Alex Ferguson found guilty of misconduct following criticism of linesman

Manchester United manager fined £12,000

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been fined £12,000 by the FA after being found guilty of misconduct.

Charges were brought against Ferguson following his remarks about assistant referee Simon Beck.

After the 1-1 draw with Tottenham last month, Ferguson expressed his anger that Wayne Rooney had not been awarded a penalty in the match.

Ferguson said: "It was a clear decision. And he [Beck] was 10, maybe 12 yards away from the incident and he doesn't give it. And yet he gave everything else."

Ferguson claimed United had "history" with Beck following the official's failure to rule out a Didier Drogba goal for offside at Old Trafford in 2010, in a match that proved pivotal in that season's title race.

"There was no way we were going to get a decision from [Beck]," Ferguson said.

Ferguson denied the charge and requested a paper hearing, and before today's ruling hinted that he suspected the matter had become personal.

"We are high profile and the profile of me is such that the FA naturally panic as soon as the press criticise them," he said.

"I think that is what you will find. That is why they have sent me a letter.

"Whether I think it is unfair or not doesn't matter to them really at this point.

"I just think it is more about me than what I have said."

The FA released the following statement today: "Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today, Sir Alex Ferguson has been fined £12,000 in relation to media comments made after Manchester United's game at Tottenham Hotspur on 20 January 2013.

"It was alleged that the Manchester United manager's post-match media comments implied that the match official was motivated by bias.

"Ferguson had denied the misconduct charge and requested a paper hearing at which the Independent Regulatory Commission found proven the breach of FA Rule E3."