Darren Fletcher launched a foul-mouthed tirade at referee Samuel Barrott and had to be restrained by Manchester United staff during the club’s victory over Brentford last month.
The United first-team coach was banned for three games and fined £7,500 by the Football Association (FA) for his behaviour in the Premier League game at Old Trafford on October 19.
Fletcher, 40, had been infuriated by Barrott’s telling defender Matthijs de Ligt to leave the field as he was bleeding from a head injury as Brentford were about to take a corner.
The visitors scored from the resulting set piece, prompting remonstrations from De Ligt and United’s then-manager Erik ten Hag on the touchline. Ten Hag and assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy were both booked for their responses.
Fletcher continued his protests in the tunnel when the players and officials left the field, angrily confronting both Barrott and the fourth official Gavin Ward.
De Ligt was asked to leave the field for treatment (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
In a report from an independent regulatory commission, released on the FA website after an investigation which included studying video footage from the tunnel, Ward says: “I was approached by Darren Fletcher of Manchester United in an extremely aggressive manner pointing and shouting at me, ‘You are all f****** s***, that is a f****** joke, every f****** week.’
“I asked him to calm down and highlighted that his behaviour was completely unacceptable at this point. He then needed to be held back by another member of staff, as he tried to get closer to me.”
Barrott corroborated Ward’s version of events, saying that Fletcher had “repeatedly called me a ‘f****** joke and a disgrace’.”
He added that he had told Rene Hake, United’s then assistant manager, that he would be reporting Fletcher for his behaviour after the match.
Fletcher apologised for his behaviour to the commission, who took his previous good record into account when deciding his punishment, which was issued last week.
The former Scotland international is being kept on the coaching staff by new head coach Ruben Amorim, as a link between the academy and the first-team squad.
GO DEEPER
Van Nistelrooy departs after successfully starting the healing process at Manchester United
(Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
