Referee claims Sir Alex Ferguson asked for favour in 96-97 EPL season

Call it off? Ferguson wanted the game to be postponed while United were 3-1 down against Middlesbrough in 1997

Sir Alex Feguson’s long-rumoured intimidating tactics have once again come into the limelight, as per claims made by former referee Dermot Gallagher. The official has commented on the pressure that officials were subjected to during the home matches of Manchester United, with figures suggesting the apparent drop in ‘Fergie Time’ ever since the Scot’s departure.

Gallagher has thrown light on one particular incident from 1997, when Manchester United were chasing the title in the year of 1997 (which they eventually went on to win), and had welcomed Middlesbrough to a sodden Theater of Dreams.

“It was chucking it down with rain and Fergie pulled me aside and said ‘do me a favour, call the game off’,” said Gallagher in an interview recently.

“I asked why and he said ‘there’s nowhere else to fit this game in and the Premier League will have to extend the season. We’ll have a better chance of winning the match and we’ll win the league at Old Trafford’.

“At half time United were losing 3-1 and the pitch was like a swimming pool. As we came off he said, ‘I know we’re 3-1 down but please call it off, we could do with a hand here’.

“They managed to pull it back to 3-3 and in the last minute Dennis Irwin ran into the box and went down in front of the Stretford End and I only gave a goal kick.

‘At full-time Fergie sprinted across the pitch and shouted at me furiously. My wife said, ‘Fergie had a right go at you about that penalty didn’t he’.

“I told her he hadn’t mentioned the penalty. She asked why he came tearing across the pitch at me then. The truth is he ran over and asked me if I was going out to dinner that night. I said ‘no’ and he asked ‘why are we leaving so early then?’.”

The unique ability of Sir Alex Ferguson to squeeze every last second out of officials whenever his side were trailing has always been a point of discussion.

Under Fergie, an average of 79 extra seconds were played in added time whenever Manchester United were trailing at Old Trafford. This figure has since significantly dropped to just around 40 extra seconds under new boss David Moyes.

The former referee also highlighted the intense pressure and anxiety that the officials were subjected to when key decisions were not awarded in favour of Manchester United.

“Years and years ago one of the referees had a heart monitor on during a match at Old Trafford,” he explained.

“They were assessing it and suddenly it jumped and went through the roof. They looked at the DVD and he’d just turned down a penalty in front of the Stretford End. The pressure is immense.”