Managers to end war of words

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Manchester United's Alex Ferguson have agreed to end their war of words.

Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein and United chief executive David Gill told Premier League officials during a meeting in a London hotel on Thursday that the public feud would cease.

In a statement, the Premier League said Dein and Gill had "arrived at the meeting having already received assurances from their managers that public comments on recent issues between them cease".

Looking ahead to February 1, when champions Arsenal host United at Highbury, it said: "Both clubs also agreed that public comments would be limited to pre- and post-match analysis of the forthcoming fixture.

"The board is keen to stress that their concern related to the personal nature of recent exchanges and would never seek to restrict the huge interest generated for one of the season's most attractive fixtures."

Relations between Ferguson and Wenger, which have deteriorated markedly over the past two seasons, reached new depths when the two men traded barbs last weekend.

TUNNEL FRACAS

The recent trouble started in October after United ended Arsenal's record 49-match unbeaten league run with a controversial 2-0 victory at Old Trafford and Ferguson was later reportedly pelted with pizza in the players' tunnel.

Ferguson re-ignited the row last weekend when he said it was "a disgrace" that Wenger had not apologised for his players' behaviour. Wenger retaliated by implicitly calling for Ferguson to be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.

London police waded into the row this week by making it clear the spat would not help them keep the peace in the crunch league game between Arsenal, second behind Chelsea, and United, third, on February 1.

The two clubs have been bitter rivals ever since Wenger ended United's domination of English football by winning the league and FA Cup double in his first full season, in 1997-98.

Arsenal repeated that Double feat in 2002, securing the league title with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, retained their FA Cup in 2003 and then won the league unbeaten last season.

While Wenger and Ferguson have traded spats off the pitch, their players have got stuck into each other on it, notably in September 2003 when a 0-0 draw descended into a fracas.

Four of Wenger's players were fined and banned after they mobbed United opponents at the end of an ill-tempered game at Old Trafford. As a club, Arsenal were fined 175,000 pounds ($326,800).

Next month, they meet again with Premier League officials hoping that nothing will cast a shadow over such an important match for their global television market.