fbpx
Wikipedia

Alex Ferguson

Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson CBE (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time and has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football.[5] Ferguson is often credited for valuing youth during his time with Manchester United, particularly in the 1990s with the "Class of '92", who contributed to making the club one of the richest and most successful in the world.[6]

Sir Alex Ferguson
CBE
Ferguson in December 2006
Personal information
Full name Alexander Chapman Ferguson
Date of birth (1941-12-31) 31 December 1941 (age 81)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Harmony Row Boys Club
Drumchapel Amateurs
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1957–1960 Queen's Park 31 (15)
1960–1964 St Johnstone 37 (19)
1964–1967 Dunfermline Athletic 89 (66)
1967–1969 Rangers 41 (25)
1969–1973 Falkirk 95 (37)
1973–1974 Ayr United 24 (9)
Total 317 (171)
International career
1960 Scotland Amateurs[1] 1 (1)
1967 Scotland[2][3] 4 (3)
1967 Scottish Football League XI[4] 2 (1)
Managerial career
1974 East Stirlingshire
1974–1978 St Mirren
1978–1986 Aberdeen
1985–1986 Scotland
1986–2013 Manchester United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ferguson played as a forward for several Scottish clubs, including Dunfermline Athletic and Rangers. While playing for Dunfermline, he was the top goalscorer in the Scottish league in the 1965–66 season. Towards the end of his playing career he also worked as a coach, then started his managerial career with East Stirlingshire and St Mirren. Ferguson then enjoyed a highly successful period as manager of Aberdeen, winning three Scottish league championships, four Scottish Cups and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1983. He briefly managed Scotland following the death of Jock Stein, taking the team to the 1986 World Cup.

Ferguson was appointed manager of Manchester United in November 1986. During his 26 years with Manchester United he won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles. He was knighted in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours list for his services to the game.[7] Ferguson is the longest-serving manager of Manchester United, having overtaken Sir Matt Busby's record on 19 December 2010. He retired from management at the end of the 2012–13 season, having won the Premier League in his final season.

Early life

Alexander Chapman Ferguson[8] was born at his grandmother's home on Shieldhall Road in the Govan district of Glasgow on 31 December 1941, the son of Elizabeth (née Hardie) and Alexander Beaton Ferguson. His father was a plater's helper in the shipbuilding industry.[9] He grew up in a tenement at 667 Govan Road, which has since been demolished, where he lived with his parents and his younger brother Martin, who also became a footballer.[10] He attended Broomloan Road Primary School and later Govan High School.[11] He began his football career with Harmony Row Boys Club in Govan,[12][13] before progressing to Drumchapel Amateurs, a youth club with a strong reputation for producing senior footballers.[14] He also took an apprenticeship as a toolmaker at a factory in Hillington, being appointed a union shop steward.[12]

Playing career

Club

Ferguson's playing career began as an amateur with Queen's Park, where he made his debut as a striker, aged 16.[15] He described his first match as a "nightmare",[16] but scored Queen's Park's goal in a 2–1 defeat against Stranraer. Perhaps his most notable game for Queen's Park was the 7–1 defeat away to Queen of the South on Boxing Day 1959 when ex-England international Ivor Broadis scored four of the Queen of the South goals. Ferguson was the solitary Queen's Park goalscorer.[17]

Despite scoring 20 goals in his 31 games for Queen's Park, he could not command a regular place in the side and moved to St Johnstone in 1960. Ferguson was on a part-time contract with St Johnstone, and he combined working in a Govan shipyard with training at night in Perth.[18] Although he regularly scored goals for St Johnstone, he was unable to command a consistent place in their team. He regularly requested transfers, and even considered emigrating to Canada.[19] St Johnstone's failure to sign another forward led the manager to select Ferguson for a match against Rangers, in which he scored a hat-trick in a surprise 3–2 victory at Ibrox.[19][20]

Dunfermline signed him the following summer (1964), and Ferguson became a full-time professional footballer. In the following season (1964–65) Dunfermline were strong challengers for the Scottish league title and reached the Scottish Cup Final, but Ferguson was dropped for the final after a poor performance in a league game against St Johnstone. Dunfermline lost the final 3–2 to Celtic, then failed to win the League by one point. The 1965–66 season saw Ferguson notch up 45 goals in 51 games for Dunfermline. Along with Joe McBride of Celtic, he was the top goalscorer in the Scottish league with 31 goals.[21]

Ferguson then joined Rangers for £65,000, which was a record fee for a transfer between two Scottish clubs.[22] He performed well in Europe during his two seasons with the club, scoring six goals in nine appearances in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup including two against 1.FC Köln in the 1967–68 competition, and an important strike against Athletic Bilbao in the 1968–69 edition which helped Rangers into the semi-finals,[23] but on both occasions they were knocked out by English opposition. He was blamed for a goal conceded in the 1969 Scottish Cup Final,[24] in a match in which he was designated to mark Celtic captain, Billy McNeill, and was subsequently forced to play for the club's junior side instead of for the first team.[25] According to his brother, Ferguson was so upset by the experience that he threw his losers' medal away.[26]

There have been claims that he suffered discrimination at Rangers due to his marriage to a Catholic, Cathy Holding.[27] Ferguson said in a 2021 documentary film about his life and career (Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In) that he 'assumed' that his exclusion from the first team after the 1969 cup final was due to her religion.[18] His autobiography noted that Rangers had known of his wife's religion when he joined the club.[28] In March 2021, he added that when he was signed, a Rangers director had questioned whether the Fergusons had been married in a (Catholic) chapel, and that the director had replied "oh, that's okay" when told they had married in a registry office.[29] Ferguson left Rangers reluctantly, as he had grown up locally and had dreamed of succeeding there.[30] He was upset by how newspapers would refer to him as an "ex-Rangers player" after he had left, and rarely attended gatherings of their former players.[30]

The following October, Nottingham Forest wanted to sign Ferguson,[31] but his wife was not keen on moving to England at that time, so he went to Falkirk instead. He remained at Brockville for four years, gaining more league appearances than he had elsewhere; in recognition of his experience he was promoted to player-coach, but when John Prentice became manager he removed Ferguson's coaching responsibilities. Ferguson's time at Falkirk was soured by this, and he responded by requesting a transfer and moved to Ayr United, where he finished his playing career in 1974.[32]

International

Ferguson's only involvement with the Scotland national team was during an overseas tour in 1967. For many years none of the tour matches were recognised by the Scottish Football Association as full internationals, and so Ferguson was deemed to have never played for Scotland. A BBC Sport article in June 2020 identified him as one of the best Scottish players to have never played a full international.[22] The SFA announced in October 2021 that some of the tour matches would be reclassified as full internationals, which meant that Ferguson was belatedly awarded an international cap.[3]

Managerial career

East Stirlingshire

In June 1974, Ferguson was appointed manager of East Stirlingshire, at the comparatively young age of 32. It was a part-time job that paid £40 per week, and the club did not have a single goalkeeper at the time.[33] He gained a reputation as a disciplinarian, with club forward Bobby McCulley later saying he had "never been afraid of anyone before but Ferguson was a frightening bastard from the start."[34]

St Mirren

In October 1974, Ferguson was invited to manage St Mirren. While they were below East Stirlingshire in the league, they were a bigger club and although Ferguson felt a degree of loyalty towards East Stirlingshire, he decided to join St Mirren after taking advice from Jock Stein.[35]

Ferguson was manager of St Mirren from 1974 until 1978, producing a remarkable transformation of a team in the lower half of the old Second Division watched by crowds of just over 1,000, to First Division champions in 1977, discovering talent like Billy Stark, Tony Fitzpatrick, Lex Richardson, Frank McGarvey, Bobby Reid and Peter Weir while playing superb attacking football.[36] The average age of the league winning team was 19 and the captain, Fitzpatrick, was 20.[37]

St Mirren have the distinction of being the only club ever to sack Ferguson. He claimed wrongful dismissal against the club at an industrial tribunal but lost and was given no leave to appeal. According to a Sunday Herald article on 30 May 1999, the official version is that Ferguson was sacked for various breaches of contract, including unauthorised payments to players.[36] He was counter-accused of intimidating behaviour towards his office secretary because he wanted players to get some expenses tax free. He did not speak to her for six weeks, confiscated her keys and communicated only through a 17-year-old assistant. The tribunal concluded that Ferguson was "particularly petty" and "immature".[38] It was claimed during the tribunal by St Mirren chairman, Willie Todd, that Ferguson had "no managerial ability".[39]

In 2008, The Guardian published an interview with Todd (then aged 87), who had sacked Ferguson many years earlier. Todd said that the fundamental reason for the dismissal was a breach of contract relating to Ferguson having agreed to join Aberdeen. Ferguson told journalist Jim Rodger of the Daily Mirror that he had asked at least one member of the squad to go to Aberdeen with him. He told the St Mirren staff he was leaving. Todd expressed regret over what happened but blamed Aberdeen for not approaching his club to discuss compensation.[40]

In 1977, Ferguson turned down the manager's job at Aberdeen. The role went to Billy McNeill, who returned to Celtic after only a year, leaving the role available for Ferguson once again.[41]

Aberdeen

Late 1970s

Ferguson joined Aberdeen as manager in June 1978, replacing Billy McNeill who had only managed the club for one season before he was offered the chance to manage Celtic. Although Aberdeen were one of Scotland's major clubs they had won the league only once, in 1955 under Dave Halliday. The team had been playing well, however, and had not lost a league match since the previous December, having finished second in the league the previous season.[42] Ferguson had now been a manager for four years, but was still not much older than some of the players and had trouble winning the respect of some of the older ones such as Joe Harper.[43] The season did not go especially well, with Aberdeen reaching the semi-final of the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup Final, but losing both matches and finishing fourth in the league.

Aberdeen lost the 1979–80 Scottish League Cup Final, this time to Dundee United after a replay. Ferguson took the blame for the defeat, saying he should have made changes to the team for the replay.[44]

1980s and silverware

Aberdeen had started the 1979–80 season poorly but their form improved dramatically in the new year and they won the Scottish league that season with a 5–0 win on the final day. It was the first time in 15 years that the league had not been won by either Rangers or Celtic. Ferguson now felt that he had the respect of his players, later saying: "That was the achievement which united us. I finally had the players believing in me".[45]

He was still a strict disciplinarian, though, and his players nicknamed him "Furious Fergie".[46] He fined one of his players, John Hewitt, for overtaking him on a public road,[47] and kicked a tea urn at the players at half time after a poor first half.[48] He was dissatisfied with the atmosphere at Aberdeen matches, and deliberately created a "siege mentality" by accusing the Scottish media of being biased towards the Glasgow clubs, to motivate the team.[49] The team continued their success with a Scottish Cup win in 1982. Ferguson was offered the manager's job at Wolverhampton Wanderers but turned it down as he felt that Wolves were in trouble[50] and his "ambitions at Aberdeen were not even half fulfilled".[51]

European success and Scottish national side

Ferguson led Aberdeen to even greater success the following season, 1982–83. They had qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as a result of winning the Scottish Cup the previous season, and impressively knocked out Bayern Munich,[52][53] who had beaten Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 in the previous round.[54][55] According to Willie Miller, this gave them the confidence to believe that they could go on to win the competition,[56] which they did, with a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid in the final on 11 May 1983.[57] Aberdeen became only the third Scottish team to win a European trophy and Ferguson now felt that "he'd done something worthwhile with his life".[58] This was followed up with victory in the European Super Cup in December 1983, when Hamburger SV, the reigning European Cup champions, were beaten 2–0 over two legs.[59][60] Aberdeen had also performed well in the league that season, and retained the Scottish Cup with a 1–0 victory over Rangers,[61] but Ferguson was not happy with his team's play in that match and upset the players by describing theirs as a "disgraceful performance" in a televised interview after the match, a statement he later retracted.[62]

After a sub-standard start to the 1983–84 season, Aberdeen's form improved and the team won the Scottish league and retained the Scottish Cup. Ferguson was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1985 New Year Honours,[63][64] and was offered the managers' jobs at Rangers and Arsenal during the season.[65][66][67] Aberdeen retained their league title in the 1984–85 season. In 1985–86, Aberdeen won both domestic cups, but finished fourth in the league. Ferguson had been appointed to the club's board of directors early in 1986, but that April he told Dick Donald, their chairman, that he intended to leave that summer.[citation needed]

Ferguson had been part of the coaching staff for the Scottish national side during qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, but manager Jock Stein had collapsed and died on 10 September 1985 – at the end of the game in which Scotland qualified from their group for a play-off against Australia. Ferguson promptly agreed to take charge of the Scottish national side against the Australians and subsequently at the World Cup. To allow him to fulfil his international duties he appointed Archie Knox as his co-manager at Aberdeen. However, after Scotland failed to progress past the group stages of the World Cup, Ferguson stepped down as national team manager on 15 June 1986.[68]

Around this time, Tottenham Hotspur offered Ferguson the chance to take over from Peter Shreeves as manager, but he rejected this offer and the job went to Luton Town's David Pleat instead. There was also an offer for Ferguson to replace Don Howe as Arsenal manager, but he rejected this offer as well, and fellow Scot George Graham took the post instead.[69] That summer, there had been speculation that he would take over from Ron Atkinson at Manchester United, who had slumped to fourth in the English top flight after a ten-match winning start.[citation needed]

It was not the first time that Ferguson had been linked with a move to England. In February 1982, Wolverhampton Wanderers had approached him about succeeding John Barnwell as manager as they were heading for relegation from the First Division.[70] He rejected this offer, perhaps concerned about the club's financial stability, as they were more than £2 million in debt at the time and narrowly avoided going out of business. At the end of the 1984–85 season, it was reported that Ferguson was being considered for the Liverpool manager's job after the retirement of Joe Fagan was announced, but the job was quickly accepted by Liverpool striker Kenny Dalglish.[71]

Although Ferguson remained at Aberdeen over the summer, he did eventually join Manchester United when Atkinson was sacked in November 1986.[72]

Manchester United

Appointment and first FA Cup title

Ferguson was appointed manager at Old Trafford on 6 November 1986. He was initially worried that many of the players, such as Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath and Bryan Robson were drinking too much and was "depressed" by their level of fitness, but he managed to increase the players' discipline and United climbed up the table to finish the season in 11th place, having been 21st (second from bottom) when he took over.

His first game in charge was a 2–0 defeat at Oxford United on 8 November, followed seven days later by a goalless draw at newly promoted Norwich City, and then his first win (1–0 at home to Queens Park Rangers) on 22 November. Results steadily improved as the season went on, and by the time they recorded what would be their only away win of the league campaign at title challengers and rivals Liverpool on Boxing Day, it was clear that United were on the road to recovery. 1987 began on a high note with a 4–1 victory over Newcastle United and United gradually pulled together in the second half of the season, with relatively occasional defeats on the way, and finished 11th in the final table. Ferguson's mother Elizabeth died of lung cancer, aged 64, three weeks after his appointment. Ferguson hired Archie Knox, his assistant at Aberdeen, in the same role at Manchester United in 1986.

In the 1987–88 season, Ferguson made several major signings, including Steve Bruce, Viv Anderson and Brian McClair. The new players made a positive contribution to a United team who finished in second place, nine points behind Liverpool. Liverpool's points lead, however, had been in double digits for most of the season and while United had lost only five league games all season, they drew 12 games and there was clearly still some way to go before United could be a match for their north western rivals.

During the season, United played two friendly matches in Bermuda against the Bermuda national team and the Somerset Cricket Club.[73] In the match against Somerset, both Ferguson himself and his assistant Archie Knox took to the field, with Knox even getting on the scoresheet. The match was Ferguson's only appearance for the Manchester United first team.[73]

United were expected to do well when Mark Hughes returned to the club two years after leaving for Barcelona, alongside Jim Leighton from Aberdeen; but the 1988–89 season was a disappointment for them, finishing 11th in the league and losing 1–0 at home to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup sixth round. They had begun the season slowly, going on a nine-match winless run throughout October and November (with one defeat and eight draws) before a run of generally good results took them to third place and the fringes of the title challenge by mid February. However, another run of disappointing results in the final quarter of the season saw them fall down to mid-table.

For the 1989–90 season, Ferguson further boosted his squad by paying large sums of money for midfielders Neil Webb, Mike Phelan, and Paul Ince, as well as defender Gary Pallister and winger Danny Wallace. The season began well with a 4–1 win over defending champions Arsenal on the opening day, but United's league form quickly turned sour. In September, United suffered a humiliating 5–1 away defeat against fierce rivals Manchester City. Following this and an early season run of six defeats and two draws in eight games, a banner declaring, "Three years of excuses and it's still crap ... ta-ra Fergie." was displayed at Old Trafford, and many journalists and supporters called for Ferguson to be sacked.[74][75] Ferguson later described December 1989 as "the darkest period [he had] ever suffered in the game", as United ended the decade just outside the relegation zone.[76][77]

Following a run of seven games without a win, Manchester United were drawn away to Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup. Forest were performing well that season and were in the process of winning the League Cup for the second season running,[78] and it was expected that United would lose the match and Ferguson would consequently be sacked, but United won the game 1–0 due to a Mark Robins goal and eventually reached the final. This cup win is often cited as the match that saved Ferguson's Old Trafford career, even though it has since been stated[by whom?] that his job was never at risk.[78][79][80] United went on to win the FA Cup, beating Crystal Palace 1–0 in the final replay after a 3–3 draw in the first match, giving Ferguson his first major trophy as Manchester United manager. United's defensive frailties in the first match were blamed on goalkeeper Jim Leighton. Ferguson dropped Leighton for the replay, bringing in Les Sealey.

United's European firsts and Ferguson's seconds

Although United's league form improved greatly in 1990–91, they were still inconsistent and finished sixth. There were some excellent performances that season, including a 6–2 demolition of Arsenal at Highbury, but results like an early 2–1 loss at newly promoted Sunderland, a 4–0 September hammering by Liverpool at Anfield, and a 2–0 home defeat by Everton in early March (the game where 17-year-old talented prospect Ryan Giggs made his senior debut) showed that United still had some way to go.

Even after the FA Cup victory in the previous season, some still had doubts about Ferguson's ability to succeed where all the other managers since Matt Busby had failed – to win the league title.[80] They were runners-up in the League Cup, losing 1–0 to Sheffield Wednesday. However, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating that season's Spanish champions Barcelona 2–1. It would be United's only Cup Winners' Cup title. After the match, Ferguson vowed that United would win the league the following season, and at long last he seemed to have won over the last of his sceptics after nearly five years in the job.[81]

During the 1991 close season, Ferguson's assistant Archie Knox departed to Rangers to become assistant to Walter Smith, and Ferguson promoted youth team coach Brian Kidd to the role of assistant manager in Knox's place. He also made two major signings – goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and defender Paul Parker – to bolster his side. There was much anticipation about the breakthrough of the young Ryan Giggs, who had played twice and scored once in the 1990–91 campaign, and the earlier emergence of another impressive young winger in the shape of Lee Sharpe, who despite their youth had made Ferguson feel able to resist plunging into the transfer market and buying a new player to take over from the disappointing Danny Wallace on the left wing. He had also added Soviet midfielder Andrei Kanchelskis to the right wing, giving him a more attacking alternative to older midfielders Mike Phelan and Bryan Robson.

The 1991–92 season did not live up to Ferguson's expectations and, in Ferguson's words, "many in the media felt that [his] mistakes had contributed to the misery".[82] United won the League Cup and European Super Cup; both for the first time, but lost out on the league title to rivals Leeds United after leading the table for much of the season. A shortage of goals and being held to draws by teams they had been expected to beat in the second half of the campaign had proved to be the undoing of a United side who had performed so well in the first half of the season. Ferguson felt that his failure to secure the signing of Mick Harford from Luton Town had cost United the league, and that he needed "an extra dimension" to the team if they were to win the league the following season.[83]

During the 1992 close season, Ferguson went on the hunt for a new striker. He first attempted to sign Alan Shearer from Southampton, but lost out to Blackburn Rovers. He also made at least one approach for the Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst, but manager Trevor Francis rejected all offers and the player stayed put. In the end, he paid £1 million for 23-year-old Cambridge United striker Dion Dublin – his only major signing of the summer.

After a slow start to the 1992–93 season by sitting 10th at the beginning of November, it looked as though United would miss out on the league title yet again. However, after the purchase of French striker Eric Cantona from Leeds for £1.2 million, the future of Manchester United, and Ferguson's position as manager, began to look bright. Cantona formed a strong partnership with Mark Hughes. On 10 April 1993, United were second in the league when they faced Sheffield Wednesday at home. United were losing with four minutes to go before Steve Bruce equalised. After 7 minutes of injury time – which was subsequently dubbed "Fergie Time", alluding to extra minutes allegedly being granted to Ferguson's teams to get a goal – Bruce scored the 97th minute winner, with Ferguson celebrating the goal by running from his dugout on to the touch line, while assistant Brian Kidd ran on to the field.[84] Seen as being a decisive victory, it put United top of the league, where they remained. Winning the title ended United's 26-year wait for a league title, and also made them the first Premier League champions. United finished with a ten-point margin over runners-up Aston Villa, whose 1–0 defeat at Oldham Athletic on 2 May 1993 had given United the title. Ferguson was later voted Manager of the Year by the League Managers' Association.

1993–95: Double win and loss

The 1993–94 season brought more success. Ferguson added Nottingham Forest's 22-year-old midfielder Roy Keane to the ranks for a British record fee of £3.75 million as a long term replacement for Bryan Robson, who was nearing the end of his career.[85] United led the 1993–94 Premier League table virtually from start to finish. Ferguson was the first winner of the Premier League Manager of the Month award, introduced for the start of the 1993–94 season, when he collected the accolade for August 1993. Cantona was top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions despite being sent off twice in the space of five days in March 1994. United also reached the League Cup final but lost 3–1 to Aston Villa, managed by Ferguson's predecessor, Ron Atkinson. In the FA Cup final, Manchester United achieved an impressive 4–0 scoreline against Chelsea, winning Ferguson his second League and Cup Double, following his Scottish Premier Division and Scottish Cup titles with Aberdeen in 1984–85, though the League Cup final defeat meant that he had not yet achieved a repeat of the treble that he had achieved with Aberdeen in 1983.

Ferguson made only one close-season signing, paying Blackburn £1.2 million for David May. There were newspaper reports that Ferguson was also going to sign highly rated 21-year-old striker Chris Sutton from Norwich City, but the player headed for Blackburn instead. 1994–95 was a harder season for Ferguson. Cantona assaulted a Crystal Palace supporter in a game at Selhurst Park, and it seemed likely he would leave English football. An eight-month ban saw Cantona miss the final four months of the season. He also received a 14-day prison sentence for the offence but the sentence was quashed on appeal and replaced by a 120-hour community service order. United paid a British record fee of £7 million for Newcastle United's prolific striker Andy Cole, with young winger Keith Gillespie heading to the north-east in exchange. The season also saw the breakthrough of young players Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who provided excellent cover for the long periods that United were left without some of their more experienced stars. However, the championship slipped out of Manchester United's grasp as they drew 1–1 with West Ham United on the final day of the season, when a win would have given them a third successive league title. United also lost the FA Cup final in a 1–0 defeat by Everton.

