At last an FA verdict on Sir Alex Ferguson that is damning and we can only hope that a five-match stint in the stands is either a preface to remorse or good practice for retirement from the dugout. Perhaps now he is destined to go from the game with a few self-harm disciplinary marks etched large on his own character, similar to those he cut deep into the characters of officials at his games, so hell bent was he to vilify every canker in the black that stood in his way of a three point haul each week. Harsh? Suffice to say, it may seem so on viewing the events of the last seven days, when the old boy’s gone all sweetness and light on us following victories against the Arse and Marseilles, but history tells us this is no epiphany on the road to Wembley or any other redemptive venue. Underpinned as it has been with his usual self-righteous indignation, the true picture of continued discontentment emerged over the same period, drip-fed to home fans first, just to confirm he’d not lost his touch with the common people, still sharing their own tribal objectives, namely to win and gripe whatever the cost to gentlemanly conduct or resultant FA charge…

Lest we forget, the FA’s case was based on the fact that the United boss ’alleged’ Martin Atkinson bias towards Chelsea and in his programme notes for the Arsenal match, against the initial advice of United’s legal team, the once silent knight confirmed as much by saying "I will be defending myself strongly when my FA appeal hearing comes up" If that were not enough of a made-public written confirmation of his views, he then went on to bolster his bitter beliefs as follows, "I felt aggrieved and I now face an FA charge for what, to my mind, was simply telling the truth. In fact, I am looking forward to the challenge because, to my mind, I have not said anything out of place, however much the media urge the FA to take action."

Think that might be clear enough evidence of his lack of contrition? Well, should you still wish to fight his corner, try swallowing the next bit of b*******…"The papers keep on and on about it because Manchester United are involved, and they failed to get the FA Compliance Unit to pick up on the Wayne Rooney incident in the Wigan game.†And then on the subject of his media blackout, "Don't read too much into the fact that I withdrew my briefings for the media; that was simply because I felt that the spotlight was burning on us so brightly that the best policy at that point was least said, soonest mended. At that particular time I didn't think we would win the media battles, so I retreated. I won't be on the back foot when I put my case to the FA, though. I don't think sticking up for my team makes me a villain, especially when you consider that Manchester United have one of the best disciplinary records in the country."

So, armed with this rallying call claptrap, readily provided by the defendant and with all of it well within a time span for the FA to tack it on to the initial disrepute charge, there really was every reason to believe the book would be thrown at him this time and the sentence reflective of his serial offender status. Yet in the interim even journalists who should know better have jumped on the Ferguson handcart to hell or high water condemnation of referees in anticipation of the usual diffident verdict. ‘Hardline defence of referees is symptom of failure’ wrote Paul Hayward in the Guardian Blog after the aforementioned defiance, suggesting that the United overlord was right to have a go at the poor standard of refereeing in this country, even if it did imply official favouritism towards certain clubs.

Indeed, Hayward’s subsequent appearance on Sky’s Sunday Supplement allowed him to develop the theme to the extent that he was able to confirm the very existence of bias in officialdom’s ranks and, perhaps even more bizarrely, his own shoulder-shrugging acceptance of it. Thank heavens he was shot down in flames by the Daily Mirror’s Oliver Holt who highlighted the despairing nature of this dullard’s stance by giving him the obvious ’if you’re right, we might as well give up now’ response to a doom monger attitude so blatantly designed to curry favour with the moronic masses. As the Mirror man (why is he not with a broadsheet?) stressed, there is a clear distinction to be made between acceptance of genuine errors by referees and, as in Ferguson’s case, any implied agenda they might have for making them in the first place. Game, set and match secured, how pleasing it was to hear Holt then put Ferguson firmly in the dock on the second count.

Thankfully, the FA have taken the opportunity to promote the implementation of higher standards of conduct in the dugout, where examples should be set first and foremost. Reform of [or respect for] officialdom cannot be tailored from the self-serving hypocrisy of a bellicose Sir Alex Ferguson or an aggrieved Arsene Wenger and defending sour grape whingeing on grounds of a moaners longevity or veneration is nothing short of a disgrace - just look at the four sending offs at the recent FA Youth Cup quarter-final between Liverpool and United to see how copycat antics can run like a free-for-all thread once the rot sets in. Deserved or not, referees will never get respect as long as journalists like Hayward attack each and every mistake made and when managers hound referees over their poor performances so transparently to cover for their own team‘s inadequacies, without this type of rebuke from those in authority, there is something seriously wrong at the most influential level of our game. Finally, a step in the right direction!

Completely agree, Dorset. it's finally good to see Ferguson being held to the standards that the rest of the managers have been. I love that he feels the media have it out for him and Man utd, and that sort of victim mentality that he seems to play has the Man U fans siding with him - hence the fact that they still claim last season's Legaue Title should be at Old Trafford were it not for the inadequacies of the ref. Again, all logical refutals about Neville's foul in their area, or their goal from a hand-ball are thrown out with the Ferguson-esque "I didn't see it!"

I really doubt, however, that this will change Ferguson's behaviour. He'll see it as further vilification of Manchester Utd due to the media's hidden agenda. If they really were that hard done by, then why do people within the same media joke about the addition of "Ferggie Time," or laugh at the fact Paul Schole's tackling would see many other players cautioned at a minumum, or more likely ejected from a game?

Make no mistake, he will be tough to replace, and I fully expect Jose to be there in the comming years. However, his almost almanac recalling of when those criticising him have also criticized the refs shows a man guarded against his short commings. And even then his recollection of their criticism is merely that, they were criticizing decisions; not claiming that Chelsea might have a shot at the title, due to ref favouritism, if they "keep getting decisions like that."

Scott