FORMER Premier League referee Jeff Winter has recalled the time Sir Alex Ferguson berated him during a Manchester United match.
Winter took charge of top-flight games between 1995 and 2004.
In the early stages of his career he officiated a match between the Red Devils and Ipswich, but it was far from plain sailing.
After he booked three United players for dissent, the referee received an earful from legendary manager Ferguson.
However, that rant proved to be a blessing in disguise as he was never bothered by Man Utd players again.
Winter exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “I had the ultimate respect for Sir Alex Ferguson as a manager.
“He started, restarted, and rebuilt Manchester United on several occasions. But he was very clever.
“His comments about referees weren’t always about the game in question today, they were to try and influence future decisions.
“As a football fan, I want a manager of Sir Alex’s capability managing my club, so I fully understood him.
“Very early in my career, I refereed Manchester United away to Ipswich, right at the beginning of the season.
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
“I got surrounded by three Man United players, and I issued three yellow cards for dissent.
“I was a new referee and he castigated me for that decision. Who the hell did I think I was, and all of that kind of thing.
“But I’ll tell you something, three Manchester United players didn’t surround me in a game throughout the rest of my career.”
Winter has also revealed that he was the referees’ social secretary.
