Alex Ferguson’s advisor Graham Bean has compared the FA to a communist state following the five match touchline ban and £30,000 fine the United boss has received.
The FA have come down hard on Fergie for his remarks about referee Martin Atkinson after his side’s 2-1 defeat against Chelsea by handing him the longest ban in Premiership history.
Bean acts on behalf of Sir Alex in disciplinary matters and has stated ‘The FA has become like a communist state in the way that you cannot speak out against authority. It is becoming clear that if you are in football you give up your right to freedom of expression.’
‘What everyone has missed because they have focused on this big ban on Sir Alex, is that Martin Atkinson made one of the biggest blunders of the season in not dealing with David Luiz and he has got off with it, nothing has happened to him.’
‘That cannot be right that the ref is protected in that way, and then the FA hammer Sir Alex. I have seen confidential reports where Atkinson is criticised by the assessors at the game in the way he dealt with David Luiz and that he didn’t deal with the incident the way he should have done.’
Ferguson was reluctant to comment on the ban, but stated ‘It is disappointing. It is the only industry where you can’t tell the truth.’
He has accepted the ban which will begin with immediate effect which means he misses today’s Premier League home match against Bolton and allows him to be back in the dugout for United’s decisive league match with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on May 1.
