Darren Ferguson denied Ashley Young and her teenage son Tyler the chance to create FA Cup history on Thursday night.
Ashley, 39, and Tyler, 18, looked set to become the first father and son to play against each other in the 154-year history of the FA Cup when Everton hosted Peterborough at Goodison Park.
Young Sr had admitted it would be his “dream” to share the pitch with Tyler but Ferguson, the son of legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex, opted to leave the teenager on the bench as Everton claimed a 2-2 win. 0 thanks to goals from Beto and Iliman Ndiaye.
Ashley and Tyler were seen chatting after the final whistle, but there was obvious disappointment from the pair, with the former posting the one-word message 'GUTTED' on Friday morning.
Ferguson defended his actions by insisting that Peterborough could not be seen as a “charity case”.
So was Ferguson right or wrong? Six sport mail journalists give their verdicts…
Darren Ferguson decided not to bring Tyler Young to play against his father Ashley
Ashley Young (left) admitted she was “gutted” at being denied the chance to share the pitch with her son (right) and make FA Cup history.
Sir Alex's son Darren defended himself by saying Peterborough is not a “charity case” but has been criticized by some fans.
Matt Barlow
It seemed strangely petty when we considered how quickly and easily all modern managers rest and rotate players for cup ties because there are always other priorities.
Sending Tyler in for a minute or two would have been creating something unique. It would have been a moving and indelible memory not only for the Young family but for everyone present at Goodison Park.
It would have been one of the stories of the FA Cup season and something Peterborough and Everton fans could appreciate as an antidote to the money-obsessed world of modern football.
salt nathan
The criticism leveled at Darren Ferguson is absolutely ridiculous.
When he made his final substitution in the 88th minute, his Peterborough team were trailing 1-0 to a poor Everton side.
In came Malik Mothersille, who is an attacker with eight goals this season, instead of a teenager with 27 minutes of senior football this season. A complete no-brainer.
Nathan Salt believes Ferguson did nothing wrong as his team was still in the game when he made his final substitute.
Kieran Gill
Have a heart, Darren. You had five substitutes and you could have easily used one to not look like the Tin Man of Peterborough.
In 10, 20 or 30 years time, I'd be surprised if many remember much of this FA Cup match. Hell, I might have forgotten about it by the time we get to Sunday.
While Tyler was robbed of a moment he would have cherished for life. But at least Fergie's son has let us all know that it's not a “charity case.”
Tom Colomosse
If Peterborough had been trailing by three goals I would have expected Ferguson to send on Young.
But with the game on the line, the Peterborough boss had to make decisions based solely on that. Ask yourself: what would your dad have done?
Joe Bernstein
Darren Ferguson ruined the Ashley and Tyler Young saga because of indecision.
Tyler is not a classy first team player and Fergie should have ended the story by saying he wouldn't play for Everton.
Putting it on the bench and not using it was chaos; unfair to the family and all the FA Cup romantics.
Joe Bernstein feels Ferguson made a mistake by naming Tyler (pictured) on the bench and raising the possibility that he could play.
hope
Okay, I get that Ferguson has to do what he thinks is best for his team, although his “we're not a charity” comment seemed disrespectful to his own player. But I think Ferguson has missed a trick.
What is the FA Cup if it's not about fairy tales and romance? His team needed a goal. What would have been the perfect way to achieve this? Young Tyler!
Put it on, let the magic take over him, give him that moment with his dad. Ferguson does not come out of this situation well.
Ian Ladyman
It's a no debate. It was a football game, not a family gathering. Ferguson did the right thing for his team just as he should have done.
I'm sure Young Snr and Jnr were able to say hello in the players bar afterwards. One drinking soda, of course.
Ian Ladyman believes Ferguson was simply doing the right thing for his team to try and win the game.
James Sharpe
We all love to talk about the romance of the FA Cup. We also like to continue believing in it, which is why we all wanted to see Tyler Young play against his father Ashley.
It would have been a wonderful moment not just for the Young family but for all of English football, far and wide, and a snapshot of how deeply this game endures across generations.
However, this was not a charity match. These were not dead tires at the end of the season with nothing at stake. This was an important FA Cup tie.
Peterborough were just one goal down. They were still at it. Trying to force a replay was Darren Ferguson, whose finances can be a big help to the clubs in the pyramid.
If the game had been beyond doubt, I would have brought Tyler. However, this was not a charity match. It wasn't a dead rubber at the end of the season with nothing at stake. This was an important FA Cup tie. It is not help to football.