A senior regional editor has branded Sir Alex Ferguson “pathetic” after the Manchester United boss tried to ban a journalist for asking a question about Ryan Giggs.
Associated Press sports reporter Rob Harris asked Sir Alex at a press conference “how important” Giggs was for Saturday’s Champions League final against Barcelona.
Minutes later, the manager was recorded by a Sky News microphone asking a United press officer whether “the guy that asked the question about Giggsy” was coming to the pre-match press conference on Friday
On being told that he was, Ferguson was then heard to respond: “Aye. Then we’ll get him. Ban him on Friday.”
Yesterday’s incident raised the ire of Northern Echo editor Peter Barron who has previously blogged about football clubs banning journalists who step out of line.
In a blog post last night, he said Sir Alex’s response to Rob’s “perfectly reasonable question” had been “pathetic.”
Wrote Peter: “Given that Giggs is at the centre of one of the stories of the moment, and clearly under intense pressure, why shouldn’t a reporter ask a question about his importance to Manchester United’s chances of winning the Champions League final against Barcelona?
“Far too often, journalists are prevented from doing their jobs simply because they’ve dared to ask a question, or written a line, which falls foul of a club’s expectations. Journalists working for independent news organisations should be free to ask legitimate questions.”
Giggs was named in the House of Commons on Monday as the footballer who took our a gagging order over an alleged extramarital affair with model Imogen Thomas.
Lou Ferrara, AP’s managing editor of sport, said: “Rob Harris was doing his job as a journalist by asking a question. Our expectation is that he’ll ask more questions and be afforded the ability to do so as he covers the world’s most popular sport.”
Sir Alex is unlikely to get his way in banning the reporter because Friday’s press conference is organised by Uefa rather than Man Utd.
The United boss is famous for his run-ins with the media and has not spoken to the BBC since 2004 after a documentary about his son Jason, who was then working as a football agent.
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Fergie could easily have batted the question away with stock answer – he said it later, actually: “All players are important”.
The reporter wasn’t even asking about Giggs’ private life. It was a straightforward (and rather run-of-the-mill) football question.
Trouble is, Fergie is a god in his own world and he thinks he can be a god all the time. He’s lost all sense of proportion. Friday’s press conference will be interesting…
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It will be interesting to see how many reporters break ranks and ask questions about the Giggs affair on Friday. I think Harris will be in a minority again if he does because most footy hacks seem happy to toe the line and, to me, are too cosy with clubs, agents etc.
Peter Barron – YAWN
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When I read the headline I just knew who the angry editor was going to be …………….does no-one else have an opinion? Or is it because they don’t write easily-lifted blogs?
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Wholeheartedly endorse Paul Barron and his comments. Fergie has always been like this but just how nasty he can be has been revealed for all to see now. Not the best preparation going into a Champions League final. He has alienated a lot of people – including me a United fan of 53 years standing. I started my career there long before he did!
Steve Bott 07929 294102
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I’m with my norther counterpart on this one!
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Perhaps if all the journalists present dared to ask ‘awkward questions’ then Ferguson would get the message.
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Over the last few weeks, PB has used his blog to share his opinions on Alex Ferguson, Libya, the death of Osama Bin Laden, super-injunctions, and various other subjects. Incredible display of ego really. Who cares what the editor of a formerly great northern paper thinks about international affairs, etc?
Surely it would be better to concentrate on the rapidly decreasing readership of the Northern Echo rather than spend time writing these these things which, judging by the comments, only I seem to read*.
Mind you: “Barron says he gave up a long time ago trying to get young people in the north-east to become readers.” (Guardian i/view). Brilliant. Genius.
*I use ‘read’ in its loosest sense. It’s more ‘regard in a state of horrified fascination, like looking at a particularly horrible car crash, only with far less concern.’
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If you are a journalist Claire you are a disgrace to your profession. Stick to commenting on X Factor Big Brother and Loose Women. You will be in good company there and some people may even be half interested in what you have to say!
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Thanks for that Steve. Looks like you were ‘half-interested’ in what I had to say. The rest of your post makes very little sense though. Maybe try again another time.
