The United boss has infuriated referees for his verbal attack on Alan Wiley.
Fergie claimed the official was unfit to referee following United's 2-2 draw with Sunderland last Saturday - and has been asked to explain his comments to the FA.
But the union for referees, Prospect, want English football's governing body to come down hard on him, insisting a fine or touchline ban is not punishment enough.
They want the FA to make an example of the Scot and have called for unprecedented action.
Serious
Alan Leighton, the national secretary of Prospect, said: "I don't know what Sir Alex earns, but a small fine or a touchline suspension would be like water off a duck's back to him.
"There has to be some recognition that this is a serious allegation that needs to be properly dealt with and punished severely.
"There are issues around suspension from the job that would be new territory that hasn't happened before, but I think the FA has to grab the nettle on this one.
"We have to talk about punishments that are going to really lead to a change in behaviour."
Ferguson launched a blistering attack on Wiley, saying: "He was not fit enough for a game of that standard. The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game.
"You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher's dogs. We have some who are fit. He wasn't fit.
Respect
"He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He was needing a rest. It was ridiculous."
The FA have written to Ferguson, asking for an explanation and he has seven days to respond.
The FA have pumped a lot of time and money into the Respect campaign to improve the treatment of officials from grass roots level to the top of the sport.
And Leighton says it is crucial they throw the book at Ferguson: "There is no future with the Respect campaign if the FA don't act," he said.
DARREN Fletcher has withdrawn from the Scotland squad to play Japan.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
jo alves (07/10/2009 at 09:45)
PAUL Eagle (07/10/2009 at 09:51)
stevi, france (07/10/2009 at 09:55)
Refs are well paid for the job they do and they have to accept if they make serious errors or are inconsistant they will rightly be open to critisism whats important is how we resolve these issues......The Respect campaign doesn't mean resolve them (Refs) of all responsibility...if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen!
Lee , Heywood, Heywood (07/10/2009 at 09:58)
If SAF had called the referess integrity into question then fine. In the cold light of day suggesting Alan Wiley should be fitter isnt that big a deal. I suspect he will get the usual fine and maybe a two game touchline ban.
That would be a standard punishment for a standard offence.
In the words of Ronnie " Why with United is it always polemic ! "
Private Fraser, Warmington-On-Sea (07/10/2009 at 09:59)
jerseyblue, jersey (07/10/2009 at 10:00)
nodge, goa india (07/10/2009 at 10:18)
Sheikh Rattle 'n' Roll With It, Bury (07/10/2009 at 10:22)
As his Players have got away with so much with The FA in recent times, Neville, Ronaldo, Rooney and Vidic to name but three, maybe he thought he could again say whatever he wanted, thinking 'The FA won't do anything to me, I am Sir Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson, I have won everything there is to win in football'...... the bloke lacks any class at all.
Talking of class, I lost all respect for The FA last season when I looked at the way they treated Shaun Wright-Phillips after the Stoke game, seeing all their inconsistencies when failing to act on other incidents in other games, many times worse than the little kick he gave Rory Delap. The FA are a joke, maybe they can make me laugh even more by banning Sir Alexander, but I cannot see that ever happening with David Gill being on the board of The FA.
Alias Smith, over the moon (07/10/2009 at 10:24)
Robinho's stepover, Manchester (07/10/2009 at 10:24)
Personally, I think some interesting stories will come out about him when he eventually retires.
PAUL Eagle (07/10/2009 at 10:25)
Ian Mcleish (07/10/2009 at 10:26)
It's clear we're not dealing with Carol Vorderman here. Can you talk me through the arithmetic behind your claim that United receive nearly 10 times as many penalties as "the opposition" (like the generic catch-all term there, very specific), or at least point us to the Guardian article that apparently stated the claim in the first place. So waht you're saying is, if an "opposition" team gets 5 penalties a year, United get around 50? With mathematics like that, I wouldn't be surprised if David Cameron button-holes you to join their Treasury department while he's kicking about Piccadilly.
