Lord Fergie
Sky Sports have become the latest in a long line of media
victims to be banned from a press conference by Manchester United
manager Sir Alex Ferguson so all powerful at Old Trafford that he
even takes on the TV network who bankroll the Barclays Premier
League.
Fergie barred Sky cameras from his preview yesterday for today's
game against Newcastle because of the way the TV station had
reacted to his comments about the lack of home support in the
Birmingham match on New Year's Day.
The United overlord was especially annoyed that Sky had included in
their coverage the critical views of the Independent Manchester
United Supporters Association, who described Old Trafford as a
'police state'. The comment was also picked up by national
newspapers.
Sky Sports shrugged off their Fergie ban as being only a temporary
measure, unlike the manager's BBC silence, which has been on-going
since a May 2004 documentary about his football links with former
agent son Jason.
But the lack of managerial co-operation with TV is such an issue
with fans that there were questions on a Newcastle website
yesterday about the sense of appointing Harry Redknapp when he,
like sacked Sam Allardyce, has followed Fergie's example and
doesn't speak to the BBC.
The Premier League say the subject has been softly broached with
him but they received 'a flinty response'. A United spokesman said
that the Friday conferences were a courtesy extended by Ferguson to
the media. And on occasions, there were good reasons for taking it
away.