Retiring Man U boss admits pressurising refs with 'Fergie time'

Retiring Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he used to always put pressure on referees and played mind games with opposing managers during his 27 years in charge.

As he prepares for his final game at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, the Scot however, hoped that his successor David Moyes will follow his footsteps in overwhelming referees and rival managers with his 'Fergie time' method, the Sun reports.

The report mentioned that the sight of Ferguson jabbing his wrist-watch to indicate he knows how much time should be added on has become a familiar sight for referees over the years, and his team have scored countless goals in 'Fergie time'.

Reminiscing about his frequent run-in with match officials, Ferguson cited the recent example of the Premier League game against Swansea City where he overcame an official's objections on the match time, adding that it is a part of the game.

According to the report, among Ferguson's notorious spats with match officials was an incident two years ago, when he was banned for five matches and fined 30,000 pounds for suggesting referee Martin Atkinson had not been 'strong' enough to take charge of United's game at Chelsea.

Ferguson's influence over referees have also been acknowledged by many of his opponents like Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp, who claimed that many officials are afraid to upset the Scot, while Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho had remarked that he hoped to have the power to make refs afraid like Ferguson.