I apologized to Sir Alex Ferguson after the Liverpool charge – but my dad liked what I said

Even now, over 11 years later, it remains a moment that Liverpool fans are talking about.

In September 2012, Liverpool faced Manchester United. It was an emotional afternoon as the victims and families of Hillsborough were remembered in emotional scenes before kick-off. It also proved to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s last visit to Anfield as manager.

The game was the Reds’ first at home since the Hillsborough disaster report was published. The Hillsborough Independent Group absolved the club’s supporters of any responsibility for the 1989 tragedy, which ultimately claimed 97 lives, and criticized South Yorkshire Police.

Flowers, shirts and cards were placed outside the Shankly Gates and next to the memorial to the victims of the tragedy. Both teams came out of the tunnel wearing number 96 tracksuits as United legend Sir Bobby Charlton presented Liverpool counterpart Ian Rush with flowers before Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs released 96 red balloons.

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A mosaic was also displayed on three sides of the ground during the traditional “You’ll Never Walk Alone” game. Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra put their past problems aside to shake hands.

On the pitch, the match will also be remembered for an incident that happened in the first 45 minutes. With six minutes to go before the break, Jonjo Shelvey was shown a straight red card by referee Mark Halsey for a two-footed pass on Jonny Evans.

As he left the pitch to head to the home dressing room, Shelvey looked at Ferguson on the touchline and had some choice words for the then United boss as he pointed the finger at him.

Barely in the game for long periods, the Red Devils fell behind when Gerrard fired past Anders Lindegaard a minute into the second half. However, United responded with a spectacular equalizer from Rafael Da Silva, before Robin van Persie scored from the spot nine minutes from time to seal all three points.

The result left Liverpool without a league win in five attempts and their last three in the Premier League. However, all the talk in the national media after the game was about Shelvey’s outburst.

Writing for The Times, Oliver Kay observed: “Nearly two hours later, Halsey left the pitch to jeers, pantomime villain, on a day when Liverpool had 96 more reasons to crave victory over United. Halsey took out Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey in the first half and then, with the game in the balance, awarded United a controversial penalty converted by Robin van Persie with nine minutes remaining.

“Halsey will have more relaxing days at the office. Under today’s rules, he was right to send off Shelvey for a dangerous tackle on Jonny Evans in the 39th minute, but the better question was whether, as Brendan Rodgers believed, Evans should also have been booked red for the way he challenged the game. challenge.”

In the Daily Mail, Matt Lawton wrote: “In his eyes, Mark Halsey was no more justified in dismissing Jonjo Shelvey after 39 minutes than he was in awarding United what proved to be a decisive penalty for what he considered the mildest of challenges from Glen Johnson.

“The Liverpool manager was right about one thing. The better team lost, with the hosts playing superior football even after Shelvey’s red card. Some were lackluster; lacking energy as well as inspiration. But was Halsey right to sack Shelvey? Yes. And was it a penalty? Yes again.

“In fairness Luis Suarez should have had a penalty as well and Rodgers had a point when he said Jonny Evans was also reckless in his challenge on Shelvey. But Evans didn’t appear to have lost control in the way Shelvey clearly did, the Liverpool midfielder’s toe-tapping attack on Sir Alex Ferguson further proof of that.

“When the frustration and anger have subsided, Rodgers will also have to accept that his side are reflecting on a third defeat in five Barclays Premier League games due to their failure to replace Andy Carroll before the transfer window closes” .

Writing for The Telegraph, Chris Bascombe reported: “Shelvey received a standing ovation and felt entitled to verbally abuse Ferguson on his departure. He later apologized.

“Shelvey has been lucky in several games this season, diving needlessly with tackles that add ferocity as both feet leave the ground. He was punished lightly for crimes more serious than those of yesterday.

“The only debate was whether Evans should also have received a red card for his own probably reckless challenge. Van Persie was lucky to escape punishment for a similar tackle on Suso in the second half.”

The ECHO’s Ian Doyle, in match reporting for the Liverpool Daily Post, wrote: “But with Shelvey the stronger and less controlled challenge, referee Halsey was only going to red card one man.

“In truth, Shelvey was a send-off that had been coming for a few weeks. The youngster – who went from hero to zero following his two-goal cameo at Young Boys in Bern on Thursday – remains a diamond in the rough and such tackles have yet to be smoothed out of his game.”

Taking to Twitter after the game, Shelvey wrote: “I apologize to the fans for being sent off but I didn’t give up that game in a game of this importance. I am sorry.

“I also apologized to Sir Alex, just where I come from, people don’t pick people up to kick someone out.”

Reflecting on the incident a few years later, the midfielder revealed that not only did he personally apologize to Ferguson after the game, but the Scot praised his behaviour.

“I was a bit immature then and a bit stupid. I took him aside afterwards and apologized and he was fine with me,” said Shelvey.

“He said, ‘No, I like it. Show you’ve got some balls about you’. Over the next few months, I got a few honors around town, but it was crap on my part on the pro scene. You don’t do that.

“I was young and starting at Liverpool against Manchester United, games don’t come much bigger. Growing up I always thought the FA favored United and stuff like that.

“I looked over when I was sent off and saw Fergie in the fourth official’s ear. I don’t think the referee was going to send me off at first because it wasn’t a knock out.

“I put a picture downstairs and it shows Jonny Evans walking on two legs and me just coming in from the side. It wasn’t a submission, but it is what it is. I saw him looking at the fourth official, so I got off the field, I just said, “It’s your fault I got sent off.”

“As soon as I got sent off, I went into the dressing room and called my dad and he said, ‘It wasn’t a sending off, mate. Do not worry. What did you say to Fergie?” I told him what I told him and my father left, “Good boy!”

“I’ve seen it many times since then and it’s just one of those things that happens in football. You live and you learn.”

Shelvey played 69 times in three years at Anfield, leaving in the summer of 2013 for Swansea. After his spell in Wales, the now 32-year-old moved to Newcastle United before joining Nottingham Forest.

However, he left the City Ground after just seven and a half months in the summer of 2023, joining Turkish club Caykur Rizespor on loan for the remainder of the season.