Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has received a two-match touchline ban for his comments about referee Alan Wiley’s fitness.
The Football Association handed the 67-year-old a four-game ban, with two of those suspended until the end of the 2010/11 season. Ferguson has also been fined £20,000 and warned about his future conduct.
After seeing Man Utd draw 2-2 draw with Sunderland on 3 October, Fergie launched a furious attack on Wiley saying in part:
“The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit.”
Ferguson will serve the touchline ban for the games against Everton on 21 November and Portsmouth on 28 November.
The suspended part of the sentence will apply if Ferguson is found guilty of a similar charge before the end of next season.
The Wiley incident is not Ferguson’s first run in with referees. During the 2007/08 season he was given a two-match touchline ban and fined £5,000 for a rant at referee Mark Clattenburg during a match at Bolton.
And last season he was also banned two games and fined £10,000 after complaining about referee Mike Dean after a match against Hull.