1995–98

Ferguson was heavily criticised in the summer of 1995 when three of United's star players were allowed to leave and replacements were not bought. First Paul Ince moved to Internazionale of Italy for £7.5 million, long-serving striker Mark Hughes was sold to Chelsea in a £1.5 million deal, and Andrei Kanchelskis was sold to Everton. Ferguson felt that United had a number of young players who were ready to play in the first team. The youngsters, who would be known as "Fergie's Fledglings", included Gary Neville, Phil Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who would all go on to be important members of the team. And so the 1995–96 season began without a major signing, at a time when the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle were making the headlines with big-money signings.[citation needed]

A youthful United team lost 3–1 in their opening league game of the 1995–96 season, against Aston Villa.[86] On Match of the Day, pundit Alan Hansen criticised their performance, ending his analysis with the words, "You can't win anything with kids."[87] United won their next five matches and were boosted by the return of Cantona, who made his comeback against Liverpool in October 1995. For much of the season, the team trailed league leaders Newcastle and found themselves ten points behind by Christmas; this later was narrowed to seven points after defeating them on 27 December 1995. The gap increased to 12 points, but a series of wins, coupled with Newcastle dropping points, meant by late March, United moved to the top of the table. In a televised outburst after his team's win against Leeds, Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan responded angrily to Ferguson's comments: "We're still fighting for this title, and he's got to go to Middlesbrough ... I would love it if we beat them, love it."[88] A win against Middlesbrough on the final day sealed the title for United and the team beat Liverpool by a goal to nil to win the 1996 FA Cup Final; this was their second double in three years. A week after the cup final, Ferguson agreed a four-year contract to remain at United.[89]

United started the following season thrashing the previous year's league runners-up Newcastle 4-0 in the Charity Shield. They went on to win their fourth league title in five seasons at the end of the 1996–97 campaign, made easier by the fact that their rivals were "not up to the job".[90] Under Ferguson, the team made a better go in the Champions League and reached the semi-final stage for the first time in 28 years.[91] United did not advance any further, after defeat by Borussia Dortmund of Germany.[92] Norwegian signings Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ronny Johnsen were the notable additions to the squad, with the former ending the season as the club's top goalscorer. In May 1997, Cantona informed Ferguson of his decision to retire from football.[93] The player "felt exploited by United's merchandising department" and questioned the ambition of the club, reasons which Ferguson understood.[93] Striker Teddy Sheringham was signed as Cantona's replacement from Tottenham Hotspur, with Blackburn defender Henning Berg the other significant purchase that summer.[94][95] In the close season, United appointed Keane as their new captain. Ferguson described him as "the best all-round player in the game" after the team's 1997 FA Charity Shield win and believed Keane had "all the right ingredients" to succeed from Cantona.[96]

Defeat by Leeds United in September 1997 was the team's first league loss in seven months; Keane during the match injured himself and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season with ligament damage.[97] Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was placed as captain in his absence. By November, United opened up a four-point lead in the league, which prompted talk of whether any team could catch them.[98] After Arsenal's defeat of United in the same month, Ferguson acknowledged a one-horse race was "not good for the game" and admitted his opponents "... deserved to win on their second-half performance".[99] The fallibilities of Liverpool, Chelsea and Blackburn as league challengers allowed United during the winter to extend their lead by 11 points, albeit with Arsenal having games-in-hand.[100] This was enough for Manchester bookmaker Fred Done to pay out on punters who backed the champions retaining their title.[101]

Arsenal collected maximum points, sealing the title with a win against Everton on 3 May 1998. Ferguson congratulated his opponent Arsène Wenger, who in his first full season at the club, later completed the double: "I think it's good for my young players to lose on this occasion. I wholeheartedly acknowledge what Arsenal achieved between Christmas and the end of the season."[102] United straight after paid £10.75 million for PSV defender Jaap Stam, a new club record fee.[103] Ferguson wanted to strengthen the squad's attacking options and identified Aston Villa's Dwight Yorke as his main target.[104] Attempts to sign Yorke were rebuffed at first, before Ferguson persuaded Edwards to increase United's initial offer of £10 million.[105] A £12.6 million deal was reached a week into the league campaign; Yorke signed minutes before the deadline to submit United's squad for the Champions League.[105]

1998–99: Treble success

United opened the 1998–99 season with a 3–0 loss to Arsenal in the 1998 FA Charity Shield.[106] The beating did not concern Ferguson, though he described his team's defeat by Arsenal in September 1998 as "a lot less tolerable". In December 1998, Kidd left his role as assistant to become the manager of Blackburn Rovers. Ferguson instructed Eric Harrison and Les Kershaw to find suitable replacements, "in terms of coaching ability and work ethic." Both recommended Steve McClaren, the assistant to Jim Smith at Derby County. McClaren was Ferguson's initial choice and appointed him in February 1999. His first game as assistant was United's 8–1 victory over Nottingham Forest.[107]

Ferguson felt United's bid to regain the Premier League began indifferently because of their commitments to other competitions. He was willing to "pay for the progress" made in the Champions League; the team finished second in their Champions League "group of death", behind Bayern Munich and ahead of Barcelona. United's win against Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round was a portent for the remainder of the season. A goal down after three minutes, the team equalised in the 86th minute and scored the winning goal through Solskjær in stoppage time.[108] On reflection, Ferguson said it was "a demonstration of the morale that was to be every bit as vital as rich skill in the five months that lay ahead of United".[109]

 
Under Ferguson, United acclaimed a treble of trophies in the 1998–99 season.

In the final weeks of the league season, Arsenal emerged as a creditable challenger to United. Both clubs were also paired together in the semi-final of the FA Cup, decided by a replay as the original game finished goalless. Keane was sent off in the second half and United conceded a penalty late into the match with the score 1–1. Dennis Bergkamp's effort was saved by Peter Schmeichel.[110] Ferguson hoped his team "could at least take it to a penalty shoot-out", but instead the match was settled in extra time: Giggs ran the length of the pitch and evaded several Arsenal players to score the winning goal.[109] United went on to beat Newcastle United in the FA Cup final and completed the double – a week earlier the team had regained the Premiership title.[109]

United's progression in the Champions League was promising compared to previous seasons. The team eliminated Inter Milan at the quarter-final stage and faced Juventus in the last four of the competition. A late goal scored by Giggs in the first leg earned the team a 1–1 draw, but in spite of conceding an away goal, Ferguson was adamant of United's chances of reaching the final: "... something tells me we are going to win. The nature of our club is that we torture ourselves so much that the only way to get relief is by winning over there."[111] At the Stadio delle Alpi, striker Filippo Inzaghi scored twice to put Juventus 3–1 up on aggregate.[112] Keane headed in a Beckham cross to halve the deficit just before half-time, but was later shown a yellow card for a foul on Edgar Davids, which prevented him from playing in the final.[112] Yorke equalised, before Cole added a third to win the match outright.[112] Keane's performance merited praise from Ferguson:

It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding over every blade of grass, competing if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose, he inspired all around him. I felt it was an honour to be associated with such a player.[109]

Days after the FA Cup final, United travelled to Barcelona, the setting for the UEFA Champions League final. Ferguson contemplated his team selection against Bayern Munich; suspensions to Scholes and Keane ruled both players out of the match.[109] Beckham was positioned in centre midfield, while Giggs moved to the right wing and Blomqvist started on the left – changes the manager felt would prevent the opposition from playing narrow.[109] United conceded in the first six minutes of the final, from a Mario Basler's free kick. Sheringham, who came on for Blomqvist, equalised from a corner in the first minute of additional time. McClaren told Ferguson to get the team organised for extra time, to which he replied, "Steve, this game isn't finished."[109] Three minutes into added time, Solskjær scored the winner, which for United completed an unprecedented treble. Ferguson, interviewed moments after, said, "I can't believe it. Football, bloody hell. But they never gave in and that's what won it." He and Schmeichel, the stand-in captain, jointly lifted the cup during the trophy presentation.[citation needed]

A crowd of over 500,000 people turned out on the streets of Manchester to greet the players, who paraded through the city in an open-top bus.[113] As European champions, United were invited to play in the Intercontinental Cup. The club also entered the inaugural Club World Championship, which was held in Brazil. This brought about a potential fixture congestion so United accepted the FA's recommendation of withdrawing from the FA Cup, the first holders to do so.[114] In later years, Ferguson elaborated on the club's decision: "We did it to help England's World Cup bid. That was the political situation. I regretted it because we got nothing but stick and terrible criticism for not being in the FA Cup when really, it wasn't our fault."[115]

1999–2002: Title hat-trick, retirement plan

Schmeichel's decision to leave United after eight seasons prompted Ferguson to bring in replacements: Mark Bosnich from Aston Villa and Italian Massimo Taibi. The latter featured in four matches, the last of which a 5–0 defeat at Chelsea in October 1999; he was not selected again by Ferguson. United ended the 1999–2000 league season as champions, with just three defeats and a record points margin of 18.[116] In December 1999, the club beat Palmeiras in Tokyo to win the Intercontinental Cup,[117] but a month later exited at the group stage of the inaugural Club World Championship,[118][119] although Ferguson stated the tournament was "fantastic".[120] United failed to retain the Champions League, as they lost in the quarter-final stage to eventual winners Real Madrid.[121][122] Ferguson sought to strengthen his squad and signed Fabien Barthez from Monaco for £7.8 million.[123] He also monitored the progress of Ruud van Nistelrooy, "a striker of the highest calibre".[124] He met the player and his agent in Manchester to discuss formalities and was informed of Van Nistelrooy's troubled right knee.[124] Ferguson was not agitated by this; he recalled from experience a similar niggle that did not stop his playing career.[124] Van Nistelrooy, however, failed his medical, but Ferguson reassured him that "we might yet find a way out of the nightmare".[124] The deal was resurrected in April 2001 for a British record transfer fee of £19 million.[125]

In the 2000–01 season, United retained the league title for a third season, becoming only the fourth side in history to do so. The achievement was overshadowed by reports of a rift between the club's board and Ferguson.[126] He told the club's television channel MUTV that he was prepared to sever all ties with the club, once his contract ended the following year: "The decision has been taken. I'm going to leave the club. I'm disappointed with what has happened because I was hoping something would be sorted out. It hasn't happened as I thought it would and that's all there is to it."[127] Both parties eventually reached a compromise which pleased Ferguson: "I am delighted we've settled this. When you have been at the club as long as I have it gets in your blood."[128] Age was one of the factors in Ferguson's decision to retire: reaching 60 acted as a "psychological barrier ... It changed my sense of my own fitness, my health."[citation needed]

In May 2001, McClaren left to become Middlesbrough manager,[129] with Jimmy Ryan being named assistant to Ferguson for the duration of the campaign.[130] United once more broke their transfer record with the purchase of Juan Sebastián Verón from Lazio for a reported £28.1 million.[131] In August 2001, Stam was transferred to Lazio for £16 million.[132] The player reportedly moved because of claims in his autobiography Head to Head; Stam implied that Ferguson illegally contacted him about a move to Manchester United, before informing PSV.[133] Ferguson said he sold the player because the club needed to cut back on its "massive wage bill".[134] He replaced the defender with Laurent Blanc, a long sought-after target.[134] In an interview with Alastair Campbell eight years after, Ferguson described his biggest mistake at the club was "letting go of Jaap Stam. No question".[135]

The club endured a poor first half to the season and languished in ninth position after a home defeat by West Ham in December 2001.[136] On the night of Christmas Day, Ferguson shelved his retirement plan.[citation needed] His family convinced him to remain in charge of United and Ferguson informed Watkins of his u-turn the following day.[citation needed]

Once Ferguson publicised his decision to remain in February 2002,[137] United's form improved. The team won 13 out of 15 matches, though finished third in the league behind Arsenal and Liverpool. United were unsuccessful in Europe, losing their Champions League semi-final on away goals to Bayer Leverkusen.[138] Early exits from the League Cup and FA Cup meant they ended the season trophyless. Ferguson himself said that the decision to announce his retirement had resulted in a negative effect on the players and on his ability to impose discipline.[139]

2002–2006: Rebuilding and transition

In June 2002, Ferguson appointed Carlos Queiroz as his new assistant.[140] The recommendation came from Andy Roxburgh, at a time when United began scouting for southern-hemisphere footballers and wanted a multilingual coach. Ferguson was so impressed with Queiroz after their first meeting, he offered him the job "right away". In July 2002, United paid £29.3 million for Leeds United defender Rio Ferdinand. The club broke the British transfer record once more, though this did not concern Ferguson: "We have the right to try and improve ourselves and there's nothing wrong with that."[141]

 
United signed Cristiano Ronaldo in August 2003.

The 2002–03 season began rather poorly for United; the club made their worst start to a league campaign in 13 years.[142] In a column for The Daily Telegraph, Hansen said Ferguson "will recognise this difficult start to the season for what it is: the greatest challenge of his career".[143] Ferguson's response was typically bullish:

I don't get paid to panic. We have had plenty of stuttering starts. My greatest challenge is not what's happening at the moment. My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch. And you can print that.[144]

Several players were sent away for surgery in this period, a "minor gamble" Ferguson took in the hope they would return energised. Defeats, such as the one to Manchester City at Maine Road in November 2002, forced United to change their playing style. The team "moved the ball forward more and quicker rather than concentrating on possession ratios," and the coaching staff tried accommodating Diego Forlán with Ruud van Nistelrooy, before settling with Paul Scholes. United's league form improved as the season went on despite defeat by Liverpool in the 2003 Football League Cup Final and they overhauled Arsenal to win the Premier League for an eighth time in May 2003.[145] The team were eliminated in the Champions League quarter-final to Real Madrid over two legs; Ferguson described the second match, a 4–3 win at Old Trafford as "epic".[citation needed]

After a season at United, Queiroz left to manage Real Madrid in June 2003.[146] Ferguson anticipated his deputy would return – "Three months later, he was wanting to quit Madrid," and for that reason did not appoint a replacement. In the summer, David Beckham also moved to Real Madrid, while Juan Sebastián Verón joined Chelsea. United in the meantime rebuilt their team: Tim Howard replaced Barthez in goal and Kléberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Cristiano Ronaldo came in to bolster the squad. Ronaldinho might have also joined "had he not said yes, then no, to our offer".[citation needed]

In December 2003, Rio Ferdinand was banned from playing football for eight months after he failed to present himself at a drugs test.[147] Ferguson in his autobiography ten years later blamed the drug testers, who "...didn't do their job. They didn't go looking for Rio". The absence of Ferdinand hampered United's defence of the Premier League in the 2003–04 season; the team finished third behind Arsenal's "Invincibles" and Chelsea. In Europe, they experienced defeat at the hands of eventual winners Porto. Ferguson felt it was possible "not because of the performance of the players but because of the referee", who disallowed a legitimate Scholes goal that would have been enough to progress. United ended the campaign as FA Cup winners, beating Millwall 3–0 in the 2004 final.[148]

At the beginning of the 2004–05 season, teenage striker Wayne Rooney (the world's most expensive teenager at more than £20 million) and Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze joined United while Cristiano Ronaldo continued where he had left off the previous season by putting in more match-winning performances. But the lack of a striker after Ruud van Nistelrooy spent most of the season injured saw the club finish third for the third time in four seasons. In the 2004–05 FA Cup, they lost on penalties to Arsenal in the final. A second-round exit from the Champions League at the hands of Milan and a semi-final exit from the League Cup at the hands of eventual winners Chelsea (who also clinched the Premier League title) meant that 2004–05 was a rare instance of a trophyless season for United. During the season, Ferguson managed his 1,000th game in charge of United in a 2–1 home win against Lyon.[149][150]

Ferguson's preparations for the 2005–06 season were disrupted by a high-profile dispute with major shareholder John Magnier, over the ownership of the racehorse Rock of Gibraltar. When Magnier and business partner J. P. McManus agreed to sell their shares to American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer, it cleared the way for Glazer to acquire full control of the club. This sparked violent protests from United fans,[151] and disrupted Ferguson's plans to strengthen the team in the transfer market. In spite of this, United looked to solve their goalkeeping and midfield problems. For this, they signed the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar from Fulham and Korean star Park Ji-sung from PSV.

The season was one of transition. On 18 November, Roy Keane officially left the club, his contract ended by mutual consent. United failed to qualify for the knock-out phase of the UEFA Champions League. In the January transfer window, Serbian defender Nemanja Vidić and French full-back Patrice Evra were signed, and the side finished in second place in the league, behind runaway winners Chelsea. Winning the League Cup was a consolation prize for lack of success elsewhere. Ruud van Nistelrooy's future at Old Trafford was in doubt after not starting in the League Cup final, and he departed at the end of the season.[152]

Before the start of the new season, Ferguson received much criticism, particular in the guise of an article in The Guardian titled "Shredding his legacy at every turn".[153]

Second Champions League trophy

 
Ferguson in 2008, standing beside assistant manager Carlos Queiroz

In 2006, Michael Carrick was signed to take Roy Keane's place in the team for a fee that eventually rose to £18 million.[154] United started the season well, and for the first time ever won their first four Premier League games, United's best start since 1985.[154][155] They set the early pace in the Premier League and never relinquished top spot from the tenth match of the 38-game season. The January 2006 signings had a huge impact on United's performances – Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidić came in to form a solid back line along with Rio Ferdinand and skipper Gary Neville. The signing of Carrick brought stability and further creativity in the United midfield, forming an effective partnership with Paul Scholes. Park Ji-sung and Ryan Giggs both underlined their value to the first team squad by adding significant pace and incisiveness in attack with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.[citation needed]

Ferguson celebrated the 20th anniversary of his appointment as manager of Manchester United on 6 November 2006. Tributes also came from Ferguson's players, both past and present,[156] as well as his old foe, Arsène Wenger.[157] The party was spoiled the following day when United endured a single-goal defeat at the hands of Southend United in the fourth round of the League Cup.[158] On 1 December it was announced that Manchester United had signed 35-year-old Henrik Larsson on loan,[159] a player that Ferguson had admired for many years, and attempted to capture previously. On 23 December 2006, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the club's 2,000th goal under Ferguson in a match against Aston Villa.[160]

Manchester United subsequently won their ninth Premier League title but were denied a unique fourth double by Chelsea's Didier Drogba scoring a late goal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.[161] In the Champions League, the club reached the semi-finals, recording a 7–1 home win over Roma in the quarter-final second leg,[162] but lost at the San Siro to Milan 3–0 in the second leg of the semi-final after being 3–2 up from the first leg.[163]

For the 2007–08 season, Ferguson made notable signings to reinforce United's first team. Long-term target Owen Hargreaves joined from Bayern Munich, young Portuguese winger Nani and Brazilian playmaker Anderson joined soon after, while the last summer signing was West Ham and Argentina striker Carlos Tevez after a complex and protracted transfer saga.[164][165][166]

Despite getting some retribution on Chelsea by beating them in the Community Shield, United suffered their worst start to a league season under Ferguson, drawing their first two league games before suffering a 1–0 defeat by local rivals Manchester City.[167][168] United, however, recovered and began a tight race with Arsenal for the title. After a good run of form, Ferguson claimed that throughout his time at Manchester United, this was the best squad he had managed to assemble thus far.[169]

On 16 February 2008, United beat Arsenal 4–0 in an FA Cup fifth round match at Old Trafford,[170] but were knocked out by eventual winners Portsmouth in the quarter-final on 8 March, losing 1–0 at home.[171] United having had a penalty claim turned down, Ferguson alleged after the game that Keith Hackett, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, was "not doing his job properly".[172][173] Ferguson was subsequently charged by The FA with improper conduct, which he decided to contest. This was the second charge Ferguson faced in the season, following his complaints against the referee after United lost 1–0 at Bolton Wanderers – a charge he decided not to contest.[citation needed]

On 11 May 2008, Ferguson led Manchester United to a tenth Premier League title, exactly 25 years to the day after he led Aberdeen to European glory against Real Madrid in the Cup Winners' Cup. Nearest rivals Chelsea – level on points going into the final round of matches, but with an inferior goal difference – could only draw 1–1 at home to Bolton, finishing two points adrift of the champions. United's title win was sealed with a 2–0 win over Wigan Athletic, managed by former United captain Steve Bruce.[174][175]

 
Ferguson in 2009

On 21 May 2008, Ferguson won his second European Cup with Manchester United as they beat Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, following a 1–1 draw after extra time in the first ever all-English UEFA Champions League Final.[176][177][178] A penalty miss from Cristiano Ronaldo meant that John Terry's spot-kick would have given the trophy to Chelsea if successfully converted, but Terry missed his penalty and in the end it was Edwin van der Sar's blocking of a Nicolas Anelka penalty which gave the trophy to Manchester United for the second time under Ferguson and for the third time overall.[179]

World champions and further league titles

Although the team had a slow start to the 2008–09 season,[180] United won the Premier League with a game to spare,[181] making Ferguson the first manager in the history of English football to win the top division three times consecutively, on two separate occasions. Ferguson had now won 11 league titles at Manchester United, and the 2008–09 season title success put them level with Liverpool as league champions on a record 18 occasions in total.[182] They also won the League Cup on penalties after a goalless draw in the final against Tottenham, after becoming the first British club to win the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2008.[183]

They contested the Champions League final against Barcelona on 27 May 2009 but lost 2–0, thus failed to defend the trophy.[184][185]

In 2009–10 season, Ferguson added another League Cup to his honours list as United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 in the final on 28 February 2010, United's first ever successful knockout cup defence.[186][187] However, his dreams of a third European Cup were ended a few weeks later when United were edged out of the competition in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich on away goals. And their hopes of a record 19th league title were ended on the last day of the season when Chelsea beat them to the Premier League title by one point, crushing Wigan Athletic 8–0 and rendering United's 4–0 win over Stoke City meaningless.[188]

He ended the following season by winning his 12th and Manchester United's 19th league title and thus overtaking Liverpool's record of 18. Manchester United faced Barcelona again on 28 May 2011 in the 2011 Champions League final, their third in four years, but United lost 3–1. Analyst Alan Hansen stated that he believed Ferguson was "the key component" in United's success that season, so key in fact that "[he] would have claimed the crown with any of the other top sides had he been in charge of them".[189] With Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes all retiring in 2011,[190] Ferguson spent big by signing defender Phil Jones from Blackburn and winger Ashley Young from Aston Villa for around £17 million each,[191][192] and goalkeeper David de Gea from Atlético Madrid for around £19 million.[193]

The following season United managed to beat rivals Manchester City in the 2011 FA Community Shield and eliminated them in the FA Cup third round, but ended the season below City, who won their first Premier League title on goal difference. This bitter and slim defeat prompted Ferguson to sign star-striker Robin van Persie, who was the Premier League Golden Boot title-holder, from another arch-rival Arsenal on 17 August 2012.

