how i survived the hairdryer treatment from Ferguson

[goose island]

http://www.timesonli...icle7036963.ece

 

 

Few stand up to Sir Alex Ferguson and escape unscathed. Crossing swords with Sam Allardyce can be scary, too. Only the exceptionally brave or extremely foolhardy take on two of the biggest personalities the game can offer.

 

Keith Hackett did on a monthly, sometimes weekly, basis. As the general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL), the referees' governing body, fronting Fergie and battling Big Sam was an occupational hazard.

 

Yet Hackett has survived to tell the tales. Perhaps a bit bruised after six years of fighting fires on behalf of his colleagues, but with his reputation untarnished and his sanity intact.

 

"Did I get on with Fergie? Absolutely," Hackett said. "I got a letter from him after my career as a referee had finished and it was very praiseworthy, a very nice surprise. I've still got it somewhere.

 

 

 

"Sir Alex is a fantastically successful manager and I've always listened to what he has to say. I've responded when needed and, sometimes, with an acceptance that a referee has got it wrong. But I've always tried to qualify that by explaining why he has got it wrong. At the same time, I've also stood my ground when I've felt that Alex was wrong."

 

Hackett stood his ground in October, when Ferguson boiled over after Manchester United's 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw with Sunderland and accused Alan Wiley, the referee, of being unfit. "He was miles adrift on that one," Hackett said. "That was unusual. But football is awash with a blame culture, isn't it? Let's blame everyone apart from ourselves. I'm just not into that at all."

 

PGMOL and Hackett are into ProZone, which is widely used by clubs to track their players' efforts or lack of and which overwhelmingly disproved Ferguson's theory on Wiley. It was Allardyce who recommended its merits to Hackett and his team.

 

"Sam is often critical of referees but, in fairness, he's done refereeing a lot of good," Hackett said. "He introduced me to ProZone and sports psychology as well. I said to him, 'I'm going to operate as the 21st manager in the Premier League but without the money' and he smiled.

 

"When you see how deep Sam goes into his analysis, I came away thinking, 'I just saw him as a guy who is barking at the end of his technical area at the match officials.' My view changed and, over the years, that's often been the case."

 

Hackett, 65, has changed roles. He has handed over his day-to-day duties to Mike Riley, the former elite referee, and is to become a referee ambassador for the Premier League, spreading the gospel across the globe.

 

Regardless of the regular rants of Ferguson, Allardyce et al, English refereeing is still held in the highest esteem around the world. This month PGMOL hosted a week-long course at the University of Warwick for referees from Australia, Qatar, China and Jordan; at present Hackett is in New Zealand giving a series of lectures to match officials, players and managers.

 

"We do a lot of work away from the Premier League matches," Hackett said. "I don't think people realise that. I've been heavily involved in liaising with other countries and developing working partnerships. People want to know about the gains from professional refereeing. What does it all mean? How do they get paid? I try to explain.

 

"My life is certainly a bit quieter now, especially Sundays and Mondays after the weekend games. I did smile the other week when I had a big-club manager on the phone saying, 'I need to speak to you. Get your backside over here to sort this out.' I said, 'Well, actually, you need this guy's number. And his name's Mike Riley.' "

 

Gone, clearly, but not forgotten. Should Ferguson have an issue over the referee's handling of United's meeting with West Ham United at Old Trafford this evening a certain Alan Wiley is in charge it is Riley who will get the hairdryer treatment.

 

"My view was always that if a manager had something to say, I'd listen to it," Hackett said. "Then I'd say my piece. Before, perhaps there was more of a stand-off. Managers didn't want to know, neither did the referees. They both thought it was a waste of time. There is dialogue now, but I've always felt there could be more.

 

"Quite often, I don't think that managers really understand how much effort the referees put in and how disappointed they are when it all goes pear-shaped.

 

"Mike must continue a line of communication with the participants in the game and be prepared to move out of his chair to meet these people, to try to understand their passion. They want improved performances from referees and so do we. We all do."

Edited February 23, 2010 by iwam russell

[dorgie]

pass the sick bag please.

[Ostrich Man]

torres?

[dorgie]

torres?

 

it's the way you tell 'em.

[Ostrich Man]

it's the way you tell 'em.

ach sure dorgie...go make a tedious joke about giggs or rooney.

 

or something about corruption.

 

theyre all great.

[dorgie]

ach sure dorgie...go make a tedious joke about giggs or rooney.

 

or something about corruption.

 

theyre all great.

 

Nah. Think I'll join a ManU forum instead and hang round there long enough each day so that I can be there to offer an insignificant response each time any of the posters on there write anything that might be vaguely anti-Liverpool or its players. Fish in a barrell, eh ?

[Ostrich Man]

Nah. Think I'll join a ManU forum instead and hang round there long enough each day so that I can be there to offer an insignificant response each time any of the posters on there write anything that might be vaguely anti-Liverpool or its players. Fish in a barrell, eh ?

well f***ing do then....be more worthwhile than the s*** you do on here.

[dorgie]

well f***ing do then....be more worthwhile than the s*** you do on here.

 

only after I have as many anti Manu posts as Andy. Andy is my hero.

[Sion]

A@A is the stuff of legends on man united forums. Loads on Redcafe aren't convinced he's actually a real person.

[Kahnee]

A@A is the stuff of legends on man united forums. Loads on Redcafe aren't convinced he's actually a real person.

 

I've met him, and I'm still not convinced he's a real person

[Raj]

I've met him, and I'm still not convinced he's a real person

 

[fyds]

I've met him, and I'm still not convinced he's a real person

Beat me to the punch, there!

[Andy @ Allerton]

I've met him, and I'm still not convinced he's a real person

 

 

I'm like Armitage from Neuromancer, built by Wintermute out of peanuts and kebabs.