MANCHESTER United have been granted six extra games after a meeting between the Referee’s Association and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Two games each will be played against Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff City, giving United the chance to earn a further 18 points and putting them back in contention for the title.
Ferguson said: “I explained, from a distance of one inch at a volume of approximately 110 decibels, that there had been a great deal of timewasting earlier in the season. About 640 minutes worth, in fact.”
When told the extra matches cast serious doubt on whether United players could compete in this summer’s World Cup, Fergie said “So it’s win-win.”
Lawyers have confirmed that the basic principle of the move – if United haven’t won, it’s not over – has been an unwritten rule of the Premier League since its inception and is not open to legal challenge.
Fulham manager Felix Magath said: “In agreeing to this, our club may seem like a desperate, dumped boyfriend willing to be completely humiliated just to play against a Premier League team one last time.
“That is entirely accurate.”