The 2012–13 season saw Ferguson guide United to become league champions for the 20th time, claiming the title with a 3–0 home win over Aston Villa on 22 April 2013 with four matches to spare; Van Persie scored all the goals with a first half hat-trick en route to retain the Golden Boot.[194] His final game in charge, his 1,500th in total, saw United play out a 5–5 draw with West Bromwich Albion. The result meant United finished the season 11 points ahead of runners-up Manchester City.[195] Earlier in the season, on 2 September 2012, Ferguson managed his 1,000th league game with United playing against Southampton. United won the game 3–2 thanks to another hat-trick from Van Persie. Two weeks later, he won his 100th game in the Champions League with a 1–0 win over Galatasaray at Old Trafford.[citation needed]

Retirement

On 8 May 2013, Ferguson announced that he had decided to retire as manager at the end of the football season, but would remain at the club as a director and club ambassador.[196][197] The Guardian announced it was the "end of an era",[198] while UEFA president Michel Platini referred to Ferguson as "a true visionary".[199] Former Manchester United players Paul Ince and Bryan Robson agreed that Ferguson would be "a hard act to follow".[200] Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer said, "His determination to succeed and dedication to the club have been truly remarkable."[201] Ferguson revealed that he had in fact decided that he was going to retire back in December 2012 and that it had been very difficult not to reveal his plans.[202] Ferguson's decision to retire saw United shares fall 5% on the New York Stock Exchange.[203]

On 9 May 2013, Manchester United announced Everton manager David Moyes would replace Ferguson as the club manager from 1 July, having signed a six-year contract.[204][205] In Ferguson's final match in charge, Manchester United drew 5–5 at West Bromwich Albion, a hat-trick from Romelu Lukaku, later a United player, denying Ferguson a final victory.[206]

Ferguson released his second autobiography in October 2013 called My Autobiography.[207][208] In January 2014, Ferguson was appointed as the UEFA Coaching Ambassador,[209][210] and said it was "an honour and a privilege" to be given the role.[211] In April 2014, it was announced that Ferguson would be taking up a "long-term teaching position" at Harvard University, where he would be lecturing on a new course titled "The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports".[212] This came six months after he revealed his blueprint for success was included in the Harvard Business Review in a series of interviews with Anita Elberse.[213][214] His book, Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United, was published in collaboration with billionaire venture capitalist, author and former journalist Michael Moritz in August 2015.[215]

Controversies

Gordon Strachan

Gordon Strachan was a key player for Ferguson at Aberdeen, but their relationship broke down when Strachan signed an agreement with German club FC Köln without telling Ferguson.[216] Ferguson said that he believed although "there was a cunning streak in Strachan, I had never imagined that he could pull such a stroke on me".[216] Strachan did not sign for Köln, but instead moved to Manchester United in the summer of 1984.[216] Strachan liked the move because he felt that Ron Atkinson treated him as an adult, unlike Ferguson.[217] Strachan was still with the club when Ferguson was appointed manager in November 1986.[216] Ferguson thought that Strachan did not play for United with the same confidence he had in Scotland and subsequently sold him to Leeds United in 1989.[216] Strachan enjoyed significant success with Leeds as a veteran player, helping them win the 1991–92 English league championship in a title race with Ferguson's United.[216]

Their relationship continued to be frosty as Strachan moved into management himself.[216] In his 1999 autobiography, Ferguson stated that Strachan "could not be trusted an inch – I would not want to expose my back to him in a hurry".[216] Strachan's reaction to the attack, in his own autobiography, My Life in Football, was one of being "surprised and disappointed", although he suspected that Ferguson had helped to relegate Strachan's Coventry City in 2001 by fielding a weakened Manchester United team in a match against Derby County.[216] By 2006 they appeared to have "declared something of a truce",[216] ahead of Champions League matches between United and Strachan's Celtic.[218]

David Beckham

In February 2003, Ferguson was involved in a dressing room argument with Manchester United player David Beckham.[219] Ferguson allegedly kicked a football boot in frustration, which hit Beckham in the face and caused a minor injury.[220] Ferguson apologised to Beckham, who was transferred to Real Madrid later that year.[220]

Champions League draw fixing

On 5 April 2003, Ferguson claimed that the Champions League draw was fixed in favour of Spanish and Italian teams.[219] UEFA charged Ferguson for bringing the game into disrepute with his comments.[221] Ferguson apologised for his remarks and wrote a letter to UEFA in explanation, but he was fined 10,000 Swiss francs (£4,600) by the governing body.[221]

Rock of Gibraltar

In 2003, Ferguson launched legal action against the then major Manchester United shareholder John Magnier over stud rights for race horse Rock of Gibraltar.[222] Magnier counter-sued Ferguson[223] by filing a "Motion to Comply" requiring Ferguson to substantiate his claim for half of Rock of Gibraltar's stud fees. The legal issues were further compounded by Magnier being a significant shareholder in the football club managed by Ferguson at the time.[224] Magnier requested that "99 Questions" be answered over Ferguson's transfer dealings, including those of Jaap Stam, Juan Sebastián Verón, Tim Howard, David Bellion, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kléberson.[225] The case was eventually settled out of Court.[224]

BBC

Ferguson refused to give interviews to the BBC after a documentary called Fergie and Son was shown on BBC Three on 27 May 2004.[226] According to an article in The Independent, the documentary had "portrayed his agent son, Jason, as somebody who exploited his father's influence and position to his own ends in the transfer market". The same newspaper article made it clear that Jason was never found guilty of any wrongdoing, and it quoted Alex Ferguson as saying:

"They [the BBC] did a story about my son that was whole lot of nonsense. It all [sic] made-up stuff and 'brown paper bags' and all that kind of carry-on. It was a horrible attack on my son's honour and he should never have been accused of that."[227]

Subsequent interviews on BBC programmes such as Match of the Day were done by his assistants, latterly Mike Phelan.[228]

Under new Premier League rules intended for the 2010–11 season, Ferguson was required to end his BBC boycott.[229] However, he refused to end his boycott and Manchester United said they would pay the resulting fines.[230] No fines were ever issued, as the BBC hoped to resolve the dispute.[228] On 25 August 2011, Ferguson met with BBC director general Mark Thompson and BBC North director Peter Salmon, after which Ferguson agreed to end his seven-year boycott.[228]

Referees

Ferguson has received numerous punishments for abusing and publicly criticising match officials when he has perceived them to be at fault:

  • 20 October 2003 – Two-match touchline ban and fined £10,000 after using abusive and/or insulting words towards fourth official Jeff Winter.[231]
  • 14 December 2007 – Two-match touchline ban and fined £5,000 after using abusive and/or insulting words towards Mark Clattenburg.[232]
  • 18 November 2008 – Two-match touchline ban and fined £10,000 after confronting Mike Dean after a game.[233]
  • 12 November 2009 – Four-match touchline ban (two suspended) and fined £20,000 for comments made about the fitness of Alan Wiley.[234]
  • 16 March 2011 – Five-match touchline ban (three plus the two suspended for the above offence) and fined £30,000 for comments made questioning the performance and fairness of Martin Atkinson.[235]

'Fergie Time'

It has also been suggested that Ferguson's intimidation of referees resulted in so-called "Fergie Time": that is, unusually generous injury time being added in matches where Manchester United were behind. The phrase is at least as old as 2004,[236] but the concept first appeared on 10 April 1993 when Steve Bruce scored a 97th-minute goal (seventh minute of injury time added on by the referee) against Sheffield Wednesday to win the game for United: they went top of the league with this win and remained there until the season ended.[84]

The concept cropped up in the media (and by opponents) whenever games seemed to be having more injury time than expected.[84] A statistical analysis by The Times suggests that this concept might be valid, though the article points out that other footballing criteria may explain the correlation between extra added time and United being behind.[237] Analysis by Opta Sports of Premier League matches played between 2010 and 2012 found on average that 79 seconds more time was played in matches where Manchester United were losing.[238] This was a greater figure than for other top clubs, although most of these clubs seem to benefit from a "Fergie Time" effect, particularly in their home matches.[238]

Legacy

 
Ferguson on continuing Sir Matt Busby's legacy at Manchester United, displayed at the National Football Museum

Many of Ferguson's former players have gone on to become football managers themselves, including Tony Fitzpatrick, Alex McLeish, Gordon Strachan, Mark McGhee, Willie Miller, Neale Cooper, Bryan Gunn, Eric Black, Billy Stark, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Chris Casper, Mark Robins, Darren Ferguson, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Henning Berg, Andrei Kanchelskis, Michael Appleton, Ryan Giggs, David Healy, Gabriel Heinze, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Jaap Stam, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and Phil Neville.[239][240] Three of these have subsequently managed Manchester United: Giggs (interim player-manager in 2014), Solskjær (2018 to 2021), and Carrick (interim manager in 2021).

The phrase "squeaky-bum time" coined by Ferguson in reference to the tense final stages of a league competition has been included in the Collins English Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary.[241][242]

A bronze statue of Ferguson, designed by Scottish sculptor Philip Jackson, was unveiled outside Old Trafford on 23 November 2012.[243][244] On 14 October 2013, Ferguson attended a ceremony where a road near Old Trafford was renamed from Water's Reach to Sir Alex Ferguson Way.[245][246] In July 2021, Aberdeen commissioned sculptor Andy Edwards to sculpt a bronze statue of Ferguson.[247] This was unveiled at Aberdeen's Pittodrie stadium on 25 February 2022,[248] and the on the following day Ferguson was presented with a maquette of the statue.[249]

A documentary about Ferguson's career titled Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In was released in UK cinemas on 27 May 2021 and was made available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and Ireland on 29 May. It includes interviews from Ferguson himself, his family, doctors and former players who he managed throughout his career.[250]

Personal life

Ferguson lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire, with his wife, Cathy (née Holding).[251] They married in 1966 and have three sons: Mark (born 1968); and twins Darren (born 1972), who was also a professional footballer and most recently a manager of Peterborough United; and Jason, who runs an events management company.[citation needed] Jason directed the 2021 documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In about his father.

In 1998, Ferguson was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party.[252] He is a self-described socialist.[253][254] In January 2011 Graham Stringer, a Labour MP in Manchester and Manchester United supporter, called for Ferguson to be made a life peer.[255] Stringer and fellow Manchester Labour MP Paul Goggins repeated this call after Ferguson announced his retirement in May 2013.[256]

In 2009, Ferguson received an honorary doctorate in business administration from the Manchester Metropolitan University.[257][258]

As well as having an ambassadorial role at Manchester United and other public speaking and charity engagements in retirement, he is a long-term patron of his childhood team Harmony Row, including a successful campaign for the club to have new facilities (they are now based at Braehead).[12][13][259][260][261]

In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Ferguson supported Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom.[262] He criticised the Scottish Government and First Minister Alex Salmond for denying the vote to Scots living in the UK but outside Scotland.[262] He also objected to the self-imposed rule by the Yes Scotland campaign against accepting donations from people living outside Scotland of more than £500, which they urged the No campaign to also adopt.[262]

Ferguson underwent an emergency surgery on 5 May 2018 after having a brain haemorrhage.[263] He made a recovery from the surgery and attended his first match at Old Trafford since then on 22 September 2018.[264]

In 1991, Ferguson became a wine collector after being shown a display of bottles from Château d'Yquem and Château Pétrus while in Montpellier, France.[265] In 2014, he put part of his vast collection up for auction with Christie's, with their head of wine David Elswood describing his taste as "exceptional",[266] valued at up to £3 million.[267] After the first of three auctions, Ferguson had sold 229 lots for £2.2 million.[268][269]

Honours

Player

St Johnstone

Falkirk

Individual

Manager

Ferguson was made an Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a manager. In 2003, Ferguson became an inaugural recipient of the FA Coaching Diploma, awarded to all coaches who had at least ten years' experience of being a manager or head coach.[272] He is the Vice-President of the National Football Museum, based in Manchester,[273] and a member of the Executive Committee of the League Managers Association.[274] On 5 November 2011, the Old Trafford North Stand was officially renamed the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in honour of his 25 years as manager of Manchester United.[275]

In addition to being the only manager to win the top league honours, and the 'Double', north and south of the England–Scotland border (winning the Premier League with Manchester United, and the Scottish Premier Division with Aberdeen), he is also the last manager to win the Scottish league championship with a non Old Firm team, achieving this in the 1984–85 season with Aberdeen.

Ferguson is the second-most decorated manager in European football competitions with seven honours, behind only Carlo Ancelotti. Ferguson won the top division title in England a record 13 times. He is also the first manager in the history of the English league to win three consecutive league titles, which he did twice.[citation needed] Ferguson won 10 Manager of the Year awards, 27 Manager of the Month awards, and managed the most games in the UEFA Champions League (190).[276][277] In 2017, Ferguson was named among the 10 most influential coaches since the foundation of UEFA in 1954.[278]

St Mirren

Aberdeen

Manchester United

Individual

Orders and special awards

Honorary degrees

 
Ferguson receiving an honorary degree from Salford University in 1996

Ferguson has received at least eight honorary degrees.[294] These Include:

Career statistics

As a player

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Queen's Park[15][301]
1958–59 8 4 8 4
1959–60 23 11 23 11
Total 31 15 31 15
St Johnstone[301] 1960–61
1961–62
1962–63
1963–64
Total 37 19
Dunfermline Athletic[301] 1964–65
1965–66
1966–67
Total 89 66
Rangers[302] 1967–68 29 19 5 0 6 2 6 3 46 24
1968–69 12 6 1 0 4 2 3 3 20 11
Total 41 25 6 0 10 4 9 6 66 35
Falkirk 1969–70[303] 21 15 3 3
1970–71[304] 28 13 0 0
1971–72[305] 28 9 2 1 9 4 39 14
1972–73[306] 18 0 2 1 0 0 20 1
Total 95 37 7 5
Ayr United 1973–74[307] 24 9 4 1 0 0 28 10
Total 24 9 4 1 0 0 28 10
Career total 317 171 6 0

As a manager

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref
P W D L Win %
East Stirlingshire June 1974 October 1974 17 9 2 6 052.9 [308]
St Mirren October 1974 May 1978 169 74 41 54 043.8 [308]
Aberdeen June 1978 6 November 1986 459 272 105 82 059.3 [308][309]
Scotland 1 October 1985 30 June 1986 10 3 4 3 030.0 [310]
Manchester United 6 November 1986 19 May 2013 1,500 895 338 267 059.7 [311][312]
Total 2,155 1,253 490 412 058.1

