Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson decides not to appeal his five-match touchline ban

Boss will be back for Arsenal game

 

The Football Association have confirmed Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not appeal his five-match touchline ban, which will start immediately.

Ferguson was given the ban by an FA tribunal after his comments about referee Martin Atkinson in an interview with MUTV following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

The Scot was found guilty of improper conduct for criticising the referee’s display after he awarded Chelsea a penalty and sent Nemanja Vidic off.

Ferguson told MUTV after the game: "You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway - and we didn't get that."

After hearing of the ban Ferguson was critical of the FA.

He said: "It is disappointing.

"It is the only industry where you can't tell the truth. But it is in the past now."

But the FA have confirmed he will not appeal the decision.

They have also accepted a application for his suspension to start with immediate effect.

This means he will be suspended for Premier League home matches against Bolton, Fulham and Everton, a trip to West Ham United and also the FA Cup semi-final against rivals Manchester City.

But it does mean he will be back in the dugout for United’s decisive league match with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on May 1.

Nini/Goal