2008: March – Ferguson and assistant Carlos Queiroz are charged with improper conduct after criticising the performance of Martin Atkinson in their 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth.

May – Ferguson and Queiroz are found not guilty by the FA.

November 6 – Ferguson is charged with improper conduct in relation to his behaviour towards Mike Dean following United’s match against Hull on November 1. Ferguson marched on to the field immediately after his side’s 4-3 win to remonstrate with Dean.

November 18 – Ferguson is given a two-match touchline ban and £10,000 fine after admitting the charge.

2009: October 5 – The FA write to Ferguson for an explanation after he accused Alan Wiley of being unfit following United’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland on October 3. The United boss faced calls for him to be given a lengthy touchline ban by the referees’ union Prospect as a consequence of the comments.

October 10 – Ferguson apologises to Wiley for any embarrassment caused by his comments.

October 19 – The FA charge Ferguson with improper conduct.

October 27 – Ferguson accepts the charge and requests a personal hearing.

November 12 – Fined £20,000 and handed a two-match touchline ban, with a further two matches suspended until the end of the 2010-11 season.

2010: January – Escapes disciplinary action after remarks criticising Clattenburg for sending off Darren Fletcher. Ferguson appeared to imply that Clattenburg had been inconsistent over the course of the season but the FA decide his remarks did not cross the boundary to allege bias or impute the official’s integrity.

2011: Given a five-match touchline ban and a £30,000 fine for his verbal attack on Atkinson at Chelsea in February. “You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway – and we didn’t get that,” said Ferguson in the aftermath of the 2-1 defeat. “I must say, when I saw who the referee was I feared it. I feared the worst.”