It remains to be seen whether the Premier League’s attempt will bare fruit, with the disciplinary process now largely driven by the media agenda rather that governing body policy. And with Sir Alex Ferguson this weekend sitting out the second of five-match ban for using the word “fair” in a post-match interview, supporters are entitled to wonder whether the system can actually get any worse.

Despite this Scudamore claims that Premier League clubs have “unanimously backed” the idea of increasing sanctions against indiscipline, whether it comes from players or managers. With the public’s mood now less tolerant of bad behaviour, Scudamore’s call is well-timed. Whether it can be implemented is another question altogether.

“I think we do need to concentrate on the player and manager relationship with the referee this time, as every one of us knows that there have been elements of unacceptable behaviour,” Scudamore told the BBC.

“As to what we think is unacceptable; its vitriolic abuse towards match officials and that has on occasions gone unpunished; the surrounding of referees is unacceptable; the goading of referees into trying to get opponents sanctioned we think is unacceptable; and also the undue criticism, where it spills over into questioning the referee’s integrity or his honesty is also unacceptable.”

“We are at a point in the game where we do have to rein back from some of this undue criticism of match officials.”

How the Premier League intends to enforce the new system is not yet clear. After all Ferguson received his sanction not from the Premier League but the FA. Although, while the Premier League does not govern disciplinary matters in English football, Scudamore’s comments come at a time when the FA is weaker than ever.

Lacking direction from the top, under pressure from Parliament and inconsistent in its delivery, the FA is little more than a failed state, arguably without the moral authority to implement its own Respect agenda, let alone punish clubs, managers and players for alleged misdeeds.

And the FA’s former compliance officer Martin Bean says that inconsistencies in the organisation’s own policies were demonstrated when handing down Ferguson’s current ban. It is this lack of consistency that Scudamore may hope to take advantage of.

“Where it goes seriously wrong for the FA is that there have been cases of managers in the Premier League making comments which have been a clear implication of bias against the referee, or questioning the referee, yet virtually nothing has been done.

“There are two cases which we referred to in Ferguson’s defence against the Atkinson charge. Firstly, Roberto Martínez — three days before Ferguson made his comments at Chelsea — claimed after Wayne Rooney had clashed with James McCarthy that one of his players ‘would have been lucky to stay on the pitch’ had he committed the foul. That was a clear allegation of bias towards Manchester United, but the FA did nothing about it.

“Harry Redknapp, making comments about the referee and assistant after Nani scored a controversial goal at Old Trafford against Spurs earlier this season, said, ‘They [officials] will go in and come up with a story that will make it all look right, that’s what happens’. That comment in itself suggested collusion between the match officials, yet the FA did absolutely nothing about it.

“The FA says it treats each case on it merits, but in effect they have bottled it on many occasions in terms of dealing with post-match comments by managers. That’s because they move the goalposts to suit themselves.”

Bean’s criticism – that the FA is a slave to its own agenda – can also be levelled at Scudamore, with the executive leaving himself open to charges of opportunism. The suspicion that Scudamore’s campaign is more about ‘brand Premier League’ than any real tightening of the regulations is one that Ferguson holds close.

“Richard Scudamore doesn’t have a lot to do,” said the United manager.

“He is trying to elevate the Premier League. That is good. That is his job. But I feel he is jumping off a high diving board here without thinking about it. It is not an issue for me. I don’t think managers disrespect referees.

“I got done for what I considered a fair comment. They gave me a five-match ban. That’s fine. That doesn’t mean I don’t respect referees. It is a difficult job. We all know that. I wouldn’t referee a game. We do need them.”

While Scudamore’s intervention may be aimed at leading the agenda, it also threatens to add yet more confusion into a disciplinary process that is seemingly made on the fly. No wonder so few players or managers have any R E S P E C T.

The charge relates to Ferguson’s comments in the media about referee Alan Wiley following United’s draw with Sunderland last month. Ferguson, who claimed that Wiley was unfit to referee a Premier League match, later apologised for the personal nature of the remarks and admitted the FA charge.

In making his judgement to ban Ferguson, the first time the FA has ever handed down such a sanction for comments in the media, Commission Chairman Peter Griffiths QC revealed the FA’s intention to make an example of the United manager. Just as the governing body made scapegoats of Rio Ferdinand, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane before him.

“Each member of the Commission recognised Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievements and stature within the game. Having said that, it was made clear to Sir Alex that with such stature comes increased responsibilities,” Griffiths said.

“The Commission considered his admitted remarks, in the context in which they were made, were not just improper but were grossly improper and wholly inappropriate. He should never have said what he did say.”