Published works

  • Ferguson, Alex; Meek, David (1992). Alex Ferguson: 6 Years at United. Mainstream. ISBN 978-1851584444.
  • Ferguson, Alex; Fitton, Peter (1993). Just Champion!. Manchester United Football Club. ISBN 978-0952050919.
  • Ferguson, Alex; Ball, Peter (1995). A Year in the Life: The Manager's Diary. Manchester United Football Club. ISBN 978-1852275211.
  • Ferguson, Alex; Meek, David (1997). A Will to Win: The Manager's Diary. Andre Deutsch. ISBN 978-0233993683.
  • Ferguson, Alex (2000). The Unique Treble. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0340792612.
  • Ferguson, Alex (2000). Managing My Life: The Autobiography. Coronet Books. ISBN 0-340-72856-6.
  • Ferguson, Alex (2013). My Autobiography. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-91939-2. The motto of the Ferguson clan in Scotland is: 'Dulcius ex asperis' or, 'Sweeter after difficulties'. That optimism served me well through 39 years of football management.
  • Ferguson, Alex; Moritz, Michael (2015). Leading: Lessons in leadership from the legendary Manchester United manager. Hachette UK. ISBN 978-1473621169.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ McColl, Brian; Gorman, Douglas; Campbell, George. (PDF). p. 318. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  2. ^ Bell, Stephen; Zlotkowski, Andre (6 June 2008). "Scotland XI Tour of Asia and Oceania 1967". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Former Scotland players to be recognised with international caps including Sir Alex Ferguson". scottishfa.co.uk. Scottish Football Association. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Alex Ferguson". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  5. ^ Rubio, Alberto; Clancy, Conor (23 May 2019). "Guardiola on his way to becoming the most successful coach of all time". Marca.
  6. ^ "Why youth is the key for Sir Alex". 14 September 2005. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Sir Alex's crowning glory". BBC News. 20 July 1999. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  8. ^ "Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson". mufcinfo.com. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  9. ^ Barratt, Nick (5 May 2007). . The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
  10. ^ Barratt, Nick (5 November 2010). . Soccer-Magazine.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Glasgow Caledonian University, Research Collections, Archives". TheGlasgowStory.com. 2009. from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  12. ^ a b c "All we ever did in Govan was play football and fight...it was a great upbringing, says Sir Alex Ferguson". Daily Record. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Sir Alex Ferguson shares his childhood memories of Harmony Row and tells how black ash burns made him the man he is". Daily Record. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson tribute to Drumchapel Amateurs' legend". Evening Times. Glasgow. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Ferguson, Alexander Chapman". QPFC.com – A Historical Queen's Park FC Website. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  16. ^ Crick, p. 33
  17. ^ "Details of Queen of the South 7 v 1 Queens Park including Ferguson's recollection in the Ivor Broadis career profile". Qosfc.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  18. ^ a b Rowat, Alison (27 May 2021). "Sir Alex Ferguson: The truth about Rangers and me - Aberdeen legend speaks out in new film". The Herald. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Ferguson reveals earlier Canada emigration plans". ESPN Soccernet. 4 February 2010. from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  20. ^ "Unexpected defeat of Rangers". The Glasgow Herald. 23 December 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Scotland – List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
  22. ^ a b "Scotland: Top players never to be capped by their country". BBC Sport. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson looks for feat of escapology to beat Athletic Bilbao". The Guardian. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  24. ^ Crick, p. 82
  25. ^ Crick, p. 83
  26. ^ Crick, p. 86
  27. ^ Reid, Harry (2005). The Final Whistle?. Birlinn. p. 223. ISBN 1-84158-362-6.
  28. ^ Ferguson, pp. 106–107
  29. ^ Suter, Ruth (9 March 2021). "Sir Alex Ferguson regrets not telling Rangers director to 'f*** off' after quizzing wife's religion". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  30. ^ a b Taylor, Daniel (22 October 2003). "Ferguson denies sentiment until blue in the face". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  31. ^ Crick, p. 85
  32. ^ The wit and wisdom of Sir Alex Ferguson. Riley, Chris. London: Biteback Publishing. 2013. ISBN 978-1-84954-627-0. OCLC 852756978.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  33. ^ Crick, pp. 108–9
  34. ^ Lowe, Sid; Scott, Matt; Taylor, Daniel; Brodkin, Jon (23 November 2004). "A leader of men is what he does best". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  35. ^ Crick, p. 117
  36. ^ a b Adams, Billy (30 May 1999). . The Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 9 November 2007.
  37. ^ "Sir Alex lifts the lid". 4 May 2004. Archived from the original on 6 April 2005. Retrieved 9 November 2007.
  38. ^ Campbell, Nicky (12 January 2006). "Guardian bullying article". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
  39. ^ . FIFA.com. 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  40. ^ "31.05.1978: Alex Ferguson is fired by St Mirren". The Guardian. UK. 31 May 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  41. ^ Reid, Harry (11 April 1983). "The goal that Alex Ferguson has been chasing all his life". Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  42. ^ Crick, p. 159
  43. ^ Crick, p. 171
  44. ^ Crick, p. 174
  45. ^ Crick, p. 175
  46. ^ Haugstad, Thore (16 June 2017). "Furious Fergie: The early years of Sir Alex Ferguson". Time On The Ball. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  47. ^ Crick, p. 179
  48. ^ Crick, p. 180
  49. ^ Crick, p. 191
  50. ^ Crick, p. 195
  51. ^ Crick, p. 196
  52. ^ Reynolds, Jim (3 March 1983). "Magnificent Dons eclipse German stars". The Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  53. ^ Reynolds, Jim (17 March 1983). "Aberdeen emerge as the best of British". The Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  54. ^ Lacey, David (21 October 1982). "Tottenham run on reserve". The Guardian. p. 22.
  55. ^ Lacey, David (4 November 1982). "Spurs lost in Munich fog". The Guardian. p. 26.
  56. ^ Crick, p. 201
  57. ^ Reynolds, Jim (12 May 1983). "Dons the Real European masters". The Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  58. ^ Crick, p. 203
  59. ^ Reynolds, Jim (23 November 1983). "Aberdeen are set for superstardom". The Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  60. ^ Reynolds, Jim (21 December 1983). "Aberdeen's super heroes take the glory". The Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  61. ^ Reynolds, Jim (23 May 1983). "Don't put the blame on Russell – Greig". The Herald. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  62. ^ Crick, p. 204
  63. ^ a b "No. 49969". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1984. p. 9.
  64. ^ "Lewis heads sporting honours". BBC News. 12 December 1999. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  65. ^ Murray, Ewan (10 May 2011). "Sir Alex Ferguson rejected 1986 chance to become Arsenal manager". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  66. ^ Ley, John (10 May 2011). "Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson turned down the opportunity to manage Arsenal". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  67. ^ Reynolds, Jim (2 February 2001). "Why I didn't go to Rangers:Sir Alex Ferguson on Advocaat's successor, the Scotland job, and the Old Firm in the Premiership". The Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  68. ^ "Fergie Steps Down". Evening Times. 16 June 1986. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  69. ^ "Ferguson 'almost became Arsenal boss'". BBC News. 10 June 2009. from the original on 13 June 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  70. ^ "Tributes to former Wolves chief Harry Marshall". Express & Star. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  71. ^ "Dalglish in frame to replace Fagan as manager". The Glasgow Herald. 30 May 1985. p. 20 – via Google News.
  72. ^ Paul, Ian (7 November 1986). "Ferguson agrees to Old Trafford move". The Glasgow Herald. p. 32. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  73. ^ a b . footysphere.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  74. ^ "Arise Sir Alex?". BBC News. 27 May 1999. Retrieved 3 December 2005.
  75. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson's 20 years at Manchester United". BBC Sport. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  76. ^ Ornstein, David (22 May 2009). "Ferguson hungry for more success". BBC News. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  77. ^ Ferguson, Alex; Fitton, Peter (1993). Just Champion!. Manchester United Football Club plc. p. 27. ISBN 0-9520509-1-9.
  78. ^ a b Bevan, Chris (4 November 2006). "How Robins saved Ferguson's job". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  79. ^ "20 years and Fergie's won it all!". Manchester Evening News. 6 November 2006. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  80. ^ a b Jones, Ken (8 May 1997). "Recalling the pressure Ferguson was under, the probability is that a 1–0 victory at Forest in the third round of the FA Cup saved him". The Independent. UK. from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  81. ^ Ferguson, p. 302
  82. ^ Ferguson, p. 311
  83. ^ Ferguson, p. 320
  84. ^ a b c "From the Vault: Manchester United, 'Fergie Time' and Steve Bruce's headers". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  85. ^ "The highs and lows of Roy Keane's career". The Guardian. London. 23 April 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  86. ^ Pike, Keith (21 August 1995). "Ferguson watches seeds of doubt grow". The Times. London. p. 23.
  87. ^ Hansen, Alan (2 November 2011). "Sir Alex Ferguson 25 years: 'You can't win anything with kids'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  88. ^ "Three Premier League managers whom Fergie made flip – and one rival who bit back". The Guardian. London. 10 January 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  89. ^ Maddock, David (17 May 1996). "Ferguson accepts four-year contract". The Times. London. p. 48.
  90. ^ White, Jim (23 April 1997). "Amazing how other teams keep letting United win". The Guardian. London. p. 30.
  91. ^ Lacey, David (20 March 1997). "United take a stroll into semi-finals". The Guardian. London. p. 26.
  92. ^ Lacey, David (24 April 1997). "Ricken wrecks United's dream". The Guardian. London. p. 28.
  93. ^ a b Barclay, pp. 301–2
  94. ^ Ball, Peter (28 June 1997). "Sheringham handed Cantona's crown". The Times. London. p. 52.
  95. ^ Maddock, David (12 August 1997). "Berg signs up to improve United's case for defence". The Times. London. p. 44.
  96. ^ Kempson, Russell (4 August 1997). "Captain Keane takes over the helm". The Times. London. p. 23.
  97. ^ Shaw, Phil (29 September 1997). "United fail Leeds' intelligence test". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
  98. ^ Ridley, Ian (9 November 1997). "All red and all conquering". The Independent on Sunday. London. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  99. ^ Lacey, David (10 November 1997). "Platt stalls United's march". The Guardian. London. p. 19.
  100. ^ Moore, Glenn (2 March 1998). "Now United can focus on Europe". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
  101. ^ Moore, Glenn (3 March 1998). "Ferguson set to call on United's artisan aspect". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  102. ^ Hughes, Rob (18 May 1998). "Wenger leading English game towards exit from insularity". The Times. London. p. 31.
  103. ^ Maddock, David (6 May 1998). "Stam's arrival relieves the gloom for United". The Times. London. p. 41.
  104. ^ "Yorke on the brink of move to Old Trafford". The Times. London. 24 July 1998. p. 44.
  105. ^ a b Wood, Stephen; Kempson, Russell (21 August 1998). "United smash record for Yorke". The Times. London. p. 48.
  106. ^ Lacey, David (10 August 1998). "Wenger's all-stars write an epitaph to United". The Guardian. London. p. 21.
  107. ^ Stewart, Colin (8 February 1999). "Atkinson left eightsome reeling after United rout". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. p. 31.
  108. ^ "United pull off Cup smash-and-grab". BBC News. 24 January 1999. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  109. ^ a b c d e f g Holt, Oliver (7 August 1999). "'The celebrations begun by that goal will never stop". The Times. London. pp. 36–37.
  110. ^ Holt, Oliver (15 April 1999). "Giggs wonder goal is final thrill". The Times. London. p. 52.
  111. ^ Holt, Oliver (8 April 1999). "Giggs throws United a lifeline". The Times. London. p. 52.
  112. ^ a b c Holt, Oliver (22 April 1999). "Heroic United have final word". The Times. London. p. 56.
  113. ^ "Manchester United; Half-Million Fans Greet Winning Club". The New York Times. 28 May 1999. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  114. ^ "United pull out of FA Cup". BBC News. 30 August 1999. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  115. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson: Manchester United's 1999 FA Cup withdrawal was a mistake". The Daily Telegraph. London. 3 December 2009. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  116. ^ Shaw, Phil (15 May 2000). "United fall short of elusive century". The Independent. London. p. A2.
  117. ^ "Man Utd crowned world champions". BBC. 30 November 1999. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  118. ^ . BBC. 8 January 2000. Archived from the original on 4 March 2003. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  119. ^ "Fortune fails to save Man Utd". BBC. 11 January 2000. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  120. ^ . BBC. Archived from the original on 6 March 2003. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  121. ^ "Man Utd 2 Real Madrid 3". The Guardian. 19 April 2000. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  122. ^ "Man Utd wrecked by Real". BBC. 19 April 2000. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  123. ^ "Man Utd confirm Barthez signing". BBC Sport. 31 May 2000. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  124. ^ a b c d Ferguson, Alex (25 July 2000). "How a phone call killed Van Nistelrooy deal". The Times. London. p. 30.
  125. ^ "Man Utd clinch Van Nistelrooy deal". BBC Sport. 23 April 2001. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  126. ^ Taylor, Daniel (21 May 2001). "After the United fallout, Ferguson faces up to job and a half". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  127. ^ Kay, Oliver (19 May 2001). "Ferguson cuts Manchester United links". The Times. London. p. 1.
  128. ^ Gaunt, Ken (14 July 2001). "Ferguson is reunited with Old Trafford board". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  129. ^ "McClaren moves into the Riverside". The Telegraph. 12 July 2001. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  130. ^ Kay, Oliver (28 May 2001). "Cantona returns to nurture club's youth". The Times. London. p. 25.
  131. ^ "Ferguson is reunited with Old Trafford board". The Daily Telegraph. London. 12 July 2001. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  132. ^ "Ferguson writes off Stam for £16.4m". The Telegraph. 26 August 2001. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  133. ^ "Stam's United dream dies". BBC Sport. 26 August 2001. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  134. ^ a b "Stam move 'down to cash'". BBC Sport. 2 September 2001. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  135. ^ Wilson, Steve (19 March 2009). "Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson doesn't rate Rafa Benitez". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  136. ^ Williams, Richard (10 December 2001). "United undone by Ferguson's failing". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  137. ^ Winter, Henry (5 February 2002). "Ferguson's U-turn delights United". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  138. ^ "Draw puts Man Utd out". BBC. 30 April 2002. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  139. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson: 'The notion of a retirement age is anathema to me'". The Guardian. London. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  140. ^ Kay, Oliver (7 June 2002). "United import help for Ferguson in quest to regain title". The Times. London. p. 56.
  141. ^ "Man Utd seal Rio deal". BBC Sport. 22 July 2002. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  142. ^ Nurse, Howard (4 May 2003). "Ferguson's best yet". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  143. ^ Hansen, Alan (16 September 2002). "Ferguson faces greatest challenge of his career". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  144. ^ Walker, Michael (28 September 2002). "Ferguson takes the poison and insists United will prosper". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  145. ^ Fletcher, Paul (4 May 2003). "Ten weeks that turned the title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  146. ^ "Queiroz joins Real". BBC Sport. 25 June 2003. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  147. ^ "Ferdinand banned for eight months". BBC Sport. 19 December 2003. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  148. ^ McCarra, Kevin (24 May 2004). "United triumph by taking the job seriously". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 May 2004.
  149. ^ "Man Utd 2 – 1 Lyon". The Guardian. 23 November 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  150. ^ "Man Utd 2–1 Lyon". BBC. 23 November 2004. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  151. ^ "Fans rage at Glazer takeover move". BBC. 13 May 2005. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  152. ^ McNulty, Phil (28 July 2006). "Ferguson's Ruud dilemma". BBC. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  153. ^ Smyth, Rob (31 July 2006). "Shredding his legacy at every turn". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  154. ^ a b Taylor, Daniel (11 September 2006). "Giggs and sloppy Spurs get United believing again". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  155. ^ "Man Utd 1–0 Tottenham". BBC Sport. 9 September 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  156. ^ "Saviour Robins: Fergie just cannot let go". ESPN Soccernet, 4 November 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  157. ^ "Wenger: Managers should emulate Ferguson". ESPN Soccernet, 4 November 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  158. ^ "Southend 1–0 Man Utd". 7 November 2006. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  159. ^ "Man Utd capture Larsson on loan". BBC Sport. 1 December 2006. from the original on 25 January 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
  160. ^ James, Stuart (24 December 2006). "Cristiano's stockings full of gifts for United". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2006.
  161. ^ McKenzie, Andrew (19 May 2007). "FA Cup final – Chelsea 1–0 Man Utd". BBC. Retrieved 25 June 2006.
  162. ^ McCarra, Kevin (11 April 2007). "Seven wonders of sublime United dazzle and destroy helpless Roma". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  163. ^ Cheese, Caroline (2 May 2007). "AC Milan 3–0 Man Utd (Agg: 5–3)". BBC. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  164. ^ "Hargreaves completes Man Utd move". BBC Sport. 1 July 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  165. ^ "Nani & Anderson seal Man Utd move". BBC Sport. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  166. ^ "Tevez completes Man Utd transfer". BBC Sport. 10 August 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  167. ^ Bevan, Chris (19 August 2007). "Man City 1–0 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  168. ^ Taylor, Daniel (20 August 2007). "Geovanni's lucky strike punishes prodigal United". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  169. ^ Whittell, Ian (12 November 2007). "This is the best squad I've ever had". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  170. ^ "Man Utd 4–0 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 16 February 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  171. ^ McNulty, Phil (8 March 2008). "Man Utd 0–1 Portsmouth". BBC. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  172. ^ Bandini, Nicky (9 March 2008). "FA will review Ferguson's criticisms of Atkinson and Hackett". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  173. ^ "Ferguson furious after Cup exit". BBC Sport. 8 March 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  174. ^ McCarra, Kevin (12 May 2008). "Ronaldo makes Wigan suffer as champions mix business with pleasure". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  175. ^ McNulty, Phil (11 May 2008). "Wigan 0–2 Man Utd". BBC. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  176. ^ Winter, Henry (22 May 2008). "Manchester United join Europe's greats after Moscow win". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  177. ^ McNulty, Phil (22 May 2008). "Man Utd earn dramatic Euro glory". BBC. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  178. ^ Schwirtz, Michael (22 May 2008). "Manchester United Wins Champions League Final". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  179. ^ Smith, Alan (22 May 2008). "Tears for John Terry and Chelsea after cruel ending". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  180. ^ Stevenson, Jonathan; Cheese, Caroline (16 May 2009). "How the Premier League was won". BBC. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  181. ^ Wilson, Paul (16 May 2009). "United retain Premier League crown after goalless finale at Old Trafford". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  182. ^ "Ferguson hungry for four in a row". BBC. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  183. ^ Wallace, Sam (2 March 2009). "United march on as Spurs fail test of nerve". The Independent. London. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  184. ^ McCarra, Kevin (27 May 2009). "Manchester United fold without a fight as Barcelona claim Champions League". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  185. ^ Winter, Henry (27 May 2009). "Manchester United 0 Barcelona 2". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  186. ^ McNulty, Phil (28 February 2010). "Aston Villa 1–2 Man Utd". BBC. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  187. ^ . ESPNsoccernet. 28 February 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  188. ^ "Man Utd 4-0 Stoke". BBC Sport. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  189. ^ Hansen, Alan (23 June 2011). "Sir Alex Ferguson must rebuild Manchester United despite 19th title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  190. ^ "Man Utd midfielder Paul Scholes retires aged 36". BBC Sport. 31 May 2011. from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  191. ^ "Manchester United secure deal for Blackburn's Phil Jones". BBC Sport. 13 June 2011. from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  192. ^ "Ashley Young joins Man Utd from Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 23 June 2011. from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  193. ^ "Manchester United confirm signing of David de Gea". BBC Sport. 29 June 2011. from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  194. ^ Bevan, Chris (22 April 2013). "Manchester United 3-0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  195. ^ Johnston, Neil (19 May 2013). "West Brom 5-5 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  196. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson to retire as Manchester United manager". BBC Sport. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  197. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson to retire this summer, Manchester United confirm". Sky Sports. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  198. ^ Ronay, Barney (8 May 2013). "End of an era as Alex Ferguson calls time at Manchester United". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  199. ^ Coerts, Stefan. "Platini: Ferguson a true visionary". Yahoo!. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  200. ^ . The Daily Telegraph. 8 May 2013. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  201. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson to retire". Fox Sports. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  202. ^ . BBC Sport. 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  203. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson retires: Man Utd shares fall in New York". BBC News. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  204. ^ "David Moyes: Manchester United appoint Everton boss". BBC Sport. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  205. ^ "Manchester United confirm appointment of David Moyes on a six-year contract". Sky Sports. BSkyB. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  206. ^ "West Brom 5–5 Manchester United". BBC Sport. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  207. ^ Hayward, Paul (22 October 2013). "My Autobiography is a football book, not just a news tornado". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  208. ^ Sport, Telegraph (22 October 2013). "Alex Ferguson book launch: transcript from the press conference". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  209. ^ Ziegler, Martyn (24 January 2014). "Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson becomes Uefa coaching ambassador". The Independent. from the original on 29 January 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  210. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson appointed as Uefa's coaching ambassador". The Guardian. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  211. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson takes up position as UEFA's coaching ambassador". Sky Sports. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  212. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson to take up 'long-term teaching position' at Harvard". The Guardian. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  213. ^ "Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson gives blueprint for success". The Guardian. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  214. ^ Ogden, Mark (10 September 2013). "Sir Alex Ferguson reveals his blueprint for managing Manchester United". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  215. ^ Ferguson, Alex (August 2015). Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United.
  216. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Austin, Simon (12 September 2006). "Fergie v Strachan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  217. ^ "Strachan keen to end Fergie rift". BBC Sport. 30 July 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  218. ^ Fudge, Simon. "Strachan: No Fergie feud". Sky Sports. BSkyB. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  219. ^ a b "Sir Alex Ferguson factfile". Manchester Evening News. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  220. ^ a b Fifield, Dominic (1 September 2003). "Beckham went for boss in boot brawl". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  221. ^ a b "Ferguson fined over outburst". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  222. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson takes His case to Court". Racing and Sports. 20 November 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  223. ^ Harris, Nick (3 February 2004). . The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 22 January 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  224. ^ a b Wallace, Sam (6 March 2004). "Ferguson agrees £2.5m Rock deal". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  225. ^ Campbell, Denis (1 February 2004). "United won't answer the 99 questions". The Guardian. UK. from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  226. ^ "BBC THREE investigation raises new questions for Manchester United". BBC Press office. 25 May 2004. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  227. ^ Harris, Nick (6 September 2007). "Ferguson will never talk to The BBC again". The Independent. UK. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  228. ^ a b c Taylor, Daniel (25 August 2011). "Alex Ferguson ends BBC boycott after personal visit from Mark Thompson". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  229. ^ White, Duncan (14 November 2009). . The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 18 November 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  230. ^ Laughlin, Andrew (16 September 2010). "BBC to give up Ferguson boycott battle". Digital Spy. from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  231. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson Factfile". Manchester Evening News. 6 November 2006. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  232. ^ "Ferguson banned for two matches". BBC. 14 December 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  233. ^ Ducker, James (19 November 2008). "Sir Alex Ferguson banned and fined £10,000". The Times. UK. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  234. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson banned for two games and fined after Alan Wiley jibe". The Guardian. UK. 12 November 2009. from the original on 15 November 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  235. ^ "Ferguson suspended and fined". London: The Football Association. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  236. ^ Wallace, Sam (30 August 2004). "Wiley's time-keeping hands United lifeline". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  237. ^ Gray, Sadie (24 October 2009). "It's a fact! Fergie time does exist in the Premier League". The Times. UK. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  238. ^ a b Pritchard, Charlotte (23 November 2012). "Fergie time: Does it really exist?". BBC News. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  239. ^ "Gary Neville can succeed at Valencia – Sir Alex Ferguson". BBC Sport. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  240. ^ "The 31 managers who played at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson". Sky Sports. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  241. ^ "'Asbo' and 'chav' make dictionary". BBC News. 8 June 2005. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  242. ^ Smyth, Rob (23 March 2012). "Sir Alex Ferguson learns from mistakes to master mind games with smile". The Guardian.
  243. ^ "Sir Alex statue date confirmed". Manchester United F.C. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  244. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson pride as Manchester United unveil statue". BBC Sport. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  245. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson has Trafford road named in his honour". The Guardian. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  246. ^ "'Sir Alex Ferguson Way': Former Manchester United manager attends street renaming ceremony". The Independent. 14 October 2013. from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  247. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson statue: Aberdeen to honour former manager's 'immense' tenure with Andy Edwards sculpture". Sky Sports. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  248. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson statue unveiled at Aberdeen's Pittodrie Stadium". BBC News. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  249. ^ Aberdeen FC [@AberdeenFC] (26 February 2022). "❤️ An incredible reception for Sir Alex Ferguson from Pittodrie. COYR! #StandFree" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 June 2022 – via Twitter.
  250. ^ "'I'm a Govan boy': clip from new Sir Alex Ferguson documentary – video". theguardian.com. 22 April 2021.
  251. ^ Keegan, Mike (20 April 2011). "Home defeat for Sir Alex Ferguson as wife bans football from their house". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  252. ^ "UK Politics | 'Luvvies' for Labour". BBC News. 30 August 1998. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
  253. ^ "The socialist international". The Economist. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  254. ^ Ogden, Mark (6 June 2007). "Ferguson provides food for thought". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  255. ^ . Manchester Evening News. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  256. ^ "MPs call for Sir Alex Ferguson to be made a Lord". Manchester Evening News. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  257. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson honoured & Events | Manchester Metropolitan University". Mmu.ac.uk. 14 July 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  258. ^ . Sci-eng.mmu.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  259. ^ "Fergie visits Harmony Row". Daily Record. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  260. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson: "Inspiration is just as important as education"". The Big Issue. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  261. ^ Our vision and history, Harmony Row Club
  262. ^ a b c Barnes, Eddie (16 December 2012). "Alex Salmond 'silencing' Scots, says Sir Alex Ferguson". The Scotsman. Johnston Publishing. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  263. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson: Former Manchester United boss has emergency surgery". BBC Sport. 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  264. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson returns to Old Trafford following-recovery from brain surgery". Sky Sports. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  265. ^ Mercer, Chris (5 June 2014). "Decanter Interview: Sir Alex Ferguson on wine". Decanter. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  266. ^ Rawlinson, Kevin (24 May 2014). "Sir Alex Ferguson begins selling wine collection to make space for new finds". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  267. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson wine collection auction could make £3m". BBC News. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  268. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson sells part of his wine collection for £2.2m in the first of three Hong Kong auctions". The Independent. 24 May 2014. from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  269. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson's wine collection sells for £2.2m". BBC News. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  270. ^ "It's Fergie time as Sir Alex makes East End return". Dunfermline Press. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  271. ^ "SIR ALEX FERGUSON GIVEN UNIQUE HONOUR BY QUEEN'S PARK". SPFL. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  272. ^ Magowan, Alistair (23 June 2008). "What is a Uefa Pro Licence?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  273. ^ . National Football Museum. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  274. ^ (PDF). League Managers Association. 2011. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  275. ^ "Man Utd rename Old Trafford stand in Ferguson's honour". BBC News. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  276. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson". National Football Museum. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  277. ^ Lynch, Kevin (8 May 2013). "Sir Alex Ferguson retires: Manchester United manager's record-breaking legacy". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  278. ^ "Coaching greats in profile". UEFA.com: The official website for European football. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  279. ^ a b c "Manager profile: Alex Ferguson". Premier League. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  280. ^ a b c d e f g h . Manchester United F.C. Archived from the original on 25 August 2013.
  281. ^ McNulty, Phil (27 May 2009). "Barcelona 2–0 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  282. ^ McNulty, Phil (28 May 2011). "Barcelona 3–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  283. ^ "IFFHS ALL TIME RANKING OF THE WORLD'S BEST COACH (1996-2020)". IFFHS. 25 February 2021.
  284. ^ "Greatest Managers, No. 1: Alex Ferguson". ESPN. 9 August 2013.
  285. ^ "📸 France Football ranks the 50 greatest managers of all-time". OneFootball.
  286. ^ "The 50 Greatest Football Managers of All Time". Sports Illustrated. 20 August 2019.
  287. ^ "Man City boss Pep Guardiola named Coach of the Century". Manchester Evening News. 27 December 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  288. ^ "Dundee United's Jim McLean". The Guardian. 27 December 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  289. ^ "Varsity Club award for Aberdeen boss". Evening Express. 27 April 1983. Retrieved 11 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  290. ^ "Ferguson's Award". Press & Journal. 30 May 1980. Retrieved 11 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
    "Fergie soccer Scot of the year". Evening Express. 26 May 1983. Retrieved 11 May 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  291. ^ "No. 53893". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1994. p. 9.
  292. ^ "No. 55513". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1999. p. 2.
  293. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson to get freedom of Trafford and road name honour". BBC News. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  294. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson's Eight Degrees". Top Universities. 8 May 2013.
  295. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  296. ^ "Honorary Graduates – News & Events – Robert Gordon University (RGU) Aberdeen Scotland". rgu.ac.uk.
  297. ^ University, Manchester Metropolitan. "Honorary Graduates 2011 – 1970, Manchester Metropolitan University". Manchester Metropolitan University.
  298. ^ . University of Stirling. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  299. ^ "Sir Alex receives University's highest honour on Foundation Day". The University of Manchester.
  300. ^ "Honorary graduates". ulster.ac.uk. 8 July 2022.
  301. ^ a b c "Alex Ferguson". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  302. ^ "Rangers Player Alex Ferguson Details". fitbastats.com.
  303. ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1970–71, pp. 724, 740–741. Queen Anne Press, London.
  304. ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1971–72, pp. 563, 537. Queen Anne Press, London.
  305. ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1972–73, pp. 648–649, 683–684, 688. Queen Anne Press, London.
  306. ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1973–74, pp. 572–573, 626–628. Queen Anne Press, London.
  307. ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1974–75, pp. 570–571, 642–644. Queen Anne Press, London.
  308. ^ a b c Bartram, Steve; Bostock, Adam (20 October 2010). "Boss greets landmark game". Manchester United F.C. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  309. ^ Inwood, Benji (4 November 2011). "Timeline: Sir Alex Ferguson's 25 years at Manchester United". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  310. ^ . Scottish Football Association. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  311. ^ "Managers: Alex Ferguson". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  312. ^ "Sir Alex Ferguson Profile & MUFC Managerial Record". www.mufcinfo.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.

