Sir Alex Ferguson is facing yet another FA charge - and subsequent
measly fine - after accusing Howard Webb of "favouring Arsenal" in
Saturday's 2-2 draw.
In an outburst made extraordinary by the general impression that
Webb had not made any controversial decisions to favour either
side, Ferguson complained to ManYoo's in-house television station:
"I think Howard Webb has a great chance to be the top referee but
today was a big game for him and at times he favoured
Arsenal."
'The FA take any comments which can be deemed to question the
impartiality of a referee extremely seriously and it is understood
they will write to Ferguson seeking clarification of his remarks. A
decision over whether to charge the Manchester United manager will
be taken after considering his response,' The Daily Telegraph
reports.
'The FA are believed to be surprised by Ferguson's complaint,
particularly as it was felt that Webb had controlled the game well
and got the major decisions right. That was particularly evident
over Arsenal's second equaliser, which was awarded after assistant
referee Darren Cann confirmed the ball had crossed the line.'
Webb was barred from speaking to the media after the game, but
Darren Cann, the linesman who correctly spotted William Gallas'
injury-time shot crossing the line, has revealed he had no doubts
that a goal had been scored.
"I clearly saw the ball cross the line. Luckily I have been
involved in many high-profile games and with the experience that
you build up over time you know that you can't guess. You have to
be 100 per cent certain before you raise your flag. I clearly saw
the ball cross the line and there was no hesitation," he told The
Independent.
"I wouldn't want to deflect from Howard's performance because I
thought he gave a fantastic refereeing performance and in some way
I feel a bit guilty that I have taken a bit of praise. I saw the
ball cross the line and immediately raised my flag and indicated to
Howard through our microphones that the ball had crossed the
line.
"It's always nice in any walk of life to receive some praise and
it's very much appreciated. It's really about keeping your feet on
the ground. Saturday was a wonderful day and that is now gone and I
have to re-focus for the next one."
A former Norwich City trainee, he now works in the city's TSB
branch as a Team Leader.