It is not the first time the FA has handed down an unprecedented punishment to a United player or official. In fact it’s almost a habit, as Scott from Republik of Mancunia points out:

Reminder of FA’s dealings with United
- Manchester City’s Christian Negouai was fined £2k and received no ban for missing a drugs test around the same time the FA fined Rio Ferdinand £50k and an eight month ban.

- Manchester City’s Robbie Fowler scored a late goal against United and celebrated in front of our travelling fans, holding up his five digits to represent Liverpool’s success in Europe and received no punishment. A week later, Gary Neville celebrated in front of Liverpool’s travelling fans following a late goal and was fined £5k.

- Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard and Neil Mellor were sent off in the pre-season friendly Amsterdam tournament and received no punishment. Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes were sent off in the same tournament a couple of years later and were banned for three league matches.

- Craig Bellamy hits a restrained fan in front of the world’s cameras and receives a warning. Patrice Evra allegedly punched a Chelsea groundsman, although there was compelling evidence to the contrary (the CCTV footage which recorded the incident showed no punch) and receives a four match ban.

Perhaps even more seriously referees in recent Premier League matches against Liverpool and Chelsea made a series of unfathomable decisions. Firslty, at Anfield Jamie Carragher got away with an obvious professional foul while Dimitar Berbatov saw yellow in a decision that even neutrals found bizarre. Then at Stamford Bridge officials made three errors in the lead up to Chelsea’s winning goal while ignoring a cast-iron penalty appeal from Ferguson’s team.

The two suspended games will be automatically activated should Ferguson be found guilty of a similar charge before the end of the 2010/11 season. It’s a decision that will make sure Ferguson cannot again criticise referees, even when he is right.

—

“Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct,” the FA said in a statement today.

“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.”

Ferguson, who has since apologised to Wiley for causing “unintended personal embarrassment,” accused the Burntwood-born official of not being fit enough to referee a game of Premier League standard.

“My only intention in speaking publicly was to highlight what I believe to be a serious and important issue in the game,” said Ferguson in mitigation at the weekend.

“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.”

It was an apology dismissed by the referees’ union chief Alan Leighton as “half-hearted” and the FA – keen to make a scapegoat out of Ferguson – will punish the United manager, possibly with a five match touchline ban. Leighton had called for a UEFA-style ban, which would prevent the Scot from all coaching.

The FA, which acts as judge, jury and executioner in disciplinary cases, normally finds those it accuses guilty. However, the Association has never issued a touchline ban relating to remarks made to the media. Given the intense pressure being placed by the referee’s union, Soho Square is likely to set a precedent in Ferguson’s case.

The Scot has twice been banned by the FA from the touchline for two games – first in 2003 for lecturing Jeff Winter and then in 2007 after an outburst about Mark Clattenburg. But in each case the offence took place on the pitch, not in the media.

Indeed, the FA leaves itself open to accusations of hypocrisy if it issues a ban. And not solely for repeatedly setting disciplinary precedents when dealing with United.

Last week an FA disciplinary committee warned Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez after the Spaniard ridiculed Phil Dowd’s eyesight in a post match press conference. The Spaniard, who is not immune to criticising officials, mockingly put on his glasses when asked what he thought of Dowd’s performance in the Scousers’ 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in August.

At the hearing the FA told Benitez that his actions were “objectively offensive” and found him guilty of misconduct but conspicuously failed to issue any punishment.

When the FA, as is inevitable, issues Ferguson with an extended touchline ban in early November then the organisation must explain why questioning a referees fitness is so much more serious than suggesting an official is blind.

It’s a question of hypocrisy that the FA is unlikely to concern itself with answering.

Defending the organisation’s ineptitude, Ian Watmore, the FA chief executive told The Times that they had taken their lead from the referee, Martin Atkinson.

“With the Bellamy incident, we asked the referee what he would have done if he had seen the incident,” said Watmore.

“He said that he would have taken into account the emotion of the game and of that particular incident.

“We have to condemn the fan and the invasion of the pitch in such a situation. I’m not condoning what Craig Bellamy did, but we have to put it in perspective: a fan came on to the pitch and it was intimidatory.

“Bellamy shouldn’t have done what he did – and we don’t want that sort of thing happening every week – but, in this situation, we’re backing the referee’s judgement.”

That Bellamy ran more than 20 yards to face the restrained fan before striking him in the face was apparently not considered. Proving the point that it’s ok to beat up supporters, just as long as you’re not Eric Cantona.