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Manchester United manager Darren Fletcher reportedly “had to be restrained” by a teammate after he hurled X-rated abuse at a match official during the team’s return match against Brentford last month.
Fletcher protested passionately when Ethan Pinnock scored against 10-man United after referee Sam Barrott sent Matthijs de Ligt off the pitch to stop bleeding from a head injury.
Then-manager Erik Ten Hag and his assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy were both booked for protesting.
Fletcher is believed to have gone further and confronted a game official in the tunnel. A few days ago, it emerged that the former United midfielder had been handed a three-match touchline ban over the incident.
He was also fined £7,500.
Now new details have emerged, which indicate Fletcher went on a fiery rant at match officials to the point where he was restrained by other United staff.
The Independent Regulatory Commission published its written reasons. [via The Daily Mail] In leading to Fletcher’s ban, Barrott and three other assistant referees explained how the former Scotland international behaved.
Fourth referee Gavin Ward elaborated to the committee: “As I was walking up the tunnel after the half-time whistle, Darren Fletcher from Manchester United came up to me in a very aggressive manner, pointed at me and shouted, ‘You all suck.’ **Damn, that’s a real joke, every week.’”
“I asked him to calm down and emphasized that his behavior was completely unacceptable at this time.”
“He then had to be interrupted by another member of staff as he tried to get closer to me. So I turned around and continued towards the match officials’ locker room.”
“Once I entered the dressing room and other match officials arrived, I informed them of Mr Fletcher’s actions.”
It is understood the committee looked at video evidence taken in the tunnel and concluded that Fletcher “became agitated and began to protest by gesturing and shouting at the fourth official and attempting to approach the fourth official in a confrontational manner”. He was then restrained and pushed away by a Manchester United teammate.”
Fletcher issued an apology and blamed his offensive response on the controversial way Pinnock’s goal arose.
The 40-year-old claimed he would have reacted differently if he had had more time to calm down.
Despite taking into account Fletcher’s impeccable disciplinary record as a player and coach, the committee found a three-match touchline ban to be a “fair and reasonable sanction given the confrontational behavior shown in the video evidence and the fact that there were opportunities to leave the field of play.” I decided. Despite complaints to the fourth official, Mr Fletcher decided to continue.”
Fletcher has already served his first three-match ban in the club’s 3-0 win over Leicester City last weekend.
He will not be in the dugout with new manager Ruben Amorim for the games against Ipswich Town and Everton on November 24 and December 1 respectively.
