LONDON: Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been fined £12,000 over comments about a referee’s assistant in the 1-1 Premier League draw away to Tottenham last month.

Ferguson had accused assistant referee Simon Beck of failing to give Wayne Rooney a “clear” penalty, the FA asked him  to explain his comments and charged him on January 29.

The 71-year-old denied the charge and an independent regulatory commission made the decision after a paper hearing, which meant the Scot chose to send in written evidence.

A statement read: “Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today, Sir Alex Ferguson has been fined £12,000 in relation to media comments made after Manchester United’s game at Tottenham Hotspur on 20 January 2013,” said an FA statement.

“It was alleged that the Manchester United manager’s post-match media comments implied that the match official was motivated by bias.

“Ferguson had denied the misconduct charge and requested a paper hearing at which the Independent Regulatory Commission found proven the breach of FA Rule E3.”

Ferguson had been incensed after his side’s plea for a spot-kick was turned down prior to Clint Dempsey striking an injury-time equaliser for Spurs in the 1-1 draw.

After the game he said: “There was no way the linesman was going to give that – he gave them everything. It was a clear decision. And he was 10, maybe 12 yards away from the incident and he doesn’t give it. And yet he gave everything else.”

The Scot also referred to a previous incident involving Beck in the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea in April 2010.

Despite Chelsea striker Didier Drogba looking offside, Beck allowed the winning goal and it proved a pivotal moment in the Premier League title race, which Chelsea eventually won.

“I am disappointed with him [Beck] – we have not had a good record with him,” Ferguson told BBC Sport after the Spurs match.

“With Chelsea a couple of years back, he gave onside to Didier Drogba and he was three yards offside. You remember these things because it is in important games and that was an important game.”

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