Sir Alex Ferguson was known for having a hot temper during his legendary career, and apparently his son is a chip off the old block. Darren Ferguson is manager of Doncaster Rovers, a side in the third tier of English football, and following a recent match he advocated for the shooting of referees.
He was obviously joking, and not serious, but it was a very poorly advised remark, in really poor taste, and it has now landed the younger Ferguson in hot water. The Football Association charged him today for remarks that “were improper and/or brought the game into disrepute.”
Ferguson the Younger has until 6pm Monday to respond. Darren Ferguson was angry that his team was denied a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Plymouth this past weekend.
“The referees are part-time and the standard is appalling, their fitness levels are a disgrace, I’ve had enough of it,” he said in a post match interview. “What can I do? Shoot them, it would be a good idea.”
To his credit, Ferguson has already issued an apology, saying that his controversial and scathing remark was a “tongue-in-cheek comment.” He added, and this is obviously the most important point, he does not advocate violence against referees.
“I do not advocate violence against officials,” he said.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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