References

External links

  • Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United Managerial Record at mufcinfo.com
  • Alex Ferguson management career statistics at Soccerbase
  • Scottish Football Hall of Fame profile
  • Aberdeen Manager profile at AFC Heritage Trust
  • UEFA coaching record (archived)

alex, ferguson, other, people, named, disambiguation, alexander, chapman, ferguson, born, december, 1941, scottish, former, football, manager, player, best, known, managing, manchester, united, from, 1986, 2013, widely, regarded, greatest, managers, time, more. For other people named Alex Ferguson see Alex Ferguson disambiguation Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson CBE born 31 December 1941 is a Scottish former football manager and player best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013 He is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time and has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football 5 Ferguson is often credited for valuing youth during his time with Manchester United particularly in the 1990s with the Class of 92 who contributed to making the club one of the richest and most successful in the world 6 Sir Alex FergusonCBEFerguson in December 2006Personal informationFull nameAlexander Chapman FergusonDate of birth 1941 12 31 31 December 1941 age 81 Place of birthGlasgow ScotlandPosition s ForwardYouth careerHarmony Row Boys ClubDrumchapel AmateursSenior career YearsTeamApps Gls 1957 1960Queen s Park31 15 1960 1964St Johnstone37 19 1964 1967Dunfermline Athletic89 66 1967 1969Rangers41 25 1969 1973Falkirk95 37 1973 1974Ayr United24 9 Total317 171 International career1960Scotland Amateurs 1 1 1 1967Scotland 2 3 4 3 1967Scottish Football League XI 4 2 1 Managerial career1974East Stirlingshire1974 1978St Mirren1978 1986Aberdeen1985 1986Scotland1986 2013Manchester United Club domestic league appearances and goalsFerguson played as a forward for several Scottish clubs including Dunfermline Athletic and Rangers While playing for Dunfermline he was the top goalscorer in the Scottish league in the 1965 66 season Towards the end of his playing career he also worked as a coach then started his managerial career with East Stirlingshire and St Mirren Ferguson then enjoyed a highly successful period as manager of Aberdeen winning three Scottish league championships four Scottish Cups and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1983 He briefly managed Scotland following the death of Jock Stein taking the team to the 1986 World Cup Ferguson was appointed manager of Manchester United in November 1986 During his 26 years with Manchester United he won 38 trophies including 13 Premier League titles five FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles He was knighted in the 1999 Queen s Birthday Honours list for his services to the game 7 Ferguson is the longest serving manager of Manchester United having overtaken Sir Matt Busby s record on 19 December 2010 He retired from management at the end of the 2012 13 season having won the Premier League in his final season Contents 1 Early life 2 Playing career 2 1 Club 2 2 International 3 Managerial career 3 1 East Stirlingshire 3 2 St Mirren 3 3 Aberdeen 3 3 1 Late 1970s 3 3 2 1980s and silverware 3 3 3 European success and Scottish national side 3 4 Manchester United 3 4 1 Appointment and first FA Cup title 3 4 2 United s European firsts and Ferguson s seconds 3 4 3 1993 95 Double win and loss 3 4 4 1995 98 3 4 5 1998 99 Treble success 3 4 6 1999 2002 Title hat trick retirement plan 3 4 7 2002 2006 Rebuilding and transition 3 4 8 Second Champions League trophy 3 4 9 World champions and further league titles 3 4 10 Retirement 4 Controversies 4 1 Gordon Strachan 4 2 David Beckham 4 3 Champions League draw fixing 4 4 Rock of Gibraltar 4 5 BBC 4 6 Referees 4 6 1 Fergie Time 5 Legacy 6 Personal life 7 Honours 7 1 Player 7 2 Manager 7 3 Orders and special awards 7 4 Honorary degrees 8 Career statistics 8 1 As a player 8 2 As a manager 9 Published works 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 External linksEarly lifeAlexander Chapman Ferguson 8 was born at his grandmother s home on Shieldhall Road in the Govan district of Glasgow on 31 December 1941 the son of Elizabeth nee Hardie and Alexander Beaton Ferguson His father was a plater s helper in the shipbuilding industry 9 He grew up in a tenement at 667 Govan Road which has since been demolished where he lived with his parents and his younger brother Martin who also became a footballer 10 He attended Broomloan Road Primary School and later Govan High School 11 He began his football career with Harmony Row Boys Club in Govan 12 13 before progressing to Drumchapel Amateurs a youth club with a strong reputation for producing senior footballers 14 He also took an apprenticeship as a toolmaker at a factory in Hillington being appointed a union shop steward 12 Playing careerClub Ferguson s playing career began as an amateur with Queen s Park where he made his debut as a striker aged 16 15 He described his first match as a nightmare 16 but scored Queen s Park s goal in a 2 1 defeat against Stranraer Perhaps his most notable game for Queen s Park was the 7 1 defeat away to Queen of the South on Boxing Day 1959 when ex England international Ivor Broadis scored four of the Queen of the South goals Ferguson was the solitary Queen s Park goalscorer 17 Despite scoring 20 goals in his 31 games for Queen s Park he could not command a regular place in the side and moved to St Johnstone in 1960 Ferguson was on a part time contract with St Johnstone and he combined working in a Govan shipyard with training at night in Perth 18 Although he regularly scored goals for St Johnstone he was unable to command a consistent place in their team He regularly requested transfers and even considered emigrating to Canada 19 St Johnstone s failure to sign another forward led the manager to select Ferguson for a match against Rangers in which he scored a hat trick in a surprise 3 2 victory at Ibrox 19 20 Dunfermline signed him the following summer 1964 and Ferguson became a full time professional footballer In the following season 1964 65 Dunfermline were strong challengers for the Scottish league title and reached the Scottish Cup Final but Ferguson was dropped for the final after a poor performance in a league game against St Johnstone Dunfermline lost the final 3 2 to Celtic then failed to win the League by one point The 1965 66 season saw Ferguson notch up 45 goals in 51 games for Dunfermline Along with Joe McBride of Celtic he was the top goalscorer in the Scottish league with 31 goals 21 Ferguson then joined Rangers for 65 000 which was a record fee for a transfer between two Scottish clubs 22 He performed well in Europe during his two seasons with the club scoring six goals in nine appearances in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup including two against 1 FC Koln in the 1967 68 competition and an important strike against Athletic Bilbao in the 1968 69 edition which helped Rangers into the semi finals 23 but on both occasions they were knocked out by English opposition He was blamed for a goal conceded in the 1969 Scottish Cup Final 24 in a match in which he was designated to mark Celtic captain Billy McNeill and was subsequently forced to play for the club s junior side instead of for the first team 25 According to his brother Ferguson was so upset by the experience that he threw his losers medal away 26 There have been claims that he suffered discrimination at Rangers due to his marriage to a Catholic Cathy Holding 27 Ferguson said in a 2021 documentary film about his life and career Sir Alex Ferguson Never Give In that he assumed that his exclusion from the first team after the 1969 cup final was due to her religion 18 His autobiography noted that Rangers had known of his wife s religion when he joined the club 28 In March 2021 he added that when he was signed a Rangers director had questioned whether the Fergusons had been married in a Catholic chapel and that the director had replied oh that s okay when told they had married in a registry office 29 Ferguson left Rangers reluctantly as he had grown up locally and had dreamed of succeeding there 30 He was upset by how newspapers would refer to him as an ex Rangers player after he had left and rarely attended gatherings of their former players 30 The following October Nottingham Forest wanted to sign Ferguson 31 but his wife was not keen on moving to England at that time so he went to Falkirk instead He remained at Brockville for four years gaining more league appearances than he had elsewhere in recognition of his experience he was promoted to player coach but when John Prentice became manager he removed Ferguson s coaching responsibilities Ferguson s time at Falkirk was soured by this and he responded by requesting a transfer and moved to Ayr United where he finished his playing career in 1974 32 International Ferguson s only involvement with the Scotland national team was during an overseas tour in 1967 For many years none of the tour matches were recognised by the Scottish Football Association as full internationals and so Ferguson was deemed to have never played for Scotland A BBC Sport article in June 2020 identified him as one of the best Scottish players to have never played a full international 22 The SFA announced in October 2021 that some of the tour matches would be reclassified as full internationals which meant that Ferguson was belatedly awarded an international cap 3 Managerial careerEast Stirlingshire In June 1974 Ferguson was appointed manager of East Stirlingshire at the comparatively young age of 32 It was a part time job that paid 40 per week and the club did not have a single goalkeeper at the time 33 He gained a reputation as a disciplinarian with club forward Bobby McCulley later saying he had never been afraid of anyone before but Ferguson was a frightening bastard from the start 34 St Mirren In October 1974 Ferguson was invited to manage St Mirren While they were below East Stirlingshire in the league they were a bigger club and although Ferguson felt a degree of loyalty towards East Stirlingshire he decided to join St Mirren after taking advice from Jock Stein 35 Ferguson was manager of St Mirren from 1974 until 1978 producing a remarkable transformation of a team in the lower half of the old Second Division watched by crowds of just over 1 000 to First Division champions in 1977 discovering talent like Billy Stark Tony Fitzpatrick Lex Richardson Frank McGarvey Bobby Reid and Peter Weir while playing superb attacking football 36 The average age of the league winning team was 19 and the captain Fitzpatrick was 20 37 St Mirren have the distinction of being the only club ever to sack Ferguson He claimed wrongful dismissal against the club at an industrial tribunal but lost and was given no leave to appeal According to a Sunday Herald article on 30 May 1999 the official version is that Ferguson was sacked for various breaches of contract including unauthorised payments to players 36 He was counter accused of intimidating behaviour towards his office secretary because he wanted players to get some expenses tax free He did not speak to her for six weeks confiscated her keys and communicated only through a 17 year old assistant The tribunal concluded that Ferguson was particularly petty and immature 38 It was claimed during the tribunal by St Mirren chairman Willie Todd that Ferguson had no managerial ability 39 In 2008 The Guardian published an interview with Todd then aged 87 who had sacked Ferguson many years earlier Todd said that the fundamental reason for the dismissal was a breach of contract relating to Ferguson having agreed to join Aberdeen Ferguson told journalist Jim Rodger of the Daily Mirror that he had asked at least one member of the squad to go to Aberdeen with him He told the St Mirren staff he was leaving Todd expressed regret over what happened but blamed Aberdeen for not approaching his club to discuss compensation 40 In 1977 Ferguson turned down the manager s job at Aberdeen The role went to Billy McNeill who returned to Celtic after only a year leaving the role available for Ferguson once again 41 Aberdeen Late 1970s Ferguson joined Aberdeen as manager in June 1978 replacing Billy McNeill who had only managed the club for one season before he was offered the chance to manage Celtic Although Aberdeen were one of Scotland s major clubs they had won the league only once in 1955 under Dave Halliday The team had been playing well however and had not lost a league match since the previous December having finished second in the league the previous season 42 Ferguson had now been a manager for four years but was still not much older than some of the players and had trouble winning the respect of some of the older ones such as Joe Harper 43 The season did not go especially well with Aberdeen reaching the semi final of the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup Final but losing both matches and finishing fourth in the league Aberdeen lost the 1979 80 Scottish League Cup Final this time to Dundee United after a replay Ferguson took the blame for the defeat saying he should have made changes to the team for the replay 44 1980s and silverware Aberdeen had started the 1979 80 season poorly but their form improved dramatically in the new year and they won the Scottish league that season with a 5 0 win on the final day It was the first time in 15 years that the league had not been won by either Rangers or Celtic Ferguson now felt that he had the respect of his players later saying That was the achievement which united us I finally had the players believing in me 45 He was still a strict disciplinarian though and his players nicknamed him Furious Fergie 46 He fined one of his players John Hewitt for overtaking him on a public road 47 and kicked a tea urn at the players at half time after a poor first half 48 He was dissatisfied with the atmosphere at Aberdeen matches and deliberately created a siege mentality by accusing the Scottish media of being biased towards the Glasgow clubs to motivate the team 49 The team continued their success with a Scottish Cup win in 1982 Ferguson was offered the manager s job at Wolverhampton Wanderers but turned it down as he felt that Wolves were in trouble 50 and his ambitions at Aberdeen were not even half fulfilled 51 European success and Scottish national side Ferguson led Aberdeen to even greater success the following season 1982 83 They had qualified for the European Cup Winners Cup as a result of winning the Scottish Cup the previous season and impressively knocked out Bayern Munich 52 53 who had beaten Tottenham Hotspur 4 1 in the previous round 54 55 According to Willie Miller this gave them the confidence to believe that they could go on to win the competition 56 which they did with a 2 1 victory over Real Madrid in the final on 11 May 1983 57 Aberdeen became only the third Scottish team to win a European trophy and Ferguson now felt that he d done something worthwhile with his life 58 This was followed up with victory in the European Super Cup in December 1983 when Hamburger SV the reigning European Cup champions were beaten 2 0 over two legs 59 60 Aberdeen had also performed well in the league that season and retained the Scottish Cup with a 1 0 victory over Rangers 61 but Ferguson was not happy with his team s play in that match and upset the players by describing theirs as a disgraceful performance in a televised interview after the match a statement he later retracted 62 After a sub standard start to the 1983 84 season Aberdeen s form improved and the team won the Scottish league and retained the Scottish Cup Ferguson was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE in the 1985 New Year Honours 63 64 and was offered the managers jobs at Rangers and Arsenal during the season 65 66 67 Aberdeen retained their league title in the 1984 85 season In 1985 86 Aberdeen won both domestic cups but finished fourth in the league Ferguson had been appointed to the club s board of directors early in 1986 but that April he told Dick Donald their chairman that he intended to leave that summer citation needed Ferguson had been part of the coaching staff for the Scottish national side during qualifying for the 1986 World Cup but manager Jock Stein had collapsed and died on 10 September 1985 at the end of the game in which Scotland qualified from their group for a play off against Australia Ferguson promptly agreed to take charge of the Scottish national side against the Australians and subsequently at the World Cup To allow him to fulfil his international duties he appointed Archie Knox as his co manager at Aberdeen However after Scotland failed to progress past the group stages of the World Cup Ferguson stepped down as national team manager on 15 June 1986 68 Around this time Tottenham Hotspur offered Ferguson the chance to take over from Peter Shreeves as manager but he rejected this offer and the job went to Luton Town s David Pleat instead There was also an offer for Ferguson to replace Don Howe as Arsenal manager but he rejected this offer as well and fellow Scot George Graham took the post instead 69 That summer there had been speculation that he would take over from Ron Atkinson at Manchester United who had slumped to fourth in the English top flight after a ten match winning start citation needed It was not the first time that Ferguson had been linked with a move to England In February 1982 Wolverhampton Wanderers had approached him about succeeding John Barnwell as manager as they were heading for relegation from the First Division 70 He rejected this offer perhaps concerned about the club s financial stability as they were more than 2 million in debt at the time and narrowly avoided going out of business At the end of the 1984 85 season it was reported that Ferguson was being considered for the Liverpool manager s job after the retirement of Joe Fagan was announced but the job was quickly accepted by Liverpool striker Kenny Dalglish 71 Although Ferguson remained at Aberdeen over the summer he did eventually join Manchester United when Atkinson was sacked in November 1986 72 Manchester United Appointment and first FA Cup title This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful Find sources Alex Ferguson news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Ferguson was appointed manager at Old Trafford on 6 November 1986 He was initially worried that many of the players such as Norman Whiteside Paul McGrath and Bryan Robson were drinking too much and was depressed by their level of fitness but he managed to increase the players discipline and United climbed up the table to finish the season in 11th place having been 21st second from bottom when he took over His first game in charge was a 2 0 defeat at Oxford United on 8 November followed seven days later by a goalless draw at newly promoted Norwich City and then his first win 1 0 at home to Queens Park Rangers on 22 November Results steadily improved as the season went on and by the time they recorded what would be their only away win of the league campaign at title challengers and rivals Liverpool on Boxing Day it was clear that United were on the road to recovery 1987 began on a high note with a 4 1 victory over Newcastle United and United gradually pulled together in the second half of the season with relatively occasional defeats on the way and finished 11th in the final table Ferguson s mother Elizabeth died of lung cancer aged 64 three weeks after his appointment Ferguson hired Archie Knox his assistant at Aberdeen in the same role at Manchester United in 1986 In the 1987 88 season Ferguson made several major signings including Steve Bruce Viv Anderson and Brian McClair The new players made a positive contribution to a United team who finished in second place nine points behind Liverpool Liverpool s points lead however had been in double digits for most of the season and while United had lost only five league games all season they drew 12 games and there was clearly still some way to go before United could be a match for their north western rivals During the season United played two friendly matches in Bermuda against the Bermuda national team and the Somerset Cricket Club 73 In the match against Somerset both Ferguson himself and his assistant Archie Knox took to the field with Knox even getting on the scoresheet The match was Ferguson s only appearance for the Manchester United first team 73 United were expected to do well when Mark Hughes returned to the club two years after leaving for Barcelona alongside Jim Leighton from Aberdeen but the 1988 89 season was a disappointment for them finishing 11th in the league and losing 1 0 at home to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup sixth round They had begun the season slowly going on a nine match winless run throughout October and November with one defeat and eight draws before a run of generally good results took them to third place and the fringes of the title challenge by mid February However another run of disappointing results in the final quarter of the season saw them fall down to mid table For the 1989 90 season Ferguson further boosted his squad by paying large sums of money for midfielders Neil Webb Mike Phelan and Paul Ince as well as defender Gary Pallister and winger Danny Wallace The season began well with a 4 1 win over defending champions Arsenal on the opening day but United s league form quickly turned sour In September United suffered a humiliating 5 1 away defeat against fierce rivals Manchester City Following this and an early season run of six defeats and two draws in eight games a banner declaring Three years of excuses and it s still crap ta ra Fergie was displayed at Old Trafford and many journalists and supporters called for Ferguson to be sacked 74 75 Ferguson later described December 1989 as the darkest period he had ever suffered in the game as United ended the decade just outside the relegation zone 76 77 Following a run of seven games without a win Manchester United were drawn away to Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup Forest were performing well that season and were in the process of winning the League Cup for the second season running 78 and it was expected that United would lose the match and Ferguson would consequently be sacked but United won the game 1 0 due to a Mark Robins goal and eventually reached the final This cup win is often cited as the match that saved Ferguson s Old Trafford career even though it has since been stated by whom that his job was never at risk 78 79 80 United went on to win the FA Cup beating Crystal Palace 1 0 in the final replay after a 3 3 draw in the first match giving Ferguson his first major trophy as Manchester United manager United s defensive frailties in the first match were blamed on goalkeeper Jim Leighton Ferguson dropped Leighton for the replay bringing in Les Sealey United s European firsts and Ferguson s seconds This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful Find sources Alex Ferguson news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Although United s league form improved greatly in 1990 91 they were still inconsistent and finished sixth There were some excellent performances that season including a 6 2 demolition of Arsenal at Highbury but results like an early 2 1 loss at newly promoted Sunderland a 4 0 September hammering by Liverpool at Anfield and a 2 0 home defeat by Everton in early March the game where 17 year old talented prospect Ryan Giggs made his senior debut showed that United still had some way to go Even after the FA Cup victory in the previous season some still had doubts about Ferguson s ability to succeed where all the other managers since Matt Busby had failed to win the league title 80 They were runners up in the League Cup losing 1 0 to Sheffield Wednesday However they won the European Cup Winners Cup beating that season s Spanish champions Barcelona 2 1 It would be United s only Cup Winners Cup title After the match Ferguson vowed that United would win the league the following season and at long last he seemed to have won over the last of his sceptics after nearly five years in the job 81 During the 1991 close season Ferguson s assistant Archie Knox departed to Rangers to become assistant to Walter Smith and Ferguson promoted youth team coach Brian Kidd to the role of assistant manager in Knox s place He also made two major signings goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and defender Paul Parker to bolster his side There was much anticipation about the breakthrough of the young Ryan Giggs who had played twice and scored once in the 1990 91 campaign and the earlier emergence of another impressive young winger in the shape of Lee Sharpe who despite their youth had made Ferguson feel able to resist plunging into the transfer market and buying a new player to take over from the disappointing Danny Wallace on the left wing He had also added Soviet midfielder Andrei Kanchelskis to the right wing giving him a more attacking alternative to older midfielders Mike Phelan and Bryan Robson The 1991 92 season did not live up to Ferguson s expectations and in Ferguson s words many in the media felt that his mistakes had contributed to the misery 82 United won the League Cup and European Super Cup both for the first time but lost out on the league title to rivals Leeds United after leading the table for much of the season A shortage of goals and being held to draws by teams they had been expected to beat in the second half of the campaign had proved to be the undoing of a United side who had performed so well in the first half of the season Ferguson felt that his failure to secure the signing of Mick Harford from Luton Town had cost United the league and that he needed an extra dimension to the team if they were to win the league the following season 83 During the 1992 close season Ferguson went on the hunt for a new striker He first attempted to sign Alan Shearer from Southampton but lost out to Blackburn Rovers He also made at least one approach for the Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst but manager Trevor Francis rejected all offers and the player stayed put In the end he paid 1 million for 23 year old Cambridge United striker Dion Dublin his only major signing of the summer After a slow start to the 1992 93 season by sitting 10th at the beginning of November it looked as though United would miss out on the league title yet again However after the purchase of French striker Eric Cantona from Leeds for 1 2 million the future of Manchester United and Ferguson s position as manager began to look bright Cantona formed a strong