Give it time and Ferguson will think nothing of banning opposition managers from Old Trafford on the ground that they dared suggest they might beat United.

Most sensible Manchester United fans agree that Ferguson's behaviour is less than reasonable, but they do so with a shrug of the shoulders and with the sentiment that this is a price English football must pay for having such a rare talent in its midst. But this simply will not do.

That Ferguson is one of the football's most brilliant managers does not excuse him from the duties that the majority of his counterparts discharge with such diligence and, quite often, humour and aplomb. If anything, his unique status gives him an elevated responsibility to the millions of fans whose cash is the lifeblood of our national sport.

Ferguson will change only if confronted. That is why Sky Sports should give him a taste of his own medicine by “boycotting” payment of United's share of the television rights income, estimated at a total of about £50 million. That is the only thing that might persuade the United board to bring into line a manager whose behaviour - and I choose my words carefully - shames English football.
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Could the tide be finally turning against him?

by **Kharhaz** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:51 am

For a long time now matches against the scum have been lunchtime kickoffs, and he has won a majority of them lately. Now he gets thrashed in one he sees his bum ! He should be called Miss Alex Ferguson not Sir the big tart !

by **dawson99** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:08 pm

finally people are starting to see the light.

Knighthood my ars3

by **GYBS** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:20 pm

Its still shocking that he has a knighthood - same really for most sportsmen .

by **Sabre** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:50 pm

In the absence of any noticeable condemnation from the very organisations that exist to rein in errant behaviour - not least the United board - is it any wonder that Ferguson is so dangerously out of control? That he runs United like his own personal fiefdom? That he has routinely snubbed post-match press conferences (another part of a manager's duties) for more than seven years? That he bawls out journalists who ask awkward questions as a matter of course? That he has banned so many scribes that his own press office finds it difficult to keep track of who's in and who's out?

Perhaps someone will say the journo has lost the plot, but, it seems to me that's a reasonable criticism.

The day the press realises they're stronger than Ferguson, the day Ferguson's authoritative ways will be put under control.

by **redbeergoggles** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:05 pm

Maybe Rafa's letter stating the "FACTS" is finally, slowly ,but surely seeping into the foundations of Fergusons empire ,the man has run roughshod over all and sundry for countless years ,Rafa courted ridicule for those statements, maybe just maybe he is starting to witness the fruit of his labours

by **zarababe** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:15 pm

Rafa's rant - losing it is he.. EXPOSED WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR TOOOOOOO LONG...

http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=513701

by **Ciggy** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:51 pm

Sky wont stop that malarky of someone leading him up the stairs whilst filming him before his pre match interviews, does my head in that who the feck does he think he is?

by **Big Niall** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:19 pm

sky should have it in the contract that they get post match interviews from the manager (they probably do) and should sue him. The next contract should definately have it.

The BBC showed how weak they were when they pulled an after match interview about 10 years ago when Ferguson started cursing them out of it for asking whether he would discipline Roy Keane for being sent off again. that interview only came to light a few years ago.

The bbc are also scared of him because none of them have any balls (Lawro not mentioning the 6 minute silent protest re Hillsborough is just one other example)

by **das20093** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:28 pm

Mr Ferguson not sir alex. Do you never listen to Rafa:D

by **Lando_Griffin** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:18 am

It's about time the old c*nt f*cked off and retired.

I really, really want an opposing fan to run into the technical area and a*sehole the Scottish c*nt in the teeth.

Knock his f*cking head off, the old bloodshot conk-faced b*stard.

by **yolz** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:39 am

High time Alex Fergueson got a wake up call
It's not just him though, have you noticed that some refrees and linesmen also seem to be awed by Man U Suck and let them get away with fouls and seem to give them preferential treeatment?

by **Lando_Griffin** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:43 am

I think the only way to address the "Man U Bias" is to set every ref who awards them any decision whatsoever on fire, then hide the extinguishers.

by **LegBarnes** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:13 am

Lando_Griffin wrote:I think the only way to address the "Man U Bias" is to set every ref who awards them any decision whatsoever on fire, then hide the extinguishers.

for once I agree with you....

I part of holy grail springs to mind if manc's get given any more dodgy pens call the REFs witchs and burn em burn em !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp_l5ntikaU

:laugh:

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