Ian Mcleish (07/10/2009 at 10:27)
It's clear we're not dealing with Carol Vorderman here. Can you talk me through the arithmetic behind your claim that United receive nearly 10 times as many penalties as "the opposition" (like the generic catch-all term there, very specific), or at least point us to the Guardian article that apparently stated the claim in the first place. So what you're saying is, if an "opposition" team gets 5 penalties a year, United get around 50? With mathematics like that, I wouldn't be surprised if David Cameron button-holes you to join their Treasury department while he's sliming about town.
Chris, Red, Ireland (07/10/2009 at 10:31)
jerseyblue, jersey "
4 from the last 2 home games? You mean the time added onto added on time because of City's celebration and because of a substitution and other stoppages AFTER the board went up. This has been justified over and over. Let it go.
And your mentioning the Sunderland game? How were we helped there? We got a penalty turned down, going by you lot we always get penalties at Old Trafford, why didn't we get that one then? 4mins of injury time was right in that case.
Shouldn't Hughes face some action then? Fergie is saying the referee wasn't fit enough. Hughes was basically saying things always go Uniteds way at Old Trafford, basically calling the referee's integrity into question. These things are always amplified when Fergie says them. If it was a lower team no-one would pay attention, you'd see it once then it wouldn't be talked about.
What about other teams who score deep into injury time or other teams who dont get penalties given against them and get dubious ones given for them? There are plenty of incidents each week like these but only when its United its brought up by you lot.
latiy2k, Toronto GTA (07/10/2009 at 10:35)
By the way, I agree with SAF that Wiley did not add the correct time at the end of the game. It was alos Wiley who gave that penalty for a phantom handball AGAINST United at Chelsea 2 seasons ago. I said to the group I was watching the game with at the start of the game that I do not trust Wiley. He is a rubbish ref, and so it proved. If he wants respect then he should do his job good. That is what we all have to do in life.
Red Culture (07/10/2009 at 10:35)
tooth&claw, manchester (07/10/2009 at 10:39)
Mr Curry, Salford (07/10/2009 at 10:48)
jerseyblue, jersey (07/10/2009 at 10:52)
Ian Mcleish
7/10/2009 at 10:27
Guardian article below re time:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/22/manchester-united-goals-stoppage-time
You will see in penalty terms I refer to last 3 years (never mind Vorderman read carefully my man) United have recieved 8.5 more penalties to 1 of opposition in last 3 years at OT.
brokeback monton (07/10/2009 at 11:12)
Secondly this report is a load of rubbish and i didn't even finish reading it the governing bodies will never in a month of Sundays ban fergie. If i would have booted somebody in the face in the street i would be doing a 2-3 year stretch were as adaybayor gets 2 weeks of work and docked a days wages.
Thirdly, to all the bitters boreoff, only a halfwit believes these stories.
RJKS, St Retford (07/10/2009 at 11:18)
Duncan, London (07/10/2009 at 11:20)
Jay The Manc, That London place (07/10/2009 at 11:21)
this has cheered me up no end!! of course the lily livered bureacrats who run our game at the top levels will never do such a thing as lets face it, old bacon face could turn up at the fa brandishing a machete, take care of them all "kill bill" style and still get off on the grounds of dimiished responsibilities, but still a very amusing story!!!
lawman (07/10/2009 at 11:24)
Poor little referees, these comments have always been made to them or about them since the year dot, the difference is that the press jump all over it now.
The usual idiots like winter and poll are jumping on the bandwagon now that they can't "perform" on the pitch anymore. We keep hearing that if this continues then we'll struggle for referees, rubbish, there will always be little men who enjoy the limelight and the chance to order others around. Are we actually supposed to believe that they do the job out of love for the game? They do it because they have egos inversely proportional to their footballing ability and knowledge.
In rugby (both codes) there are a fairly high proportion of referees who have played the game at a reasonably high level therfore EARNING respect from players
I don't think that referees help matters by having a column in the newspapers and trying to sell themselves as personailities when we all know they don't actually possess one. As ye sow, so shall ye reap!
For all the bitters calling for SAF to be suspended, maybe the FA will look into Hughes questioning of the integrity of referees at Old Trafford. Which of these is a far more serious allegation.. UNFIT OR CORRUPT? You tell me
stan (07/10/2009 at 11:25)
It also shows teams in the rest of the top 4 get more injury time on average than United...
Are you in fact Rafa Benitez?