partnership with Mark Hughes On 10 April 1993 United were second in the league when they faced Sheffield Wednesday at home United were losing with four minutes to go before Steve Bruce equalised After 7 minutes of injury time which was subsequently dubbed Fergie Time alluding to extra minutes allegedly being granted to Ferguson s teams to get a goal Bruce scored the 97th minute winner with Ferguson celebrating the goal by running from his dugout on to the touch line while assistant Brian Kidd ran on to the field 84 Seen as being a decisive victory it put United top of the league where they remained Winning the title ended United s 26 year wait for a league title and also made them the first Premier League champions United finished with a ten point margin over runners up Aston Villa whose 1 0 defeat at Oldham Athletic on 2 May 1993 had given United the title Ferguson was later voted Manager of the Year by the League Managers Association 1993 95 Double win and loss This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately Find sources Alex Ferguson news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message The 1993 94 season brought more success Ferguson added Nottingham Forest s 22 year old midfielder Roy Keane to the ranks for a British record fee of 3 75 million as a long term replacement for Bryan Robson who was nearing the end of his career 85 United led the 1993 94 Premier League table virtually from start to finish Ferguson was the first winner of the Premier League Manager of the Month award introduced for the start of the 1993 94 season when he collected the accolade for August 1993 Cantona was top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions despite being sent off twice in the space of five days in March 1994 United also reached the League Cup final but lost 3 1 to Aston Villa managed by Ferguson s predecessor Ron Atkinson In the FA Cup final Manchester United achieved an impressive 4 0 scoreline against Chelsea winning Ferguson his second League and Cup Double following his Scottish Premier Division and Scottish Cup titles with Aberdeen in 1984 85 though the League Cup final defeat meant that he had not yet achieved a repeat of the treble that he had achieved with Aberdeen in 1983 Ferguson made only one close season signing paying Blackburn 1 2 million for David May There were newspaper reports that Ferguson was also going to sign highly rated 21 year old striker Chris Sutton from Norwich City but the player headed for Blackburn instead 1994 95 was a harder season for Ferguson Cantona assaulted a Crystal Palace supporter in a game at Selhurst Park and it seemed likely he would leave English football An eight month ban saw Cantona miss the final four months of the season He also received a 14 day prison sentence for the offence but the sentence was quashed on appeal and replaced by a 120 hour community service order United paid a British record fee of 7 million for Newcastle United s prolific striker Andy Cole with young winger Keith Gillespie heading to the north east in exchange The season also saw the breakthrough of young players Gary Neville Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes who provided excellent cover for the long periods that United were left without some of their more experienced stars However the championship slipped out of Manchester United s grasp as they drew 1 1 with West Ham United on the final day of the season when a win would have given them a third successive league title United also lost the FA Cup final in a 1 0 defeat by Everton 1995 98 Ferguson was heavily criticised in the summer of 1995 when three of United s star players were allowed to leave and replacements were not bought First Paul Ince moved to Internazionale of Italy for 7 5 million long serving striker Mark Hughes was sold to Chelsea in a 1 5 million deal and Andrei Kanchelskis was sold to Everton Ferguson felt that United had a number of young players who were ready to play in the first team The youngsters who would be known as Fergie s Fledglings included Gary Neville Phil Neville David Beckham Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt who would all go on to be important members of the team And so the 1995 96 season began without a major signing at a time when the likes of Arsenal Liverpool and Newcastle were making the headlines with big money signings citation needed A youthful United team lost 3 1 in their opening league game of the 1995 96 season against Aston Villa 86 On Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen criticised their performance ending his analysis with the words You can t win anything with kids 87 United won their next five matches and were boosted by the return of Cantona who made his comeback against Liverpool in October 1995 For much of the season the team trailed league leaders Newcastle and found themselves ten points behind by Christmas this later was narrowed to seven points after defeating them on 27 December 1995 The gap increased to 12 points but a series of wins coupled with Newcastle dropping points meant by late March United moved to the top of the table In a televised outburst after his team s win against Leeds Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan responded angrily to Ferguson s comments We re still fighting for this title and he s got to go to Middlesbrough I would love it if we beat them love it 88 A win against Middlesbrough on the final day sealed the title for United and the team beat Liverpool by a goal to nil to win the 1996 FA Cup Final this was their second double in three years A week after the cup final Ferguson agreed a four year contract to remain at United 89 United started the following season thrashing the previous year s league runners up Newcastle 4 0 in the Charity Shield They went on to win their fourth league title in five seasons at the end of the 1996 97 campaign made easier by the fact that their rivals were not up to the job 90 Under Ferguson the team made a better go in the Champions League and reached the semi final stage for the first time in 28 years 91 United did not advance any further after defeat by Borussia Dortmund of Germany 92 Norwegian signings Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ronny Johnsen were the notable additions to the squad with the former ending the season as the club s top goalscorer In May 1997 Cantona informed Ferguson of his decision to retire from football 93 The player felt exploited by United s merchandising department and questioned the ambition of the club reasons which Ferguson understood 93 Striker Teddy Sheringham was signed as Cantona s replacement from Tottenham Hotspur with Blackburn defender Henning Berg the other significant purchase that summer 94 95 In the close season United appointed Keane as their new captain Ferguson described him as the best all round player in the game after the team s 1997 FA Charity Shield win and believed Keane had all the right ingredients to succeed from Cantona 96 Defeat by Leeds United in September 1997 was the team s first league loss in seven months Keane during the match injured himself and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season with ligament damage 97 Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was placed as captain in his absence By November United opened up a four point lead in the league which prompted talk of whether any team could catch them 98 After Arsenal s defeat of United in the same month Ferguson acknowledged a one horse race was not good for the game and admitted his opponents deserved to win on their second half performance 99 The fallibilities of Liverpool Chelsea and Blackburn as league challengers allowed United during the winter to extend their lead by 11 points albeit with Arsenal having games in hand 100 This was enough for Manchester bookmaker Fred Done to pay out on punters who backed the champions retaining their title 101 Arsenal collected maximum points sealing the title with a win against Everton on 3 May 1998 Ferguson congratulated his opponent Arsene Wenger who in his first full season at the club later completed the double I think it s good for my young players to lose on this occasion I wholeheartedly acknowledge what Arsenal achieved between Christmas and the end of the season 102 United straight after paid 10 75 million for PSV defender Jaap Stam a new club record fee 103 Ferguson wanted to strengthen the squad s attacking options and identified Aston Villa s Dwight Yorke as his main target 104 Attempts to sign Yorke were rebuffed at first before Ferguson persuaded Edwards to increase United s initial offer of 10 million 105 A 12 6 million deal was reached a week into the league campaign Yorke signed minutes before the deadline to submit United s squad for the Champions League 105 1998 99 Treble success United opened the 1998 99 season with a 3 0 loss to Arsenal in the 1998 FA Charity Shield 106 The beating did not concern Ferguson though he described his team s defeat by Arsenal in September 1998 as a lot less tolerable In December 1998 Kidd left his role as assistant to become the manager of Blackburn Rovers Ferguson instructed Eric Harrison and Les Kershaw to find suitable replacements in terms of coaching ability and work ethic Both recommended Steve McClaren the assistant to Jim Smith at Derby County McClaren was Ferguson s initial choice and appointed him in February 1999 His first game as assistant was United s 8 1 victory over Nottingham Forest 107 Ferguson felt United s bid to regain the Premier League began indifferently because of their commitments to other competitions He was willing to pay for the progress made in the Champions League the team finished second in their Champions League group of death behind Bayern Munich and ahead of Barcelona United s win against Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round was a portent for the remainder of the season A goal down after three minutes the team equalised in the 86th minute and scored the winning goal through Solskjaer in stoppage time 108 On reflection Ferguson said it was a demonstration of the morale that was to be every bit as vital as rich skill in the five months that lay ahead of United 109 Under Ferguson United acclaimed a treble of trophies in the 1998 99 season In the final weeks of the league season Arsenal emerged as a creditable challenger to United Both clubs were also paired together in the semi final of the FA Cup decided by a replay as the original game finished goalless Keane was sent off in the second half and United conceded a penalty late into the match with the score 1 1 Dennis Bergkamp s effort was saved by Peter Schmeichel 110 Ferguson hoped his team could at least take it to a penalty shoot out but instead the match was settled in extra time Giggs ran the length of the pitch and evaded several Arsenal players to score the winning goal 109 United went on to beat Newcastle United in the FA Cup final and completed the double a week earlier the team had regained the Premiership title 109 United s progression in the Champions League was promising compared to previous seasons The team eliminated Inter Milan at the quarter final stage and faced Juventus in the last four of the competition A late goal scored by Giggs in the first leg earned the team a 1 1 draw but in spite of conceding an away goal Ferguson was adamant of United s chances of reaching the final something tells me we are going to win The nature of our club is that we torture ourselves so much that the only way to get relief is by winning over there 111 At the Stadio delle Alpi striker Filippo Inzaghi scored twice to put Juventus 3 1 up on aggregate 112 Keane headed in a Beckham cross to halve the deficit just before half time but was later shown a yellow card for a foul on Edgar Davids which prevented him from playing in the final 112 Yorke equalised before Cole added a third to win the match outright 112 Keane s performance merited praise from Ferguson It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field Pounding over every blade of grass competing if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose he inspired all around him I felt it was an honour to be associated with such a player 109 Days after the FA Cup final United travelled to Barcelona the setting for the UEFA Champions League final Ferguson contemplated his team selection against Bayern Munich suspensions to Scholes and Keane ruled both players out of the match 109 Beckham was positioned in centre midfield while Giggs moved to the right wing and Blomqvist started on the left changes the manager felt would prevent the opposition from playing narrow 109 United conceded in the first six minutes of the final from a Mario Basler s free kick Sheringham who came on for Blomqvist equalised from a corner in the first minute of additional time McClaren told Ferguson to get the team organised for extra time to which he replied Steve this game isn t finished 109 Three minutes into added time Solskjaer scored the winner which for United completed an unprecedented treble Ferguson interviewed moments after said I can t believe it Football bloody hell But they never gave in and that s what won it He and Schmeichel the stand in captain jointly lifted the cup during the trophy presentation citation needed A crowd of over 500 000 people turned out on the streets of Manchester to greet the players who paraded through the city in an open top bus 113 As European champions United were invited to play in the Intercontinental Cup The club also entered the inaugural Club World Championship which was held in Brazil This brought about a potential fixture congestion so United accepted the FA s recommendation of withdrawing from the FA Cup the first holders to do so 114 In later years Ferguson elaborated on the club s decision We did it to help England s World Cup bid That was the political situation I regretted it because we got nothing but stick and terrible criticism for not being in the FA Cup when really it wasn t our fault 115 1999 2002 Title hat trick retirement plan Schmeichel s decision to leave United after eight seasons prompted Ferguson to bring in replacements Mark Bosnich from Aston Villa and Italian Massimo Taibi The latter featured in four matches the last of which a 5 0 defeat at Chelsea in October 1999 he was not selected again by Ferguson United ended the 1999 2000 league season as champions with just three defeats and a record points margin of 18 116 In December 1999 the club beat Palmeiras in Tokyo to win the Intercontinental Cup 117 but a month later exited at the group stage of the inaugural Club World Championship 118 119 although Ferguson stated the tournament was fantastic 120 United failed to retain the Champions League as they lost in the quarter final stage to eventual winners Real Madrid 121 122 Ferguson sought to strengthen his squad and signed Fabien Barthez from Monaco for 7 8 million 123 He also monitored the progress of Ruud van Nistelrooy a striker of the highest calibre 124 He met the player and his agent in Manchester to discuss formalities and was informed of Van Nistelrooy s troubled right knee 124 Ferguson was not agitated by this he recalled from experience a similar niggle that did not stop his playing career 124 Van Nistelrooy however failed his medical but Ferguson reassured him that we might yet find a way out of the nightmare 124 The deal was resurrected in April 2001 for a British record transfer fee of 19 million 125 In the 2000 01 season United retained the league title for a third season becoming only the fourth side in history to do so The achievement was overshadowed by reports of a rift between the club s board and Ferguson 126 He told the club s television channel MUTV that he was prepared to sever all ties with the club once his contract ended the following year The decision has been taken I m going to leave the club I m disappointed with what has happened because I was hoping something would be sorted out It hasn t happened as I thought it would and that s all there is to it 127 Both parties eventually reached a compromise which pleased Ferguson I am delighted we ve settled this When you have been at the club as long as I have it gets in your blood 128 Age was one of the factors in Ferguson s decision to retire reaching 60 acted as a psychological barrier It changed my sense of my own fitness my health citation needed In May 2001 McClaren left to become Middlesbrough manager 129 with Jimmy Ryan being named assistant to Ferguson for the duration of the campaign 130 United once more broke their transfer record with the purchase of Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio for a reported 28 1 million 131 In August 2001 Stam was transferred to Lazio for 16 million 132 The player reportedly moved because of claims in his autobiography Head to Head Stam implied that Ferguson illegally contacted him about a move to Manchester United before informing PSV 133 Ferguson said he sold the player because the club needed to cut back on its massive wage bill 134 He replaced the defender with Laurent Blanc a long sought after target 134 In an interview with Alastair Campbell eight years after Ferguson described his biggest mistake at the club was letting go of Jaap Stam No question 135 The club endured a poor first half to the season and languished in ninth position after a home defeat by West Ham in December 2001 136 On the night of Christmas Day Ferguson shelved his retirement plan citation needed His family convinced him to remain in charge of United and Ferguson informed Watkins of his u turn the following day citation needed Once Ferguson publicised his decision to remain in February 2002 137 United s form improved The team won 13 out of 15 matches though finished third in the league behind Arsenal and Liverpool United were unsuccessful in Europe losing their Champions League semi final on away goals to Bayer Leverkusen 138 Early exits from the League Cup and FA Cup meant they ended the season trophyless Ferguson himself said that the decision to announce his retirement had resulted in a negative effect on the players and on his ability to impose discipline 139 2002 2006 Rebuilding and transition In June 2002 Ferguson appointed Carlos Queiroz as his new assistant 140 The recommendation came from Andy Roxburgh at a time when United began scouting for southern hemisphere footballers and wanted a multilingual coach Ferguson was so impressed with Queiroz after their first meeting he offered him the job right away In July 2002 United paid 29 3 million for Leeds United defender Rio Ferdinand The club broke the British transfer record once more though this did not concern Ferguson We have the right to try and improve ourselves and there s nothing wrong with that 141 United signed Cristiano Ronaldo in August 2003 The 2002 03 season began rather poorly for United the club made their worst start to a league campaign in 13 years 142 In a column for The Daily Telegraph Hansen said Ferguson will recognise this difficult start to the season for what it is the greatest challenge of his career 143 Ferguson s response was typically bullish I don t get paid to panic We have had plenty of stuttering starts My greatest challenge is not what s happening at the moment My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch And you can print that 144 Several players were sent away for surgery in this period a minor gamble Ferguson took in the hope they would return energised Defeats such as the one to Manchester City at Maine Road in November 2002 forced United to change their playing style The team moved the ball forward more and quicker rather than concentrating on possession ratios and the coaching staff tried accommodating Diego Forlan with Ruud van Nistelrooy before settling with Paul Scholes United s league form improved as the season went on despite defeat by Liverpool in the 2003 Football League Cup Final and they overhauled Arsenal to win the Premier League for an eighth time in May 2003 145 The team were eliminated in the Champions League quarter final to Real Madrid over two legs Ferguson described the second match a 4 3 win at Old Trafford as epic citation needed After a season at United Queiroz left to manage Real Madrid in June 2003 146 Ferguson anticipated his deputy would return Three months later he was wanting to quit Madrid and for that reason did not appoint a replacement In the summer David Beckham also moved to Real Madrid while Juan Sebastian Veron joined Chelsea United in the meantime rebuilt their team Tim Howard replaced Barthez in goal and Kleberson Eric Djemba Djemba and Cristiano Ronaldo came in to bolster the squad Ronaldinho might have also joined had he not said yes then no to our offer citation needed In December 2003 Rio Ferdinand was banned from playing football for eight months after he failed to present himself at a drugs test 147 Ferguson in his autobiography ten years later blamed the drug testers who didn t do their job They didn t go looking for Rio The absence of Ferdinand hampered United s defence of the Premier League in the 2003 04 season the team finished third behind Arsenal s Invincibles and Chelsea In Europe they experienced defeat at the hands of eventual winners Porto Ferguson felt it was possible not because of the performance of the players but because of the referee who disallowed a legitimate Scholes goal that would have been enough to progress United ended the campaign as FA Cup winners beating Millwall 3 0 in the 2004 final 148 At the beginning of the 2004 05 season teenage striker Wayne Rooney the world s most expensive teenager at more than 20 million and Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze joined United while Cristiano Ronaldo continued where he had left off the previous season by putting in more match winning performances But the lack of a striker after Ruud van Nistelrooy spent most of the season injured saw the club finish third for the third time in four seasons In the 2004 05 FA Cup they lost on penalties to Arsenal in the final A second round exit from the Champions League at the hands of Milan and a semi final exit from the League Cup at the hands of eventual winners Chelsea who also clinched the Premier League title meant that 2004 05 was a rare instance of a trophyless season for United During the season Ferguson managed his 1 000th game in charge of United in a 2 1 home win against Lyon 149 150 Ferguson s preparations for the 2005 06 season were disrupted by a high profile dispute with major shareholder John Magnier over the ownership of the racehorse Rock of Gibraltar When Magnier and business partner J P McManus agreed to sell their shares to American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer it cleared the way for Glazer to acquire full control of the club This sparked violent protests from United fans 151 and disrupted Ferguson s plans to strengthen the team in the transfer market In spite of this United looked to solve their goalkeeping and midfield problems For this they signed the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar from Fulham and Korean star Park Ji sung from PSV The season was one of transition On 18 November Roy Keane officially left the club his contract ended by mutual consent United failed to qualify for the knock out phase of the UEFA Champions League In the January transfer window Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic and French full back Patrice Evra were signed and the side finished in second place in the league behind runaway winners Chelsea Winning the League Cup was a consolation prize for lack of success elsewhere Ruud van Nistelrooy s future at Old Trafford was in doubt after not starting in the League Cup final and he departed at the end of the season 152 Before the start of the new season Ferguson received much criticism particular in the guise of an article in The Guardian titled Shredding his legacy at every turn 153 Second Champions League trophy Ferguson in 2008 standing beside assistant manager Carlos Queiroz In 2006 Michael Carrick was signed to take Roy Keane s place in the team for a fee that eventually rose to 18 million 154 United started the season well and for the first time ever won their first four Premier League games United s best start since 1985 154 155 They set the early pace in the Premier League and never relinquished top spot from the tenth match of the 38 game season The January 2006 signings had a huge impact on United s performances Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic came in to form a solid back line along with Rio Ferdinand and skipper Gary Neville The signing of Carrick brought stability and further creativity in the United midfield forming an effective partnership with Paul Scholes Park Ji sung and Ryan Giggs both underlined their value to the first team squad by adding significant pace and incisiveness in attack with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo citation needed Ferguson celebrated the 20th anniversary of his appointment as manager of Manchester United on 6 November 2006 Tributes also came from Ferguson s players both past and present 156 as well as his old foe Arsene Wenger 157 The party was spoiled the following day when United endured a single goal defeat at the hands of Southend United in the fourth round of the League Cup 158 On 1 December it was announced that Manchester United had signed 35 year old Henrik Larsson on loan 159 a player that Ferguson had admired for many years and attempted to capture previously On 23 December 2006 Cristiano Ronaldo scored the club s 2 000th goal under Ferguson in a match against Aston Villa 160 Manchester United subsequently won their ninth Premier League title but were denied a unique fourth double by Chelsea s Didier Drogba scoring a late goal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium 161 In the Champions League the club reached the semi finals recording a 7 1 home win over Roma in the quarter final second leg 162 but lost at the San Siro to Milan 3 0 in the second leg of the semi final after being 3 2 up from the first leg 163 For the 2007 08 season Ferguson made notable signings to reinforce United s first team Long term target Owen Hargreaves joined from Bayern Munich young Portuguese winger Nani and Brazilian playmaker Anderson joined soon after while the last summer signing was West Ham and Argentina striker Carlos Tevez after a complex and protracted transfer saga 164 165 166 Despite getting some retribution on Chelsea by beating them in the Community Shield United suffered their worst start to a league season under Ferguson drawing their first two league games before suffering a 1 0 defeat by local rivals Manchester City 167 168 United however recovered and began a tight race with Arsenal for the title After