THIS IS A FIRST

Last updated : 02 September 2002 By editor

He told The Sun:

"Roy is the first United player to be sent off for this offence and I have said recently the use of the elbow is a growing problem in our game.We won't appeal, the referee had no choice but to send him off.

"The replay I was shown immediately after the match was misleading. When I saw the TV pictures from a different angle, I saw the referee had no choice."

However, Ferguson does not believe Keane's foul was the worst of its kind, and added: "I still think it was petty rather than grievous."