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Well said Clairej
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Thank you, your majesty.
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Who does Alex Ferguson think he is. Sadly he’s typical of the arrogant tossers who have turned “the beautiful game” into an ugly spectacle.
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Alex Ferguson is a good soccer manager but, unfortunately, not much of a man. Partly because of his influence Manchester Utd has become the ultimate symbol of chav culture.
They are just a group of loadsamoney louts with barely a brain between them and set a very poor example to the young fans who pay to see them play.
The peremptory way Ferguson instructed his media aide to ban an AP reporter from a press conference because he raised a perfectly legitimate question about Ryan Giggs – or ‘Giggsy’ in Loutspeak – was an extremely unpleasant example of his dictatorial nature.
It’s interesting that the reporter who asked the question was from an international agency, not the Fleet Street soccer corps, who are terrified of Fergie and his entourage. Good for AP – at least they employ proper reporters, not camp followers with laptops.
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Great for Peter that HTFP sees fit to regularly lift his blog outpourings in this way, but could we hear another view from the regional media from time to time?
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cut the crap. the reporter was chucking the bait, fishing for a way into a “how do you think the injunction story will affect his performance” and Fergie saw it a mile off. Both were doing their job. Fergie won the day.
So much rubbish and innacurate material is printed about pro football (standards of accuracy are far below news values) that we can’t blame managers and players for being wary. Perhaps we look at our own house first.
It’s all a murky business.
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I’ve worked for 13 editors and Peter Barron was the best. He tells it like it is and is not frightened to stick his neck out. While he is Premier League his critics (King Juan, Clairej, northern and southernhack) are probably lower league nobodies.
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Fair to the reporter on one hand for having the balls to at least mention Giggs but he fell far short in doing his job IMO.
I think he’d have gathered a lot more credit if he simply came out and asked ‘due to the continued drama over the injunction do you think Ryan Giggs will be mentally prepared to play on Saturday?’
Instead he kind of beat around the bush in the hope that Ferguson would do the rest.
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Why should people complain Fergie banning the journalist. The Gaffer is entitled to his opinion and sense of judgement he deems fit and for the interest of the team; that is why is the best and most successful manager in the world – he leads by example. If the press don’t like, they should not come for the press conference. They are many teams that need publicity, but not Manchester United. United I wish you all the best saturday night.
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Fergie intelligence is smart, he knew what the reporter will ask next! Good manager doing a good job.
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I don’t know Peter Barron, but at least I credit him with saying what every other editor in the land should be saying. Fergie evidently thinks he’s soccer’s answer to Joe Stalin – he IS pathetic.
Hardly a week goes by without Fergie blubbing about something. And he never condemns the often inexcusable behaviour of some players. The man is a very poor example to young Man Utd supporters and needs to be taken firmly to task by the game’s rulers.
Successful soccer manager, yes. But as a man he is not even non-League.
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Bob from Burnley. So Fergie’s not lovely and cuddly like all those nice, reasonable, always accurate reporters who would never stitch anyone up to get an exclusive. Shame on him!
Still there’s always witty Holloway and cheery Harry to give the lazy among them an easy quip.
Funny how some managers never seem to get stick from their mates on the nationals. Perhaps one day someone will reveal why.
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What is all this talk of ‘soccer’? Are you all posting from the USA? Where I come from, it’s still called football.
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In answer to KellyC, I’ve been following English league football since the early 1950s and it was always known as ‘soccer’ to prevent confusion with ‘rugger’.
Of course, the official names for the two sports are Association Football (the name ‘soccer’ comes from the ‘soc’ in the word Association) and Rugby Football.
The Americans use the word ‘soccer’ to stop confusion with American Football which, as you know, is a bit like ‘rugger’.
Half a century ago, English-style football was always known as soccer. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, there was once a popular magazine called ‘Soccer Monthly’ or ‘Soccer Weekly’.
As kids, we always said: ‘Let’s have a game of soccer’, rarely football. The Yanks adopted the word from us. We certainly didn’t nick it from them.
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