a good run of form Ferguson claimed that throughout his time at Manchester United this was the best squad he had managed to assemble thus far 169 On 16 February 2008 United beat Arsenal 4 0 in an FA Cup fifth round match at Old Trafford 170 but were knocked out by eventual winners Portsmouth in the quarter final on 8 March losing 1 0 at home 171 United having had a penalty claim turned down Ferguson alleged after the game that Keith Hackett general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board was not doing his job properly 172 173 Ferguson was subsequently charged by The FA with improper conduct which he decided to contest This was the second charge Ferguson faced in the season following his complaints against the referee after United lost 1 0 at Bolton Wanderers a charge he decided not to contest citation needed On 11 May 2008 Ferguson led Manchester United to a tenth Premier League title exactly 25 years to the day after he led Aberdeen to European glory against Real Madrid in the Cup Winners Cup Nearest rivals Chelsea level on points going into the final round of matches but with an inferior goal difference could only draw 1 1 at home to Bolton finishing two points adrift of the champions United s title win was sealed with a 2 0 win over Wigan Athletic managed by former United captain Steve Bruce 174 175 Ferguson in 2009 On 21 May 2008 Ferguson won his second European Cup with Manchester United as they beat Chelsea 6 5 on penalties in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow following a 1 1 draw after extra time in the first ever all English UEFA Champions League Final 176 177 178 A penalty miss from Cristiano Ronaldo meant that John Terry s spot kick would have given the trophy to Chelsea if successfully converted but Terry missed his penalty and in the end it was Edwin van der Sar s blocking of a Nicolas Anelka penalty which gave the trophy to Manchester United for the second time under Ferguson and for the third time overall 179 World champions and further league titles Although the team had a slow start to the 2008 09 season 180 United won the Premier League with a game to spare 181 making Ferguson the first manager in the history of English football to win the top division three times consecutively on two separate occasions Ferguson had now won 11 league titles at Manchester United and the 2008 09 season title success put them level with Liverpool as league champions on a record 18 occasions in total 182 They also won the League Cup on penalties after a goalless draw in the final against Tottenham after becoming the first British club to win the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2008 183 They contested the Champions League final against Barcelona on 27 May 2009 but lost 2 0 thus failed to defend the trophy 184 185 In 2009 10 season Ferguson added another League Cup to his honours list as United defeated Aston Villa 2 1 in the final on 28 February 2010 United s first ever successful knockout cup defence 186 187 However his dreams of a third European Cup were ended a few weeks later when United were edged out of the competition in the quarter finals by Bayern Munich on away goals And their hopes of a record 19th league title were ended on the last day of the season when Chelsea beat them to the Premier League title by one point crushing Wigan Athletic 8 0 and rendering United s 4 0 win over Stoke City meaningless 188 He ended the following season by winning his 12th and Manchester United s 19th league title and thus overtaking Liverpool s record of 18 Manchester United faced Barcelona again on 28 May 2011 in the 2011 Champions League final their third in four years but United lost 3 1 Analyst Alan Hansen stated that he believed Ferguson was the key component in United s success that season so key in fact that he would have claimed the crown with any of the other top sides had he been in charge of them 189 With Edwin van der Sar Gary Neville and Paul Scholes all retiring in 2011 190 Ferguson spent big by signing defender Phil Jones from Blackburn and winger Ashley Young from Aston Villa for around 17 million each 191 192 and goalkeeper David de Gea from Atletico Madrid for around 19 million 193 The following season United managed to beat rivals Manchester City in the 2011 FA Community Shield and eliminated them in the FA Cup third round but ended the season below City who won their first Premier League title on goal difference This bitter and slim defeat prompted Ferguson to sign star striker Robin van Persie who was the Premier League Golden Boot title holder from another arch rival Arsenal on 17 August 2012 The 2012 13 season saw Ferguson guide United to become league champions for the 20th time claiming the title with a 3 0 home win over Aston Villa on 22 April 2013 with four matches to spare Van Persie scored all the goals with a first half hat trick en route to retain the Golden Boot 194 His final game in charge his 1 500th in total saw United play out a 5 5 draw with West Bromwich Albion The result meant United finished the season 11 points ahead of runners up Manchester City 195 Earlier in the season on 2 September 2012 Ferguson managed his 1 000th league game with United playing against Southampton United won the game 3 2 thanks to another hat trick from Van Persie Two weeks later he won his 100th game in the Champions League with a 1 0 win over Galatasaray at Old Trafford citation needed Retirement On 8 May 2013 Ferguson announced that he had decided to retire as manager at the end of the football season but would remain at the club as a director and club ambassador 196 197 The Guardian announced it was the end of an era 198 while UEFA president Michel Platini referred to Ferguson as a true visionary 199 Former Manchester United players Paul Ince and Bryan Robson agreed that Ferguson would be a hard act to follow 200 Manchester United co chairman Joel Glazer said His determination to succeed and dedication to the club have been truly remarkable 201 Ferguson revealed that he had in fact decided that he was going to retire back in December 2012 and that it had been very difficult not to reveal his plans 202 Ferguson s decision to retire saw United shares fall 5 on the New York Stock Exchange 203 On 9 May 2013 Manchester United announced Everton manager David Moyes would replace Ferguson as the club manager from 1 July having signed a six year contract 204 205 In Ferguson s final match in charge Manchester United drew 5 5 at West Bromwich Albion a hat trick from Romelu Lukaku later a United player denying Ferguson a final victory 206 Ferguson released his second autobiography in October 2013 called My Autobiography 207 208 In January 2014 Ferguson was appointed as the UEFA Coaching Ambassador 209 210 and said it was an honour and a privilege to be given the role 211 In April 2014 it was announced that Ferguson would be taking up a long term teaching position at Harvard University where he would be lecturing on a new course titled The Business of Entertainment Media and Sports 212 This came six months after he revealed his blueprint for success was included in the Harvard Business Review in a series of interviews with Anita Elberse 213 214 His book Leading Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United was published in collaboration with billionaire venture capitalist author and former journalist Michael Moritz in August 2015 215 ControversiesGordon Strachan Gordon Strachan was a key player for Ferguson at Aberdeen but their relationship broke down when Strachan signed an agreement with German club FC Koln without telling Ferguson 216 Ferguson said that he believed although there was a cunning streak in Strachan I had never imagined that he could pull such a stroke on me 216 Strachan did not sign for Koln but instead moved to Manchester United in the summer of 1984 216 Strachan liked the move because he felt that Ron Atkinson treated him as an adult unlike Ferguson 217 Strachan was still with the club when Ferguson was appointed manager in November 1986 216 Ferguson thought that Strachan did not play for United with the same confidence he had in Scotland and subsequently sold him to Leeds United in 1989 216 Strachan enjoyed significant success with Leeds as a veteran player helping them win the 1991 92 English league championship in a title race with Ferguson s United 216 Their relationship continued to be frosty as Strachan moved into management himself 216 In his 1999 autobiography Ferguson stated that Strachan could not be trusted an inch I would not want to expose my back to him in a hurry 216 Strachan s reaction to the attack in his own autobiography My Life in Football was one of being surprised and disappointed although he suspected that Ferguson had helped to relegate Strachan s Coventry City in 2001 by fielding a weakened Manchester United team in a match against Derby County 216 By 2006 they appeared to have declared something of a truce 216 ahead of Champions League matches between United and Strachan s Celtic 218 David Beckham In February 2003 Ferguson was involved in a dressing room argument with Manchester United player David Beckham 219 Ferguson allegedly kicked a football boot in frustration which hit Beckham in the face and caused a minor injury 220 Ferguson apologised to Beckham who was transferred to Real Madrid later that year 220 Champions League draw fixing On 5 April 2003 Ferguson claimed that the Champions League draw was fixed in favour of Spanish and Italian teams 219 UEFA charged Ferguson for bringing the game into disrepute with his comments 221 Ferguson apologised for his remarks and wrote a letter to UEFA in explanation but he was fined 10 000 Swiss francs 4 600 by the governing body 221 Rock of Gibraltar In 2003 Ferguson launched legal action against the then major Manchester United shareholder John Magnier over stud rights for race horse Rock of Gibraltar 222 Magnier counter sued Ferguson 223 by filing a Motion to Comply requiring Ferguson to substantiate his claim for half of Rock of Gibraltar s stud fees The legal issues were further compounded by Magnier being a significant shareholder in the football club managed by Ferguson at the time 224 Magnier requested that 99 Questions be answered over Ferguson s transfer dealings including those of Jaap Stam Juan Sebastian Veron Tim Howard David Bellion Cristiano Ronaldo and Kleberson 225 The case was eventually settled out of Court 224 BBCFerguson refused to give interviews to the BBC after a documentary called Fergie and Son was shown on BBC Three on 27 May 2004 226 According to an article in The Independent the documentary had portrayed his agent son Jason as somebody who exploited his father s influence and position to his own ends in the transfer market The same newspaper article made it clear that Jason was never found guilty of any wrongdoing and it quoted Alex Ferguson as saying They the BBC did a story about my son that was whole lot of nonsense It all sic made up stuff and brown paper bags and all that kind of carry on It was a horrible attack on my son s honour and he should never have been accused of that 227 Subsequent interviews on BBC programmes such as Match of the Day were done by his assistants latterly Mike Phelan 228 Under new Premier League rules intended for the 2010 11 season Ferguson was required to end his BBC boycott 229 However he refused to end his boycott and Manchester United said they would pay the resulting fines 230 No fines were ever issued as the BBC hoped to resolve the dispute 228 On 25 August 2011 Ferguson met with BBC director general Mark Thompson and BBC North director Peter Salmon after which Ferguson agreed to end his seven year boycott 228 Referees Ferguson has received numerous punishments for abusing and publicly criticising match officials when he has perceived them to be at fault 20 October 2003 Two match touchline ban and fined 10 000 after using abusive and or insulting words towards fourth official Jeff Winter 231 14 December 2007 Two match touchline ban and fined 5 000 after using abusive and or insulting words towards Mark Clattenburg 232 18 November 2008 Two match touchline ban and fined 10 000 after confronting Mike Dean after a game 233 12 November 2009 Four match touchline ban two suspended and fined 20 000 for comments made about the fitness of Alan Wiley 234 16 March 2011 Five match touchline ban three plus the two suspended for the above offence and fined 30 000 for comments made questioning the performance and fairness of Martin Atkinson 235 Fergie Time It has also been suggested that Ferguson s intimidation of referees resulted in so called Fergie Time that is unusually generous injury time being added in matches where Manchester United were behind The phrase is at least as old as 2004 236 but the concept first appeared on 10 April 1993 when Steve Bruce scored a 97th minute goal seventh minute of injury time added on by the referee against Sheffield Wednesday to win the game for United they went top of the league with this win and remained there until the season ended 84 The concept cropped up in the media and by opponents whenever games seemed to be having more injury time than expected 84 A statistical analysis by The Times suggests that this concept might be valid though the article points out that other footballing criteria may explain the correlation between extra added time and United being behind 237 Analysis by Opta Sports of Premier League matches played between 2010 and 2012 found on average that 79 seconds more time was played in matches where Manchester United were losing 238 This was a greater figure than for other top clubs although most of these clubs seem to benefit from a Fergie Time effect particularly in their home matches 238 Legacy Ferguson on continuing Sir Matt Busby s legacy at Manchester United displayed at the National Football Museum Many of Ferguson s former players have gone on to become football managers themselves including Tony Fitzpatrick Alex McLeish Gordon Strachan Mark McGhee Willie Miller Neale Cooper Bryan Gunn Eric Black Billy Stark Bryan Robson Steve Bruce Mark Hughes Roy Keane Paul Ince Chris Casper Mark Robins Darren Ferguson Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Henning Berg Andrei Kanchelskis Michael Appleton Ryan Giggs David Healy Gabriel Heinze Paul Scholes Gary Neville Jaap Stam Michael Carrick Wayne Rooney and Phil Neville 239 240 Three of these have subsequently managed Manchester United Giggs interim player manager in 2014 Solskjaer 2018 to 2021 and Carrick interim manager in 2021 The phrase squeaky bum time coined by Ferguson in reference to the tense final stages of a league competition has been included in the Collins English Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary 241 242 A bronze statue of Ferguson designed by Scottish sculptor Philip Jackson was unveiled outside Old Trafford on 23 November 2012 243 244 On 14 October 2013 Ferguson attended a ceremony where a road near Old Trafford was renamed from Water s Reach to Sir Alex Ferguson Way 245 246 In July 2021 Aberdeen commissioned sculptor Andy Edwards to sculpt a bronze statue of Ferguson 247 This was unveiled at Aberdeen s Pittodrie stadium on 25 February 2022 248 and the on the following day Ferguson was presented with a maquette of the statue 249 A documentary about Ferguson s career titled Sir Alex Ferguson Never Give In was released in UK cinemas on 27 May 2021 and was made available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and Ireland on 29 May It includes interviews from Ferguson himself his family doctors and former players who he managed throughout his career 250 Statues of Sir Alex Ferguson Statue of Sir Alex Ferguson by Andy Edwards unveiled 25 Feb 2022 Sir Alex Ferguson statue installed at Old Trafford on 23 November 2012Personal lifeFerguson lives in Wilmslow Cheshire with his wife Cathy nee Holding 251 They married in 1966 and have three sons Mark born 1968 and twins Darren born 1972 who was also a professional footballer and most recently a manager of Peterborough United and Jason who runs an events management company citation needed Jason directed the 2021 documentary Sir Alex Ferguson Never Give In about his father In 1998 Ferguson was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party 252 He is a self described socialist 253 254 In January 2011 Graham Stringer a Labour MP in Manchester and Manchester United supporter called for Ferguson to be made a life peer 255 Stringer and fellow Manchester Labour MP Paul Goggins repeated this call after Ferguson announced his retirement in May 2013 256 In 2009 Ferguson received an honorary doctorate in business administration from the Manchester Metropolitan University 257 258 As well as having an ambassadorial role at Manchester United and other public speaking and charity engagements in retirement he is a long term patron of his childhood team Harmony Row including a successful campaign for the club to have new facilities they are now based at Braehead 12 13 259 260 261 In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum Ferguson supported Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom 262 He criticised the Scottish Government and First Minister Alex Salmond for denying the vote to Scots living in the UK but outside Scotland 262 He also objected to the self imposed rule by the Yes Scotland campaign against accepting donations from people living outside Scotland of more than 500 which they urged the No campaign to also adopt 262 Ferguson underwent an emergency surgery on 5 May 2018 after having a brain haemorrhage 263 He made a recovery from the surgery and attended his first match at Old Trafford since then on 22 September 2018 264 In 1991 Ferguson became a wine collector after being shown a display of bottles from Chateau d Yquem and Chateau Petrus while in Montpellier France 265 In 2014 he put part of his vast collection up for auction with Christie s with their head of wine David Elswood describing his taste as exceptional 266 valued at up to 3 million 267 After the first of three auctions Ferguson had sold 229 lots for 2 2 million 268 269 HonoursPlayer St Johnstone Scottish Division Two 1962 63Falkirk Scottish Division Two 1969 70Individual Scottish Division One top scorer 1965 66 21 Dunfermline Athletic Hall of Fame 2006 07 270 Queen s Park Lifetime Membership Award October 2012 271 Manager This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful Find sources Alex Ferguson news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Ferguson was made an Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a manager In 2003 Ferguson became an inaugural recipient of the FA Coaching Diploma awarded to all coaches who had at least ten years experience of being a manager or head coach 272 He is the Vice President of the National Football Museum based in Manchester 273 and a member of the Executive Committee of the League Managers Association 274 On 5 November 2011 the Old Trafford North Stand was officially renamed the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in honour of his 25 years as manager of Manchester United 275 In addition to being the only manager to win the top league honours and the Double north and south of the England Scotland border winning the Premier League with Manchester United and the Scottish Premier Division with Aberdeen he is also the last manager to win the Scottish league championship with a non Old Firm team achieving this in the 1984 85 season with Aberdeen Ferguson is the second most decorated manager in European football competitions with seven honours behind only Carlo Ancelotti Ferguson won the top division title in England a record 13 times He is also the first manager in the history of the English league to win three consecutive league titles which he did twice citation needed Ferguson won 10 Manager of the Year awards 27 Manager of the Month awards and managed the most games in the UEFA Champions League 190 276 277 In 2017 Ferguson was named among the 10 most influential coaches since the foundation of UEFA in 1954 278 St Mirren Scottish First Division 1976 77Aberdeen Scottish Premier Division 1979 80 1983 84 1984 85 Scottish Cup 1981 82 1982 83 1983 84 1985 86 Scottish League Cup 1985 86 Drybrough Cup 1980 European Cup Winners Cup 1982 83 European Super Cup 1983Manchester United Premier League 1992 93 1993 94 1995 96 1996 97 1998 99 1999 2000 2000 01 2002 03 2006 07 2007 08 2008 09 2010 11 2012 13 279 FA Cup 1989 90 1993 94 1995 96 1998 99 2003 04 280 Football League Cup 1991 92 2005 06 2008 09 2009 10 280 FA Charity Community Shield 1990 shared 1993 1994 1996 1997 2003 2007 2008 2010 2011 280 UEFA Champions League 1998 99 2007 08 280 runner up 2008 09 281 2010 11 282 European Cup Winners Cup 1990 91 280 European Super Cup 1991 280 Intercontinental Cup 1999 280 FIFA Club World Cup 2008 280 Individual LMA Manager of the Decade 1990s LMA Manager of the Year 1992 93 1998 99 2007 08 2010 11 2012 13 LMA Special Merit Award 2009 2011 Premier League Manager of the Season 1993 94 1995 96 1996 97 1998 99 1999 2000 2002 03 2006 07 2007 08 2008 09 2010 11 2012 13 279 Premier League Manager of the Month August 1993 October 1994 February 1996 March 1996 February 1997 October 1997 January 1999 April 1999 August 1999 March 2000 April 2000 February 2001 April 2003 December 2003 February 2005 March 2006 August 2006 October 2006 February 2007 January 2008 March 2008 January 2009 April 2009 September 2009 January 2011 August 2011 October 2012 279 UEFA Manager of the Year 1998 99 UEFA Team of the Year 2007 2008 Onze d Or Coach of the Year 1999 2007 2008 World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year 1993 1999 2007 2008 European Coach of the Year Alf Ramsey Award 2008 IFFHS World s Best Club Coach 1999 2008 IFFHS World s Best Coach of the 21st Century 2012 IFFHS All Time World s Best Coach 1996 2020 283 Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year 2000 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award 1999 BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award 1999 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award 2001 World Soccer Greatest Manager of All Time 2013 ESPN Greatest Manager of All Time 2013 284 France Football 2nd Greatest Manager of All Time 2019 285 Sports Illustrated Greatest Manager of All Time 2019 286 Globe Soccer Awards Coach of the Century 2001 2020 2nd among the runners up 287 BBC Sports Personality Diamond Award 2013 English Football Hall of Fame Manager 2002 Scottish Football Hall of Fame 2004 European Hall of Fame Manager 2008 FIFA Presidential Award 2011 Premier League 10 Seasons Awards 1992 93 2001 02 Manager of the Decade Most Coaching Appearances 392 games Premier League 20 Seasons Awards 1992 93 2011 12 Best Manager FWA Tribute Award 1996 PFA Merit Award 2007 Premier League Merit Award 2012 13 Mussabini Medal 1999 SFA Special Merit Award 1985 288 VCGB Scottish Sports Personality of the Year 1983 289 Scottish Football Personality of the Year 1979 80 1982 83 290 Orders and special awards Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE 1985 New Years Honours List 63 Commander of the Order of the British Empire CBE 1995 New Years Honours List 291 Knight Bachelor Kt 1999 Queen s Birthday Honours List 292 Freedom of the City of Aberdeen 1999 Freedom of the City of Glasgow 1999 Freedom of the City of Manchester 2000 Freedom of the Borough of Trafford 2013 293 Honorary degrees Ferguson receiving an honorary degree from Salford University in 1996 Ferguson has received at least eight honorary degrees 294 These Include Date University Degree1996 University of Salford Master of Arts MA 295 December 1997 Robert Gordon University Doctor of Laws LL D 296 2001 Glasgow Caledonian University Doctorate2002 University of St Andrews Doctorate2009 Manchester Metropolitan University Doctor of Business Administration DBA 297 29 June 2011 University of Stirling Doctor of the University D Univ 298 12 October 2011 University of Manchester Doctorate 299 2014 Ulster University Doctor of Science D Sc 300 This list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items January 2019 Career statisticsAs a player Appearances and goals by club season and competition Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe TotalApps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GoalsQueen s Park 15 301 1958 59 8 4 8 41959 60 23 11 23 11Total 31 15 31 15St Johnstone 301 1960 61 1961 62 1962 63 1963 64 Total 37 19 Dunfermline Athletic 301 1964 651965 661966 67Total 89 66Rangers 302 1967 68 29 19 5 0 6 2 6 3 46 241968 69 12 6 1 0 4 2 3 3 20 11Total 41 25 6 0 10 4 9 6 66 35Falkirk 1969 70 303 21 15 3 3 1970 71 304 28 13 0 0 1971 72 305 28 9 2 1 9 4 39 141972 73 306 18 0 2 1 0 0 20 1Total 95 37 7 5 Ayr United 1973 74 307 24 9 4 1 0 0 28 10Total 24 9 4 1 0 0 28 10Career total 317 171 6 0As a manager Managerial record by team and tenure Team From To Record RefP W D L Win East Stirlingshire June 1974 October 1974 17 9 2 6 0 52 9 308 St Mirren October 1974 May 1978 169 74 41 54 0 43 8 308 Aberdeen June 1978 6 November 1986 459 272 105 82 0 59 3 308 309 Scotland 1 October 1985 30 June 1986 10 3 4 3 0 30 0 310 Manchester United 6 November 1986 19 May 2013 1 500 895 338 267 0 59 7 311 312 Total 2 155 1 253 490 412 0 58 1 Published worksFerguson Alex Meek David 1992 Alex Ferguson 6 Years at United Mainstream ISBN 978 1851584444 Ferguson Alex Fitton Peter 1993 Just Champion Manchester United Football Club ISBN 978 0952050919 Ferguson Alex Ball Peter 1995 A Year in the Life The Manager s Diary Manchester United Football Club ISBN 978 1852275211 Ferguson Alex Meek David 1997 A Will to Win The Manager s Diary Andre Deutsch ISBN 978 0233993683 Ferguson Alex 2000 The Unique Treble Hodder amp Stoughton ISBN 978 0340792612 Ferguson Alex 2000 Managing My Life The Autobiography Coronet Books ISBN 0 340 72856 6 Ferguson Alex 2013 My Autobiography Hodder amp Stoughton ISBN 978 0 340 91939 2 The motto of the Ferguson clan in Scotland is Dulcius ex asperis or Sweeter after difficulties That optimism served me well through 39 years of football management Ferguson Alex Moritz Michael 2015 Leading Lessons in leadership from the legendary Manchester United manager Hachette UK ISBN 978 1473621169 See alsoList of English football championship winning managers List of longest managerial reigns in association footballNotes McColl Brian Gorman Douglas Campbell George FORGOTTEN GLORIES British Amateur Internationals 1901 1974 PDF p 318 Archived from the original PDF on 2 July 2017 Retrieved 16 July 2017 Bell Stephen Zlotkowski Andre 6 June 2008 Scotland XI Tour of Asia and Oceania 1967 Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation Retrieved 5 March 2011 a b Former Scotland players to be recognised with international caps including Sir Alex