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Sir Alex Ferguson complains to fourth official Mark Halsey during the Barclays Premiership match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park on April 20 2005 in Liverpool, England
English Premier League referee, Mark Halsey, who retired at the end of last season, has come out with a new autobiography where he revealed that his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson was ‘cordial’ and they frequently ‘exchanged text messages’. On one occasion he even asked former Manchester United manager for a favor which was in violation of protocol which barring direct contact with managers and players.
That occasion, which is mentioned in Halsey’s book ( and is serialized by The Sun), is about Chelsea player John Obi Mikel‘s allegation that referee Mark Clattenburg called him “a monkey” during a 3-2 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford last season.
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Halsey wrote: “I took matters in my own hands and rang Sir Alex asking him to speak out.
“He agreed and used his Friday press conference to say he could not conceive of Mark saying such things. It helped the situation a great deal.
“It took time to gain Sir Alex Ferguson’s respect but in the end we had a very good relationship.
Halsey, though, clarified that he never violated ethics: “One thing should be made clear about my relationship with Sir Alex.
“I may have spoken to him a lot and shared texts but he knew when I crossed that white line there were no favours.
“Players and managers would not respect you if you gave decisions based on friendship.”
Halsey’s book has already caused a storm and as a result Professional Game and Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the group which oversees match officials for the Premier League, Football League and FA competitions, reminded referees that this kind of contact is strictly prohibited, Mirror reports.
A PGMOL spokesman said: “At the beginning of the season all our referees were reminded of the importance of adhering to the PGMOL protocols.
“This covers a number of issues, including making direct contact with managers and players, which for integrity reasons is prohibited.
“Any new publicity will only heighten awareness of adhering to these important PGMOL guidelines.”
