FA Charges Man Utd Boss Ferguson

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is to face a Football Association misconduct charge.

Ferguson has been charged with using abusive and insulting words towards an official after an exchange with referee Mark Clattenburg on Saturday.

Ferguson was sent to the stands by Clattenburg following a half-time rant during United's 1-0 defeat at Bolton.

The Scot, who must respond to the FA by 11 December, said he told the referee "exactly what he thought of him".

He continued: "Some referees don't like it. They don't like the truth. But I just told him how bad he was in the first-half."

Ferguson was upset with what he felt was a lack of protection for his players against what he claimed were "over-aggressive" tactics from Gary Megson's side.

He now faces a fine and the possibility of a touchline ban if the case against him is proved.

However, he continued his criticism of Clattenburg on Monday.

"Any team at the bottom of the league, you expect them to battle and scrap because they haven't got the quality of opponents like ourselves - that's why we are in different positions.

"But the key to it really is how the referee controls it. He's the arbiter in terms of applying the laws of football. That's where we feel a bit aggrieved."