Alex Ferguson 'to hold BBC peace talks'

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly to meet with BBC director general Mark Thompson in a bid to end his long-running dispute with the corporation.

Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League chairman, is understood to have brokered a meeting between the pair, although a firm date has not yet been scheduled.

Ferguson is facing large fines under new league rules for his refusal to speak to the BBC, which dates back to an unflattering Panorama documentary in 2004 about his son Jason's dealings as a football agent.

Ferguson has said that he will only speak to the BBC again after he has received a full apology, which the corporation has refused to do, meaning there is little hope of a resolution to the dispute.

Earlier in the month, the BBC also contacted the Premier League to register its disappointment that Manchester United did not supply anyone to speak to the media after the club's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool.

The Premier League has so far declined to reveal how much Ferguson and United will be fined for the ongoing boycott, but the amount is increasing for every missed post-match interview with reporters from BBC Sport.

League officials are thought to be desperate to broker an end to the feud and face-to-face meetings are now viewed as the best way to ease the tensions, particularly with the involvement of the BBC's director general.

However, it is thought that the meeting may not occur until the end of the current season, meaning United could be left with a hefty bill for the dispute.