You knew it was coming and not even an apology from Sir Alex Ferguson was going to stop it as the Football Association has charged the Manchester United manager with “Improper Conduct” over his comments about Referee Mike Wiley’s fitness levels.

Via Guardian 

Ferguson faces a touchline ban should he be found guilty of improper conduct. A fine is another possible censure. He has two weeks to respond and may request a personal hearing to make his case against the charges outlined by the FA.

“Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct,” the FA said. “The charge relates to media comments made by Ferguson about referee Alan Wiley following United’s match against Sunderland at Old Trafford on 3 October. He has until 3 November to respond to the charge.”

Following United’s injury-time equaliser against Steve Bruce’s side the manager rounded on the 49-year-old Wiley and what he perceived to be his lack of fitness. “The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit,” he said in a post-match interview. “You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher’s dogs. He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He was needing a rest. It was ridiculous.”

Ferguson later said he was sorry for any “personal embarrassment” he may have caused Wiley before saying his aim was to draw attention to the wider problem of fitness levels among officials.

“My only intention in speaking publicly was to highlight what I believe to be a serious and important issue in the game, namely that the fitness levels of referees must match the ever increasing demands of the modern game, which I hope will now be properly addressed through the appropriate formal channels,” he said.

Ferguson’s subsequent apology was dismissed as “half-hearted” by the head of the referees’ union , Alan Leighton, who said that the United manager’s attempts at explaining his remarks “exacerbates the position rather than resolves it”.