Roasting and rape

SIR Alex Ferguson is said to have been reluctant to have given permission for his players to hold a Christmas Party fuelled by booze, gambling, and specially invited women. After the events of the night last Monday and the headlines they have attracted, he'll wish he put his foot down and said `no.'

When testosterone fuelled young men gather together, away from partners and loved ones, it is not really very surprising when it all gets out of hand.

It's said that each played contributed a mere £5,000 into a communal pool to hire a Manchester hotel for night, employ bouncers, buy endless booze and food, and to ensure there were plenty of women on tap. What must their other halves felt, knowing that the players were off the leash?

One young player Jonny Evans has been accused of raping a 26 year-old woman. He has vehemently denied her version of events. His name is plastered over the media, but there is identity protection for all aleged rape victims.

Today in The Sun, three ununamed first team squad members are said to have joined others to "roast" - when I was younger, it was known as gang-banging - a teenage reveller who had received an official invite to the party. According to the newspaper, their jeers and her moans could be heard clearly in the hotel corridor along with shouts of "get in there" and "well done son."

I'm the last person to be censorious, but this party had all the hallmarks of a disaster waiting to happen. It did, and has succeeded dragging the good name of Manchester Utd through the slush in the gutter.

As for the £5,000 a head pool, that's probably twice the monthly pay of the average fan who struggles to save to pay for a season ticket. Obscene is not a strong enough word to describe this sorry and sordid affaird.