Fergie time

Sir Alex Ferguson

Fergie Time is a phrase widely used in English football.[1][2][3][4] It refers to a generous or excessive amount of time after the injury time had been added at the end of a match, allowing a team more time to score a late equaliser or winner. More specifically, it refers to Sir Alex Ferguson ("Fergie"), manager of Manchester United from 1986 to 2013, and the popular perception that during matches in which United were not winning, there would be "as much injury time as required for [United] to score a winner or draw level".[5]

The idea of "Fergie time" stems from Manchester United's reputation for scoring important late goals, notably in April 1993, when Steve Bruce scored in the 97th minute to clinch a 2–1 win for United against Sheffield Wednesday, which set up United's first league title since 1967,[1] and the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, in which United scored two stoppage time goals to defeat Bayern Munich 2–1.[6] The phrase itself dates back to at least 1998, when a Guardian journalist wrote of "Fergie-time, that special allowance when United are behind."[7] It was also suggested in some quarters that extra time added in matches United were losing was a result of Ferguson's intimidation of matchday officials.[6] Ferguson later acknowledged that he did try to pressure referees into adding sufficient stoppage time.[8]

The phrase came to prominence again following a Manchester derby match between Manchester United and Manchester City in September 2009, which United won 4–3 thanks to a goal from Michael Owen in the sixth minute of injury time, the fourth official having indicated a minimum of four minutes to be added.[9] Three years later, when Sergio Agüero scored a 94th minute winner against Queens Park Rangers to clinch the Premier League title for City on the final day of the season, City's fans chanted "we won the league in Fergie time."[10] In January 2013, United were on the wrong end of a "Fergie time" goal when Tottenham Hotspur's Clint Dempsey scored a late equaliser in a Premier League match at White Hart Lane.[11]

Debates about "Fergie time" have led to studies to ascertain whether it really exists and if so, whether Manchester United benefit from it more than other clubs. An OPTA study in 2009 found that in 48 games in which United were leading between 2006 and 2009, an average of 191.35 seconds of injury time was added, compared with 257.17 seconds when they were losing.[10] Another OPTA study which looked at games involving United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham found that all except Chelsea received more added time when they were losing than winning; on average United received 79 seconds more stoppage time in matches they were losing, more than any of the other five. However, the conclusion was that "there is no statistical proof that Fergie time applies specifically to Man Utd. But the statistics do show a bias towards big teams."[1] Another study found that on average, Manchester United received 40 seconds less additional time under Ferguson's successor David Moyes.[12]

Upon Ferguson's retirement in May 2013, a Manchester branch of the restaurant chain Nando's stayed open for an extra five minutes, in a light-hearted tribute to him.[13] The phrase is now used to describe other events which are completed late. After Andy Murray's five-set victory over Fernando Verdasco at Wimbledon, he was reported to have won in "Fergie time."[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Fergie time: Does it really exist?". BBC. 2012-11-23. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  2. ↑ "We won it in Fergie time!". The Sun. 2012-05-14. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  3. ↑ "Revealed: the magic Man United watch that runs on Fergie time". TalkSport. 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  4. ↑ "Is this what they mean by 'Fergie time'?". Daily Mirror. 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  5. ↑ "REVEALED: 'Fergie Time' does exist... Four memorable matches where United won in injury time". Daily Mail. 2009-09-21. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  6. 1 2 "Now I know what Fergie Time means, laughs Assou-Ekotto as Spurs give United a taste of their own medicine (but how often does that happen?)". Daily Mail. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  7. ↑ "Manchester United, 'Fergie Time' and Steve Bruce's headers". The Guardian. 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  8. ↑ "Sir Alex Ferguson: I did pressure referees into giving Manchester United 'Fergie time'". Daily Telegraph. 2013-05-17. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  9. ↑ "Revealed: Manchester United get more injury time when they need it". The Guardian. 2009-09-22. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  10. 1 2 "Manchester City supporters paint town blue as history boys go on parade". The Guardian. 2012-05-14. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  11. ↑ "Dempsey's Fergie time blow to United's title tilt". Irish Examiner. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  12. ↑ United have less 'Fergie' time without Sir Alex
  13. ↑ "Fergie time: Manchester Nando's stayed open five minutes longer to honour retiring United manager". Daily Mirror. 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
  14. ↑ "Andy Murray stages superb Wimbledon comeback to win five-set thriller against Fernando Verdasco and reach semis". Daily Mirror. 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2013-10-20.
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