Johannesburg: A former English Premier League referee has reportedly claimed that former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had once tried to get him to postpone a United match in order to give his side a better chance of winning the title.

Ferguson was renowned for trying to exert pressure on referees and could often be seen pointing at his watch, hinting that there should be a long period of stoppage time towards the end of games when United needed a goal, although the Scot wrote in his autobiography that the gesture was intended to create tension for the opposition.