Turns out Alex Ferguson isn't above punishment from the FA after all. Manchester United's manager was handed a two-match bantoday for the next two Premier League games as a result of criticizing referee Alan Wiley a few weeks ago. Ferguson will remain in the stands for league matches against Everton and Portsmouth.
Ferguson questioned the fitness of referee Alan Wiley after United could only muster a 2-2 draw against Sunderland at Old Trafford on October. In that match, United was lucky to come away with a point, drawing in the last minute on an own goal by Sunderland.
Ferguson later apologized for his comments, but retracting his statement didn't prevent the FA from coming down on the Scotsman with the ban. His ban was technically four games, but the last two were suspended unless Ferguson commits a similar violation between now and the end of the 2010-11 season.
Here are a couple other stories from Europe for this afternoon:
Carlo Cudicini injured in motorcycle accident.In a week that has been devastating for goalkeepers, Tottenham goalie Carlo Cudicini was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident this morning in London.
The 36-year-old was immediately rushed to a hospital, where it was revealed that he had fractured both of his wrists and injured his pelvis. Given the Italian's age, it's realistic to suggest that this accident could end his career. Cudicini had featured intermittently for Spurs, most recently backing up Heurelho Gomes.
Celtic, Rangers turned away from Premier League. The age-old discussion in Scotland is that Celtic and Rangers are too big for the Scottish Premier League. That talk can be put on hold for the near future, as a proposal to include the Old Firm in a two-level league was rejected today at a meeting of Premier League chairman.
A handful of managers around England had voiced support of the idea, and Bolton's chairman Phil Gartside had brought the proposal to the rest of the chairman at Thursday's meeting. However, the proposal was seen as neither "desirable or viable."
Celtic and Rangers have dominated the league for the last 11 years, having won every title between the two of them. Their rivalry has gone before them, as the Old Firm derby at times has been the most captivating in European soccer.
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What do you think of Ferguson's ban? Distraught at Cudicini's injury? Disappointed that Celtic/Rangers won't join the English Premier League?
Share your thoughts below.
Best wishes go out to Carlo and his family. He was an excellent keeper for my Blues for years and his loyalty to Chelsea can never be repayed. Best of luck and speedy recovery!
FA is actually AF. The suspended games are quite a howler as SAF hasn’t missed a beat since Wiley.
SAF is the Bobby Knight of the EPL. He’s always been a bully, but nobody cares when ManU is atop the table. Fall down to second place, however…
Regarding SAF…..
It couldn’t of happened to a nicer drunk.
Celtic and Rangers should sue and take the case all the way to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom if need be. I think we’ve reached the moment where they need to start taking legal action, and take it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom if need be.
Also from what I understand, the Welsh transportation system makes it easier for some teams to move south and north than it does to move east to west?
I don’t think Rangers and Celtic will ever leave the SPL. Just can’t see it happening.
Fergie cracks me up. He’s so asinine.
to which Celtic and Rangers both asked,” MLS is better quality than the rest of the SPL?”
I had to look it up, but Cardiff City and Swansea City were part of the English system because there wasn’t a Welsh league until 1992.
It’s not ‘viable’ beacause the Hull Cities of the world see 2 more teams who will likely be better than they are pushing them harder into the relegation door.
ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool they don’t care. I’m sure they were fine with it. All the other clubs though, not so much. Celtic and Rangers wouldn’t be Prem champs anytime soon but I believe both would be regular Europa League spot holders and that is a lotta money lost to the Aston Villas of the world.
I’m sure the TV broadcasters wanted it. I know if this was the US and there were two quality, very well supported Canadian teams who wanted to join MLS, they’d be in if ESPN/FSC said to let ’em do it.
I think there’s enough precedent on this matter in the form of Cardiff City and Swansea City to make a case for the Old Firm moving to the English System. Much like the Old Firm, those two Welsh clubs would be dominant within their territory if they played there and also represent the largest population centers in their country.
The only problem I could see with adding Rangers and Celtic to the Premier League would be regarding the Champions League spots. I don’t imagine their supporters would be very happy with a system in which they might not make it into top level European play every year. If they added a slot or two for the ECC, it could be an interesting proposal, as I think Fulham, Everton, Villa, and City are all on about the same level of quality.
