Ferguson charged by the FA

Preston's manager, Darren Ferguson, has been charged with improper conduct following an incident with referee Kevin Friend following the local derby against Burnley on Saturday.

In a comical display, Friend managed to ignore a malicious foul, the ball go out of play, various Burnley fouls and a stamp on midfielder Matty James' hand while he was lying on the prone following a suspected broken ankle. 

In a statement, the FA said

Preston North End manager Darren Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct aggravated by insulting and/or abusive language and behaviour.
Ferguson is charged for his conduct towards referee Kevin Friend in the tunnel following Preston's match against Burnley on 11 September.
Under The FA's new fast-track procedures, Ferguson has until Friday 17 September to respond to the charge.
No standard sanction is offered as Ferguson has a previous incident on his disciplinary record from last season.
He was given a two match touchline ban, suspended until the end of the 2009-10 season, for improper conduct towards the referee at Peterborough United v West Bromwich Albion in August 2009.
A Regulatory Commission will hear the case within 10 days of his reply.
Additionally, Ferguson has been asked to explain media comments made about the referee following the match.
He has until Thursday 16 September to provide his observations on the comments attributed to him in the media.

What the FA fails to appreciate is the fact that it wants supporters, players and managers to respect referees and their decisions, then the officials themselves must be held more accountable for their actions. It is not good enough for the FA to hide behind the 'difficult job' mantra and blindly support incompetent officials when it is clear to everyone how badly they have performed. When the wrong decisions are made on the field by referees like Kevin Friend, the effects on clubs and their employees can be far reaching. Clubs can lose millions of pounds from being relegated, managers and players can lose their jobs while supporters can become disillusioned with the game. If they are intent on charging Ferguson with improper conduct, then the FA must also look closely at the actions of the referee to understand the background to Ferguson's outburst and comments in front of the television cameras. Hopefully they will give him longer to defend himself than the 18 seconds Kevin Friend gave Billy Jones before sending him off for wasting time.