'Unintelligent and frankly moronic' - Peterborough chairman blasts fans calling for Darren Ferguson to be sacked after leaving Ashley Young 'gutted' about missing chance to face son Tyler in FA Cup clash against Everton

Football fans were left disappointed on Thursday when a historic FA Cup moment failed to materialise. The clash between Everton and Peterborough at Goodison Park had the potential to see veteran full-back Ashley Young and his son, Tyler, become the first father-son duo to compete against each other in the competition’s 154-year history. However, Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson’s tactical decisions prevented this milestone from taking place.

Ashley, the 39-year-old former England international, came on as a substitute for Everton in the 73rd minute, with his team leading 1-0. Despite the sentimental opportunity, Ferguson opted not to field 18-year-old Tyler, citing the competitive circumstances of the match. By the time Everton sealed their victory with Iliman Ndiaye’s stoppage-time penalty, all of Peterborough’s substitutions had been made, leaving the younger Young on the bench.

"The last substitution was a difficult one because I did want to get Tyler on. As much as I wanted to get him on with his dad, I had to do what’s right for my team," Ferguson said after the match.

"It was very difficult, but I’ve got to do what’s best for the team. If the game had been 2-0 at that point, I would have put him on, but at 1-0, I couldn’t. If I sent a central midfielder on at 1-0, I’ve got three forwards sitting on the bench wondering what’s going on."

On Friday, the Everton star posted on social media that he was "gutted" and Ferguson’s decision drew ire from fans, some of whom called for the manager’s dismissal. However, Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony staunchly defended Ferguson, labelling the criticism as unwarranted and irrational.

In a strongly worded tweet, MacAnthony stated: "This nonsense has to stop. My manger was 100% correct in his actions. This wasn’t some friendly or exhibition event. Tyler is doing fantastic with our 21’s & progressing phenomenally with bright future but bringing him on at that time considering circumstances around game with us one down with minutes left was not right thing for team. Putting stupid tweets out asking for him to be sacked is unintelligent & frankly moronic. In time even Ashley will appreciate this as opposed to his current feeling around it."

Young, who has been on the fringes of Peterborough’s first team, has only made one senior appearance so far. That came in an EFL Trophy match against Stevenage in October 2024. The teenager is regarded as a promising talent and has been making steady progress in Peterborough’s U21 setup. Despite his inexperience, fans were eager to witness the symbolic moment of father and son facing each other on the pitch. However, Ferguson’s decision highlighted the balance managers often need to strike between emotion and practicality.