I think there’s enough precedent on this matter in the form of Cardiff City and Swansea City to make a case for the Old Firm moving to the English System. Much like the Old Firm, those two Welsh clubs would be dominant within their territory if they played there and also represent the largest population centers in their country.
The only problem I could see with adding Rangers and Celtic to the Premier League would be regarding the Champions League spots. I don’t imagine their supporters would be very happy with a system in which they might not make it into top level European play every year. If they added a slot or two for the ECC, that could get interesting, as I think Fulham, Everton, Villa, and City are all on about the same level of quality.
Celtic and Rangers have only dominated the SPL for the last 11 years? It was 24 seasons ago that a different team won and only 19 times in the 113 year history of the league has another club won it.
money. money. ad, oh yeah, money. a slot in the EPL is worth around 60 million pounds a season. if you can’t bring more than that to the table, why bother? so either the league adds two spots, diluting the money pool for everyone, or the Old Firmers take two English teams out. since UEFA frowns on top leagues over twenty, that’s out. so we are looking at kicking two FA teams out. say the Old Firmers join in 2010-2011, does that mean FIVE teams are relegated next year? or is only one promoted from the Coke? if five are relegated, then let’s say the bottom ten teams are against it, that’s way too close to call. Take last season, Bolton and Portsmouth, instead of being eight points clear of relegation are now sitting on a goal differential. no one wants THOSE odds. so figure ten votes against right there. or do you only promote one team from the Coke? sucks for them, right? those are FA teams, and while the EPL isn’t an FA-owned entity, the Scottish Teams would have to join the FA, and surely no one in the Coke would support it.
then let’s look at the teams ranked say 5-10. figure that one of the Old Firm teams might finish top seven and take a European Tour away, figure the Fulhams, West Hams and Aston Villas of the world aren’t interested in losing that gig, right?
so who’s the constituency for Rangers and Celtic joining the EPL? ManU, Chelsea, Liverpool? they figure they won’t lose their CL spots immediately, so there’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain for them. Surely Rangers and Celtic will eventually raise more money for the league to share than Wolverhampton, right? but outside of them, and perhaps mid-table team that doesn’t often bother with Europe or flirt with relegation might be content with marginally more money, a Wigan or a Blackburn perhaps?
” His ban was technically four games, but the last two were suspended unless Ferguson commits a similar violation between now and the end of the 2010-11 season.”
If you wanted to bet on whether he’ll get the rest of the suspension, I suspect the odds would be off the board — does anyone really think that Fergie can go a season and a half without bitching about the refs?
One city, Glasgow, has half of the country’s population. There’s such a severe imbalance that there is no way any other teams will be able to compete. I think some squads have stadiums that sit 7k.
Other small countries can’t compete consistently on the CL level…so either Rangers/Celtic accept that, or find a way to move on (such as the Baltic? League, taking the top teams from small countries, such as Portugal and Denmark).
Celtic and Rangers in the SPL would destroy that league, and doom it to the sames status as the Irish or Welsh leagues.
I’m glad Ferguson was banned, he holds entirely TOO MUCH power and sway and needs to be humbled. No one serving manager should have that type of influence.
Haha!!! I love it! Finally, the FA has heard enough of Fergies crazy rants. Portsmouth is probably a win, but Everton will be challenging without Fergueson on the bench making the calls.
I am a bit of a Man U fan….and I will say this…..Sir Alex is sounding more and more like a grumpy old man everyday now. He cant go one interview without doing his “Andy Rooney” 60 minutes closer rant about something. I do like that he champions some causes but now it just appears like the grumblings of an old coot.
Basically, Ferguson is a very successful manager — probably England’s best since Paisley — but he’s a tremendously classless individual in his interactions with referees, the media, and fellow managers (except his lackeys such as Allardyce), and just seems completely miserable to be a multimillionaire coaching a game for a living. I don’t understand him.
Why is it not viable to just adopt the Old Firm into their Prem? I like the idea of them in the premier league, but even I thought the whole two tier league thing a bit awkward?
Are there any viable solutions out there? it seems like both teams are kinda going to end up screwed if things stay status quo
If Celtic and Rangers want to join the Premier League, why don’t they convince the FA to absorb the Scottish League, and have the smaller teams placed in the Coca-Cola leagues. I would imagine that your average Championship team generates more revenue then most of the SPL.
I heard that as soon as this morning’s Premier League Chairman’s meeting was over, Don Garber was on the phone asking Celtic and Rangers to join MLS.