Following Manchester United’s 2-1 win against Brentford on October 19, first-team coach Darren Fletcher has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association. The charge relates to an “improper and/or confrontational manner” and “abusive and insulting words” allegedly directed towards the match officials during the game at Old Trafford. Fletcher, who played 342 times for United, now has until October 29 to address the allegations.
The incident occurred after Brentford scored their opening goal, which came under contentious circumstances. United defender Matthijs de Ligt had been forced to leave the pitch for a third time to attend to a head wound, leaving United’s defense vulnerable to Brentford’s successful attack.
Manager and Assistant Receive Yellow Cards Amid Protests
Manchester United’s coaching staff was visibly displeased with the sequence of events surrounding Brentford’s goal. Both manager Erik ten Hag and assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy were shown yellow cards following their heated objections. Fletcher, meanwhile, reportedly confronted the officials directly as they entered the tunnel at halftime, which has led to the current charge.
Broader FA Actions on Misconduct
The charge against Fletcher is part of a wider pattern of recent FA disciplinary actions against Premier League personnel following incidents involving match officials. On Thursday, Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs faced a similar charge after reportedly confronting officials post-match, following his team’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City at Molineux. In addition, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has been handed a five-match stadium ban after an incident involving officials post-game on September 28, when Forest lost to Fulham.
The FA’s heightened disciplinary approach aims to address a recent wave of confrontations involving officiating decisions. Fletcher, who took on a technical role for United in 2021 and then integrated into Ten Hag’s coaching staff following Jason Wilcox’s appointment as technical director, is just one of several Premier League figures facing increased scrutiny under the FA’s current stance on officiating decorum.
