adminLONDON. — English Premier League soccer referees have been warned not to speak to managers amid Mark Halsey’s claim that he was on texting terms with Sir Alex Ferguson. The Hertfordshire official retired at the end of last season, the same time as Sir Alex stood down at Manchester United. Halsey has also confirmed the Mirror’s exclusive from last year that Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel screamed: “I’ll break your legs” at referee Mark Clattenburg on October 28 last year.
It is Halsey’s texting claim, however, that has sparked fresh controversy.
The ex-official claims that he asked the Scot to defend Clattenburg over allegations that Mikel had been called “a monkey” in the October 28 fixture.
Speaking in his book Added Time, Halsey said: “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.”
Halsey added: “It took time to gain Sir Alex Ferguson’s respect but in the end we had a very good relationship.” — The Mirror.
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