Manchester United: Ferguson In Hot Water

Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to find out in the next 24 hours whether he will face disciplinary action under the referees' new code of conduct.

The Football Association will view the reports of referee Uriah Rennie and fourth official Jeff Winter before deciding whether to act.

The Manchester United manager was sent off 24 minutes into the 2-1 win over Newcastle at St James' Park after he reacted angrily to Rennie's decision not to penalise Andy O'Brien for a tackle on Ryan Giggs.

He was then seen to mutter obscenities in Winter's direction as he went off down the tunnel.

The new season is less than a fortnight old and already Sir Alex Ferguson and the FA are at loggerheads.

Within hours of launching his latest attack on the England management team, Ferguson, who has learned his team will play former club Rangers in the Champions League, was hit with an expected FA charge into his conduct during last Saturday's Barclaycard Premiership win at Newcastle.

After the disciplinary problems encountered by Arsenal in recent months, it was inevitable that Ferguson would be called to task for his televised four-letter tirade at fourth official Jeff Winter, which came after referee Uriah Rennie had already ordered the Scot from the line.

Ferguson's disgust at Rennie's failure to award a free-kick and send off Andy O'Brien after the Newcastle defender clearly chopped Ryan Giggs down when the Welshman was clear on goal, was obvious enough, but it is the manner in which he continued the protest that seems certain to attract punishment.

The FA can hit Ferguson with a fine, a ban, or both, as was the case with Sheffield United's Neil Warnock recently, although with United not due to play at Old Trafford again until the flashpoint visit of Arsenal on September 21, they have plenty of time to act.