Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson faces a touchline ban after being charged Thursday by the English Football Association over his “improper conduct” toward a referee. The 66-year-old Ferguson jabbed his finger at Mike Dean in anger over the referee's decisions during Saturday's 4-3 victory over Hull. United captain Gary Neville tried to restrain Ferguson as he came onto the Old Trafford pitch after the game to confront Dean. “Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct in relation to his behavior towards referee Mike Dean following the match against Hull City on 1 November,” the FA said. Ferguson has until Nov. 19 to respond to the charge. The announcement came as Ferguson celebrated his 22nd anniversary in charge of the reigning English and European champion. Ferguson was angered that a penalty was awarded for Rio Ferdinand's foul on Bernard Mendy, while Hull's Michael Turner was not shown a second yellow card for a foul on United midfielder Michael Carrick. “It should have been at least a yellow card, in which case the player would have been sent off. It made a difference,” Ferguson said after the match in which United had led 4-1. However, United striker Wayne Rooney escaped being sent off for his challenges on George Boateng and Andy Dawson. Ferguson has previously been penalized for his combative behavior toward officials, and this latest charge comes despite throwing his support behind the Premier League's campaign for referees to be shown more respect. The Scot claimed earlier this year to have turned his United players into model professionals after an unsavory incident in 2000 when an official was mobbed by his players. “Respect the referee,” Ferguson said in March. “The haranguing of referees is ridiculous.” Ferguson's own track record suggests otherwise. Ferguson was banned from the dugout for two matches and fined 5,000 pounds (then $10,100) in December for using abusive and/or insulting words toward referee Mark Clattenburg after several challenges on Patrice Evra in a 1-0 loss at Bolton. Ferguson was also banned in 2003 for two games and fined 10,000 pounds after verbally attacking referee Jeff Winter. – AP __
