Sir Alex Ferguson was forced to intervene when two Man Utd youngsters were accused of a tunnel bust up with a referee.
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Ferguson flew to Belgium to defend two young United players in 1999.
(Image: 2007 Manchester United)
Sir Alex Ferguson didn't mince his words when a Manchester United youngster was handed a lifetime ban, and another was facing a ban for a few years. "You would expect such a verdict in Russia, not in Belgium," said Ferguson, who stormed to the airport to defend his players.
Danny Higginbotham and Ronnie Wallwork were both sent on loan to Antwerp in 1999 and they were involved in a heated tunnel bust-up after a play-off game against La Louviere.
Antwerp lost the match, which ended their hopes of promotion to the Belgium first division, but Higginbotham and Wallwork were more worried about their careers being in the balance.
"I believe the players have been very harshly treated and the punishment does not fit the crime," said Ferguson. "We are in the year 1999 and this defies sense. We have no choice but to go through a civic court because the Belgian FA's rules are extremely old-fashioned."
The referee at the centre of the controversy accused United loanee Wallwork of pinning him up against the tunnel wall and Higginbotham was said to have laid his hands on him.
Other Antwerp players were accused of kicking in door panels and damaging the dressing room. Their secretary, Paul Bistiaux, said at the time: "It is a scandal. There is no excuse for what these two Manchester United players did but there should be a suitable penalty - not a lifetime ban."
Wallwork denied using extreme force but admitted to pushing the referee. He was "too upset" to speak to the press in the immediate aftermath of the debacle because he was staring at the end of his professional career, but Higginbotham went on record and described his shock.
Higginbotham denied the charges and said: "I'm really shocked, absolutely devastated. I was expecting anything but this, especially a lifetime ban for Ronnie. We will have to consult our lawyers and try to change the ruling. The only thing that made it bearable was Alex Ferguson flying out to back us.
"The gaffer gave us a lot of moral support. Otherwise I don't think either myself or Ronnie would have survived the day. Everything had been going well for us in Belgium, but now I don't know whether I will ever return to Antwerp."
Higginbotham pictured on loan at Antwerp.
(Image: Tim De Waele/Getty Images)
A month after the bans were dished out, news emerged that Wallwork was free to resume his career after a Belgian civil court overturned the lifetime ban imposed for the alleged assault.
Higginbotham also had the severity of his punishment reduced by the Belgian football authorities, leaving him in the clear, and Ferguson spoke to the press to react to the development. "Obviously we're extremely pleased with the verdict. We're delighted for both of the lads," he said.
The appeal from United's lawyers was successful and Wallwork's suspension was reduced to 12 months, although it only applied in Belgium and he was free to play in England again.
United's legal team found several witnesses who claimed the French-speaking official had exaggerated his allegations. A few weeks later, the referee faced a hearing himself after being suspended after a Belgian league match in which he awarded five penalties and sent off four players.
Scott Duxbury, United's lawyer, said: "The Belgian FA has confirmed that the ban applies only to their country. The thrust of our case was that Danny [Higginbotham] had done nothing whatsoever while Ronnie [Wallwork] had been involved in some pushing, but nothing to justify a lifetime ban.
"The tunnel was chaotic after a tense and eventful match so there was obviously scope for confusion. The boys have reacted well throughout this whole ordeal. It's been a difficult time.
"For a lad facing the end of his career, Ronnie has been a model client and handled himself really well. They are delighted it is finally over and just want to concentrate on playing for United."
Higginbottom playing for United in November 1999 - shortly after the bans were overturned.
(Image: Alex Livesey/Allsport)
Higginbotham appeared on talkSPORT a few years ago and recalled the entire ordeal. "I was accused of beating a referee up and I ended up getting a long ban which got quashed," he explained.
"It's an incredible story. I was on loan at Royal Antwerp and the referee at the time, he was FIFA listed and we played a team called La Louviere in the play-offs and we had to play behind-closed-doors because there had been a lot of trouble between supporters in the previous game.
"Then at the end of the game, we walked in the tunnel and it was just fighting everywhere, it was every man for themselves and then we were walking into our dressing room.
"The referee had got our goalkeeper coach by the scruff of the neck, so my mate, Ronnie Wallwork, who has had real ups and downs, he then shoved our goalkeeper coach out of the way and grabbed hold of the referee, so I quickly came over and said Ronnie, calm down.
"We got back to the hotel and the club secretary has got in touch to say 'Ronnie, Danny, you're banned indefinitely'. We had no idea what was going on and had to fly back home.
"And then the bans came through. Ronnie got a lifetime ban and I think I got three years in Belgium and a year in England, but when you're 19, you think that's the end of your career."
Wallwork (pictured far right) with Giggs and Beckham in September 2000.
(Image: Graham Chadwick/ALLSPORT)
He continued: "Sir Alex Ferguson had just won the treble and brilliantly flew out to the Glass House, which is the equivalent of the Belgium FA, and he sat down with us. The character references didn't believe for one minute that we'd done it, which we hadn't, but the referee was FIFA listed.
"He stood up and showed photos of marks around his neck of where we'd allegedly headbutted him and strangled him. They believed him because he was a FIFA listed referee.
"He then refereed a game and blamed me and Ronnie on live television and said he was having nightmares about us and everything, so they gave him the benefit of the doubt.
"Two weeks later, he refereed a game which was 1-0 and he gave a really bizarre decision. He was told on live TV to go get psychiatric help and the next day the ban was squashed, but we still missed three months of the season and that was the most cheated I'd ever felt by an individual.
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"Everything behind it was disgusting. I know I hadn't done anything wrong and the brilliant thing about Sir Alex Ferguson in that situation was he took the time out to come to Belgium to stand behind our side. He pulled me and Ronnie and said 'listen, don't worry about any thing'.
"He said 'to put your minds at rest, and to put your parents' minds at rest, I want to give you both new four year contracts'. He did that and I'll be forever grateful for that."