Jack Webb, 14, son of former Premier League referee Howard Webb, has been offered a trial with the Manchester United under-15s.
While he was refereeing, many away fans keep their fingers crossed that it wouldn’t be Howard Webb taking charge of their game at Old Trafford. Many claimed he acted as Manchester United’s ‘twelfth man’, giving decisions in the home side’s favour.
As well as several decisions that seemed to fall kindly for United, there was always the awarding of plenty of the famous ‘Fergie-time’ at the end of the game. This led many to make unfounded claims that Sir Alex Ferguson held some sort of influence over the World Cup final referee.
While, unsurprisingly, there is no evidence to support such claims, the news that Howard’s son, Jack, has been offered at trial at United will surely raise a few eyebrows.
Jack, 14, is a promising young player but the news will undoubtedly fuel old claims that Webb was lenient towards United in games he refereed, rather than discussing Jack’s ability. The offer of a trial for his son will undoubtedly be seen by many as some sort of ‘thank you’ gesture to the former Premier League referee.
While Sir Alex Ferguson no longer manages the club, he certainly still has considerable influence behind the scenes at Old Trafford and it will be interesting to follow this story, see how it develops, and see what role he had to play in this somewhat controversial decision.
One thing’s for sure – if Jack ever makes it to the first team at United, thanks to his dad, he’ll surely be a fans favourite!
Enjoy your April Fool’s Day from ALL the staff at Football Express News and have a good Easter holidays.