Ferguson responds to allegations

2002-10-12 20:19

Manchester, England - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson broke his silence Saturday and said allegations of sexual assault against him were "entirely without foundation."

On Friday, a 21-year-old woman accused Ferguson of indecently assaulting her in a car in Cape Town, South Africa.

In a statement released Saturday, the 60 year-old Scotsman denied the charges but admitted he'd probably made a mistake by travelling unaccompanied with the young woman.

He said the young woman and her boyfriend had invented the story in order to sell it to British newspapers.

Ferguson was scheduled to return to Britain on Sunday.

"I would like to make it clear that any allegations of improper conduct, let alone sexual assault, on my part are untrue and entirely without foundation," Ferguson said.

He said on Thursday he attended a dinner with Manchester United assistant coach Jim Ryan and members of the South African Football Association. He said he went afterward to a jazz club, which he said was owned by a "member of the party."

"At the end of the evening arrangements were made for lifts back to the hotel, at which time a young lady who had been talking to myself and members of our party suggested that she could drop me back at my hotel since it was on her way home."

"The claim that it was my suggestion that I travel with her or that I forced myself into her car is untrue. A member of the group, Alex Abercrombie, an attorney and former acting judge, was with me as I got into her car and has borne witness to this in his statement to the police."

"In retrospect, clearly it would have been better if I had travelled back with members of the party who were already known to me, but I had no reason to expect that it would lead to her and her boyfriend making false claims to the police and then selling their story to British newspapers."

Ferguson said the hotel was 10 minutes away from the jazz club.

"This has obviously been distressing for my family, who have been completely supportive. Individuals in high-profile positions always run the risk of being targeted in this way."

"I believe that the British public however is fair-minded and will make their own judgement about a young woman and her boyfriend now trying to make huge sums by selling their story."

In a statement by Manchester United, the club said Ferguson was in South Africa on "on official club business."

"We are confident his conduct has been professional as always." - Sapa-AP

- SAPA