Ferguson scottishfa co uk Scottish Football Association 9 October 2021 Retrieved 10 October 2021 Alex Ferguson London Hearts Supporters Club Retrieved 5 December 2011 Rubio Alberto Clancy Conor 23 May 2019 Guardiola on his way to becoming the most successful coach of all time Marca Why youth is the key for Sir Alex 14 September 2005 Retrieved 6 May 2022 Sir Alex s crowning glory BBC News 20 July 1999 Retrieved 6 November 2012 Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson mufcinfo com Retrieved 12 July 2011 Barratt Nick 5 May 2007 Family detective The Telegraph London Archived from the original on 9 January 2008 Retrieved 30 October 2009 Barratt Nick 5 November 2010 Alex Ferguson profile Soccer Magazine com Archived from the original on 16 June 2011 Retrieved 12 July 2011 Glasgow Caledonian University Research Collections Archives TheGlasgowStory com 2009 Archived from the original on 3 July 2011 Retrieved 12 July 2011 a b c All we ever did in Govan was play football and fight it was a great upbringing says Sir Alex Ferguson Daily Record 9 May 2013 Retrieved 29 August 2019 a b Sir Alex Ferguson shares his childhood memories of Harmony Row and tells how black ash burns made him the man he is Daily Record 19 March 2015 Retrieved 29 August 2019 Sir Alex Ferguson tribute to Drumchapel Amateurs legend Evening Times Glasgow 20 February 2014 Retrieved 19 January 2018 a b Ferguson Alexander Chapman QPFC com A Historical Queen s Park FC Website Retrieved 12 February 2018 Crick p 33 Details of Queen of the South 7 v 1 Queens Park including Ferguson s recollection in the Ivor Broadis career profile Qosfc com Archived from the original on 13 July 2012 Retrieved 4 October 2013 a b Rowat Alison 27 May 2021 Sir Alex Ferguson The truth about Rangers and me Aberdeen legend speaks out in new film The Herald Retrieved 27 May 2021 a b Ferguson reveals earlier Canada emigration plans ESPN Soccernet 4 February 2010 Archived from the original on 6 February 2010 Retrieved 4 February 2010 Unexpected defeat of Rangers The Glasgow Herald 23 December 1963 p 8 Retrieved 5 March 2022 a b Scotland List of Topscorers Rec Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation 12 June 2009 Retrieved 30 October 2009 a b Scotland Top players never to be capped by their country BBC Sport 25 June 2020 Retrieved 10 October 2021 Sir Alex Ferguson looks for feat of escapology to beat Athletic Bilbao The Guardian 14 March 2012 Retrieved 23 February 2018 Crick p 82 Crick p 83 Crick p 86 Reid Harry 2005 The Final Whistle Birlinn p 223 ISBN 1 84158 362 6 Ferguson pp 106 107 Suter Ruth 9 March 2021 Sir Alex Ferguson regrets not telling Rangers director to f off after quizzing wife s religion Glasgow Times Retrieved 27 May 2021 a b Taylor Daniel 22 October 2003 Ferguson denies sentiment until blue in the face The Irish Times Retrieved 27 May 2021 Crick p 85 The wit and wisdom of Sir Alex Ferguson Riley Chris London Biteback Publishing 2013 ISBN 978 1 84954 627 0 OCLC 852756978 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link Crick pp 108 9 Lowe Sid Scott Matt Taylor Daniel Brodkin Jon 23 November 2004 A leader of men is what he does best The Guardian UK Retrieved 9 March 2007 Crick p 117 a b Adams Billy 30 May 1999 Sunday Herald St Mirren article The Sunday Herald Archived from the original on 7 January 2008 Retrieved 9 November 2007 Sir Alex lifts the lid 4 May 2004 Archived from the original on 6 April 2005 Retrieved 9 November 2007 Campbell Nicky 12 January 2006 Guardian bullying article The Guardian London Retrieved 11 November 2007 Sir Alex Ferguson dates that defined an icon FIFA com 8 May 2013 Archived from the original on 26 March 2019 Retrieved 26 March 2019 31 05 1978 Alex Ferguson is fired by St Mirren The Guardian UK 31 May 2008 Retrieved 29 December 2008 Reid Harry 11 April 1983 The goal that Alex Ferguson has been chasing all his life Glasgow Herald p 9 Retrieved 8 January 2014 Crick p 159 Crick p 171 Crick p 174 Crick p 175 Haugstad Thore 16 June 2017 Furious Fergie The early years of Sir Alex Ferguson Time On The Ball Retrieved 15 December 2020 Crick p 179 Crick p 180 Crick p 191 Crick p 195 Crick p 196 Reynolds Jim 3 March 1983 Magnificent Dons eclipse German stars The Herald Retrieved 10 September 2014 Reynolds Jim 17 March 1983 Aberdeen emerge as the best of British The Herald Retrieved 10 September 2014 Lacey David 21 October 1982 Tottenham run on reserve The Guardian p 22 Lacey David 4 November 1982 Spurs lost in Munich fog The Guardian p 26 Crick p 201 Reynolds Jim 12 May 1983 Dons the Real European masters The Herald Retrieved 10 September 2014 Crick p 203 Reynolds Jim 23 November 1983 Aberdeen are set for superstardom The Herald Retrieved 10 September 2014 Reynolds Jim 21 December 1983 Aberdeen s super heroes take the glory The Herald Retrieved 10 September 2014 Reynolds Jim 23 May 1983 Don t put the blame on Russell Greig The Herald Retrieved 10 September 2014 Crick p 204 a b No 49969 The London Gazette Supplement 31 December 1984 p 9 Lewis heads sporting honours BBC News 12 December 1999 Retrieved 18 June 2007 Murray Ewan 10 May 2011 Sir Alex Ferguson rejected 1986 chance to become Arsenal manager The Guardian Retrieved 4 October 2013 Ley John 10 May 2011 Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson turned down the opportunity to manage Arsenal The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 25 June 2014 Reynolds Jim 2 February 2001 Why I didn t go to Rangers Sir Alex Ferguson on Advocaat s successor the Scotland job and the Old Firm in the Premiership The Herald Retrieved 25 June 2014 Fergie Steps Down Evening Times 16 June 1986 Retrieved 10 June 2011 Ferguson almost became Arsenal boss BBC News 10 June 2009 Archived from the original on 13 June 2009 Retrieved 10 June 2009 Tributes to former Wolves chief Harry Marshall Express amp Star 30 September 2010 Retrieved 8 May 2011 Dalglish in frame to replace Fagan as manager The Glasgow Herald 30 May 1985 p 20 via Google News Paul Ian 7 November 1986 Ferguson agrees to Old Trafford move The Glasgow Herald p 32 Retrieved 26 March 2019 a b Manchester United Tour of Bermuda 1987 footysphere com Archived from the original on 16 April 2019 Retrieved 23 July 2016 Arise Sir Alex BBC News 27 May 1999 Retrieved 3 December 2005 Sir Alex Ferguson s 20 years at Manchester United BBC Sport 6 November 2006 Retrieved 11 August 2011 Ornstein David 22 May 2009 Ferguson hungry for more success BBC News Retrieved 11 August 2011 Ferguson Alex Fitton Peter 1993 Just Champion Manchester United Football Club plc p 27 ISBN 0 9520509 1 9 a b Bevan Chris 4 November 2006 How Robins saved Ferguson s job BBC Sport Retrieved 8 August 2008 20 years and Fergie s won it all Manchester Evening News 6 November 2006 Archived from the original on 5 December 2012 Retrieved 8 August 2009 a b Jones Ken 8 May 1997 Recalling the pressure Ferguson was under the probability is that a 1 0 victory at Forest in the third round of the FA Cup saved him The Independent UK Archived from the original on 25 January 2012 Retrieved 8 August 2009 Ferguson p 302 Ferguson p 311 Ferguson p 320 a b c From the Vault Manchester United Fergie Time and Steve Bruce s headers The Guardian Retrieved 15 October 2018 The highs and lows of Roy Keane s career The Guardian London 23 April 2009 Retrieved 13 July 2011 Pike Keith 21 August 1995 Ferguson watches seeds of doubt grow The Times London p 23 Hansen Alan 2 November 2011 Sir Alex Ferguson 25 years You can t win anything with kids BBC Sport Retrieved 9 May 2013 Three Premier League managers whom Fergie made flip and one rival who bit back The Guardian London 10 January 2009 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Maddock David 17 May 1996 Ferguson accepts four year contract The Times London p 48 White Jim 23 April 1997 Amazing how other teams keep letting United win The Guardian London p 30 Lacey David 20 March 1997 United take a stroll into semi finals The Guardian London p 26 Lacey David 24 April 1997 Ricken wrecks United s dream The Guardian London p 28 a b Barclay pp 301 2 Ball Peter 28 June 1997 Sheringham handed Cantona s crown The Times London p 52 Maddock David 12 August 1997 Berg signs up to improve United s case for defence The Times London p 44 Kempson Russell 4 August 1997 Captain Keane takes over the helm The Times London p 23 Shaw Phil 29 September 1997 United fail Leeds intelligence test The Independent London Archived from the original on 6 May 2022 Retrieved 29 July 2009 Ridley Ian 9 November 1997 All red and all conquering The Independent on Sunday London Archived from the original on 6 May 2022 Retrieved 28 May 2012 Lacey David 10 November 1997 Platt stalls United s march The Guardian London p 19 Moore Glenn 2 March 1998 Now United can focus on Europe The Independent London Archived from the original on 6 May 2022 Retrieved 29 July 2009 Moore Glenn 3 March 1998 Ferguson set to call on United s artisan aspect The Independent London Archived from the original on 6 May 2022 Retrieved 3 August 2009 Hughes Rob 18 May 1998 Wenger leading English game towards exit from insularity The Times London p 31 Maddock David 6 May 1998 Stam s arrival relieves the gloom for United The Times London p 41 Yorke on the brink of move to Old Trafford The Times London 24 July 1998 p 44 a b Wood Stephen Kempson Russell 21 August 1998 United smash record for Yorke The Times London p 48 Lacey David 10 August 1998 Wenger s all stars write an epitaph to United The Guardian London p 21 Stewart Colin 8 February 1999 Atkinson left eightsome reeling after United rout The Scotsman Edinburgh p 31 United pull off Cup smash and grab BBC News 24 January 1999 Retrieved 4 January 2014 a b c d e f g Holt Oliver 7 August 1999 The celebrations begun by that goal will never stop The Times London pp 36 37 Holt Oliver 15 April 1999 Giggs wonder goal is final thrill The Times London p 52 Holt Oliver 8 April 1999 Giggs throws United a lifeline The Times London p 52 a b c Holt Oliver 22 April 1999 Heroic United have final word The Times London p 56 Manchester United Half Million Fans Greet Winning Club The New York Times 28 May 1999 Retrieved 5 January 2014 United pull out of FA Cup BBC News 30 August 1999 Retrieved 8 August 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United s 1999 FA Cup withdrawal was a mistake The Daily Telegraph London 3 December 2009 Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 16 May 2011 Shaw Phil 15 May 2000 United fall short of elusive century The Independent London p A2 Man Utd crowned world champions BBC 30 November 1999 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Man Utd s world title bid demolished BBC 8 January 2000 Archived from the original on 4 March 2003 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Fortune fails to save Man Utd BBC 11 January 2000 Retrieved 10 April 2014 No regrets for Ferguson BBC Archived from the original on 6 March 2003 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Man Utd 2 Real Madrid 3 The Guardian 19 April 2000 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Man Utd wrecked by Real BBC 19 April 2000 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Man Utd confirm Barthez signing BBC Sport 31 May 2000 Retrieved 9 May 2013 a b c d Ferguson Alex 25 July 2000 How a phone call killed Van Nistelrooy deal The Times London p 30 Man Utd clinch Van Nistelrooy deal BBC Sport 23 April 2001 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Taylor Daniel 21 May 2001 After the United fallout Ferguson faces up to job and a half The Guardian London Retrieved 9 May 2013 Kay Oliver 19 May 2001 Ferguson cuts Manchester United links The Times London p 1 Gaunt Ken 14 July 2001 Ferguson is reunited with Old Trafford board The Herald Glasgow Retrieved 9 May 2013 McClaren moves into the Riverside The Telegraph 12 July 2001 Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Kay Oliver 28 May 2001 Cantona returns to nurture club s youth The Times London p 25 Ferguson is reunited with Old Trafford board The Daily Telegraph London 12 July 2001 Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Ferguson writes off Stam for 16 4m The Telegraph 26 August 2001 Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Stam s United dream dies BBC Sport 26 August 2001 Retrieved 9 May 2013 a b Stam move down to cash BBC Sport 2 September 2001 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Wilson Steve 19 March 2009 Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson doesn t rate Rafa Benitez The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Williams Richard 10 December 2001 United undone by Ferguson s failing The Guardian London Retrieved 9 May 2013 Winter Henry 5 February 2002 Ferguson s U turn delights United The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 1 March 2019 Draw puts Man Utd out BBC 30 April 2002 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Sir Alex Ferguson The notion of a retirement age is anathema to me The Guardian London 7 May 2013 Retrieved 8 May 2013 Kay Oliver 7 June 2002 United import help for Ferguson in quest to regain title The Times London p 56 Man Utd seal Rio deal BBC Sport 22 July 2002 Retrieved 6 January 2014 Nurse Howard 4 May 2003 Ferguson s best yet BBC Sport Retrieved 6 January 2014 Hansen Alan 16 September 2002 Ferguson faces greatest challenge of his career The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 6 January 2014 Walker Michael 28 September 2002 Ferguson takes the poison and insists United will prosper The Guardian London Retrieved 6 January 2014 Fletcher Paul 4 May 2003 Ten weeks that turned the title BBC Sport Retrieved 6 January 2014 Queiroz joins Real BBC Sport 25 June 2003 Retrieved 6 January 2014 Ferdinand banned for eight months BBC Sport 19 December 2003 Retrieved 6 January 2014 McCarra Kevin 24 May 2004 United triumph by taking the job seriously The Guardian London Retrieved 24 May 2004 Man Utd 2 1 Lyon The Guardian 23 November 2004 Retrieved 22 March 2014 Man Utd 2 1 Lyon BBC 23 November 2004 Retrieved 22 March 2014 Fans rage at Glazer takeover move BBC 13 May 2005 Retrieved 8 May 2013 McNulty Phil 28 July 2006 Ferguson s Ruud dilemma BBC Retrieved 10 April 2014 Smyth Rob 31 July 2006 Shredding his legacy at every turn The Guardian Retrieved 8 August 2014 a b Taylor Daniel 11 September 2006 Giggs and sloppy Spurs get United believing again The Guardian London Retrieved 10 April 2014 Man Utd 1 0 Tottenham BBC Sport 9 September 2006 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Saviour Robins Fergie just cannot let go ESPN Soccernet 4 November 2006 Retrieved 11 January 2007 Wenger Managers should emulate Ferguson ESPN Soccernet 4 November 2006 Retrieved 11 January 2007 Southend 1 0 Man Utd 7 November 2006 Retrieved 25 June 2014 Man Utd capture Larsson on loan BBC Sport 1 December 2006 Archived from the original on 25 January 2007 Retrieved 11 January 2007 James Stuart 24 December 2006 Cristiano s stockings full of gifts for United The Guardian Retrieved 25 June 2006 McKenzie Andrew 19 May 2007 FA Cup final Chelsea 1 0 Man Utd BBC Retrieved 25 June 2006 McCarra Kevin 11 April 2007 Seven wonders of sublime United dazzle and destroy helpless Roma The Guardian London Retrieved 10 April 2014 Cheese Caroline 2 May 2007 AC Milan 3 0 Man Utd Agg 5 3 BBC Retrieved 10 April 2014 Hargreaves completes Man Utd move BBC Sport 1 July 2007 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Nani amp Anderson seal Man Utd move BBC Sport 2 July 2007 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Tevez completes Man Utd transfer BBC Sport 10 August 2007 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Bevan Chris 19 August 2007 Man City 1 0 Man Utd BBC Sport Retrieved 25 June 2014 Taylor Daniel 20 August 2007 Geovanni s lucky strike punishes prodigal United The Guardian Retrieved 25 June 2014 Whittell Ian 12 November 2007 This is the best squad I ve ever had BBC Sport Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Man Utd 4 0 Arsenal BBC Sport 16 February 2008 Retrieved 25 June 2014 McNulty Phil 8 March 2008 Man Utd 0 1 Portsmouth BBC Retrieved 25 June 2014 Bandini Nicky 9 March 2008 FA will review Ferguson s criticisms of Atkinson and Hackett The Guardian Retrieved 25 June 2014 Ferguson furious after Cup exit BBC Sport 8 March 2008 Retrieved 25 June 2014 McCarra Kevin 12 May 2008 Ronaldo makes Wigan suffer as champions mix business with pleasure The Guardian Retrieved 25 June 2014 McNulty Phil 11 May 2008 Wigan 0 2 Man Utd BBC Retrieved 25 June 2014 Winter Henry 22 May 2008 Manchester United join Europe s greats after Moscow win The Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 25 June 2014 McNulty Phil 22 May 2008 Man Utd earn dramatic Euro glory BBC Retrieved 25 June 2014 Schwirtz Michael 22 May 2008 Manchester United Wins Champions League Final The New York Times Retrieved 25 June 2014 Smith Alan 22 May 2008 Tears for John Terry and Chelsea after cruel ending The Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 25 June 2014 Stevenson Jonathan Cheese Caroline 16 May 2009 How the Premier League was won BBC Retrieved 10 April 2014 Wilson Paul 16 May 2009 United retain Premier League crown after goalless finale at Old Trafford The Guardian London Retrieved 10 April 2014 Ferguson hungry for four in a row BBC 16 May 2009 Retrieved 10 April 2014 Wallace Sam 2 March 2009 United march on as Spurs fail test of nerve The Independent London Retrieved 10 April 2014 McCarra Kevin 27 May 2009 Manchester United fold without a fight as Barcelona claim Champions League The Guardian London Retrieved 10 April 2014 Winter Henry 27 May 2009 Manchester United 0 Barcelona 2 The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 10 April 2014 McNulty Phil 28 February 2010 Aston Villa 1 2 Man Utd BBC Retrieved 10 April 2014 Rooney the hero as United overcome Villa ESPNsoccernet 28 February 2010 Archived from the original on 3 March 2010 Retrieved 2 April 2010 Man Utd 4 0 Stoke BBC Sport 9 May 2010 Retrieved 1 March 2019 Hansen Alan 23 June 2011 Sir Alex Ferguson must rebuild Manchester United despite 19th title BBC Sport Retrieved 27 June 2011 Man Utd midfielder Paul Scholes retires aged 36 BBC Sport 31 May 2011 Archived from the original on 15 July 2011 Retrieved 27 June 2011 Manchester United secure deal for Blackburn s Phil Jones BBC Sport 13 June 2011 Archived from the original on 24 June 2011 Retrieved 27 June 2011 Ashley Young joins Man Utd from Aston Villa BBC Sport 23 June 2011 Archived from the original on 24 June 2011 Retrieved 27 June 2011 Manchester United confirm signing of David de Gea BBC Sport 29 June 2011 Archived from the original on 28 July 2011 Retrieved 18 July 2011 Bevan Chris 22 April 2013 Manchester United 3 0 Aston Villa BBC Sport Retrieved 15 February 2019 Johnston Neil 19 May 2013 West Brom 5 5 Manchester United BBC Sport Retrieved 15 February 2019 Sir Alex Ferguson to retire as Manchester United manager BBC Sport 8 May 2013 Retrieved 8 May 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson to retire this summer Manchester United confirm Sky Sports 8 May 2013 Retrieved 8 May 2013 Ronay Barney 8 May 2013 End of an era as Alex Ferguson calls time at Manchester United The Guardian Retrieved 8 May 2013 Coerts Stefan Platini Ferguson a true visionary Yahoo Retrieved 8 May 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson resigns Football greats pay tribute The Daily Telegraph 8 May 2013 Archived from the original on 9 May 2013 Retrieved 8 May 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson to retire Fox Sports 8 May 2013 Retrieved 8 May 2013 Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson s Old Trafford farewell BBC Sport 12 May 2013 Archived from the original on 14 June 2013 Retrieved 13 May 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson retires Man Utd shares fall in New York BBC News 8 May 2013 Retrieved 8 May 2013 David Moyes Manchester United appoint Everton boss BBC Sport 9 May 2013 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Manchester United confirm appointment of David Moyes on a six year contract Sky Sports BSkyB 9 May 2013 Retrieved 9 May 2013 West Brom 5 5 Manchester United BBC Sport 19 May 2013 Retrieved 27 January 2018 Hayward Paul 22 October 2013 My Autobiography is a football book not just a news tornado The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 22 October 2013 Sport Telegraph 22 October 2013 Alex Ferguson book launch transcript from the press conference The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 23 October 2013 Ziegler Martyn 24 January 2014 Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson becomes Uefa coaching ambassador The Independent Archived from the original on 29 January 2014 Retrieved 16 August 2014 Sir Alex Ferguson appointed as Uefa s coaching ambassador The Guardian 24 January 2014 Retrieved 16 August 2014 Sir Alex Ferguson takes up position as UEFA s coaching ambassador Sky Sports 24 January 2014 Retrieved 16 August 2014 Sir Alex Ferguson to take up long term teaching position at Harvard The Guardian 4 April 2014 Retrieved 4 April 2014 Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson gives blueprint for success The Guardian 10 September 2013 Retrieved 4 April 2014 Ogden Mark 10 September 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson reveals his blueprint for managing Manchester United The Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 4 April 2014 Ferguson Alex August 2015 Leading Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United a b c d e f g h i j Austin Simon 12 September 2006 Fergie v Strachan BBC Sport Retrieved 18 October 2015 Strachan keen to end Fergie rift BBC Sport 30 July 2006 Retrieved 18 October 2015 Fudge Simon Strachan No Fergie feud Sky Sports BSkyB Retrieved 18 October 2015 a b Sir Alex Ferguson factfile Manchester Evening News 6 November 2006 Retrieved 14 December 2009 a b Fifield Dominic 1 September 2003 Beckham went for boss in boot brawl The Guardian Retrieved 1 March 2019 a b Ferguson fined over outburst BBC Sport BBC 1 May 2003 Retrieved 7 February 2020 Sir Alex Ferguson takes His case to Court Racing and Sports 20 November 2003 Retrieved 14 December 2009 Harris Nick 3 February 2004 Magnier s legal action damages hopes of a deal The Independent UK Archived from the original on 22 January 2010 Retrieved 14 December 2009 a b Wallace Sam 6 March 2004 Ferguson agrees 2 5m Rock deal The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 1 March 2019 Campbell Denis 1 February 2004 United won t answer the 99 questions The Guardian UK Archived from the original on 23 January 2010 Retrieved 14 December 2009 BBC THREE investigation raises new questions for Manchester United BBC Press office 25 May 2004 Retrieved 8 December 2013 Harris Nick 6 September 2007 Ferguson will never talk to The BBC again The Independent UK Retrieved 14 December 2009 a b c Taylor Daniel 25 August 2011 Alex Ferguson ends BBC boycott after personal visit from Mark Thompson The Guardian Retrieved 1 March 2019 White Duncan 14 November 2009 Sir Alex Ferguson will be forced to speak to the BBC under new Premier League rules The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 18 November 2009 Retrieved 14 December 2009 Laughlin Andrew 16 September 2010 BBC to give up Ferguson boycott battle Digital Spy Archived from the original on 11 June 2011 Retrieved 12 July 2011 Sir Alex Ferguson Factfile Manchester Evening News 6 November 2006 Archived from the original on 3 September 2012 Retrieved 14 December 2009 Ferguson banned for two matches BBC 14 December 2007 Retrieved 14 December 2009 Ducker James 19 November 2008 Sir Alex Ferguson banned and fined 10 000 The Times UK Retrieved 14 December 2009 Sir Alex Ferguson banned for two games and fined after Alan Wiley jibe The Guardian UK 12 November 2009 Archived from the original on 15 November 2009 Retrieved 14 December 2009 Ferguson suspended and fined London The Football Association 16 March 2011 Retrieved 16 March 2011 Wallace Sam 30 August 2004 Wiley s time keeping hands United lifeline The Daily Telegraph UK Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 21 February 2010 Gray Sadie 24 October 2009 It s a fact Fergie time does exist in the Premier League The Times UK Retrieved 21 February 2010 a b Pritchard Charlotte 23 November 2012 Fergie time Does it really exist BBC News Retrieved 23 November 2012 Gary Neville can succeed at Valencia Sir Alex Ferguson BBC Sport 2 December 2015 Retrieved 2 December 2015 The 31 managers who played at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson Sky Sports 12 October 2017 Retrieved 27 September 2021 Asbo and chav make dictionary BBC News 8 June 2005 Retrieved 8 April 2022 Smyth Rob 23 March 2012 Sir Alex Ferguson learns from mistakes to master mind games with smile The Guardian Sir Alex statue date confirmed Manchester United F C 6 November 2012 Retrieved 6 November 2012 Sir Alex Ferguson pride as Manchester United unveil statue BBC Sport 23 November 2012 Retrieved 23 November 2012 Sir Alex Ferguson has Trafford road named in his honour The Guardian 14 October 2013 Retrieved 9 January 2014 Sir Alex Ferguson Way Former Manchester United manager attends street renaming ceremony The Independent 14 October 2013 Archived from the original on 15 October 2013 Retrieved 9 January 2014 Sir Alex Ferguson statue Aberdeen to honour former manager s immense tenure with Andy Edwards sculpture Sky Sports 29 July 2021 Retrieved 27 September 2021 Sir Alex Ferguson statue unveiled at Aberdeen s Pittodrie Stadium BBC News 25 February 2022 Retrieved 27 February 2022 Aberdeen FC AberdeenFC 26 February 2022 An incredible reception for Sir Alex Ferguson from Pittodrie COYR StandFree Tweet Retrieved 30 June 2022 via Twitter I m a Govan boy clip from new Sir Alex Ferguson documentary video theguardian com 22 April 2021 Keegan Mike 20 April 2011 Home defeat for Sir Alex Ferguson as wife bans football from their house Manchester Evening News Retrieved 12 July 2011 UK Politics Luvvies for Labour BBC News 30 August 1998 Retrieved 30 October 2009 The socialist international The Economist 11 May 2013 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Ogden Mark 6 June 2007 Ferguson provides food for thought The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 10 January 2022 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Good lord Could United boss Alex Ferguson be made a top toff Manchester Evening News 27 January 2011 Archived from the original on 3 December 2013 Retrieved 9 May 2013 MPs call for Sir Alex Ferguson to be made a Lord Manchester Evening News 9 May 2013 Retrieved 9 May 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson honoured amp Events Manchester Metropolitan University Mmu ac uk 14 July 2009 Retrieved 4 October 2013 News Sci eng mmu ac uk Archived from the original on 4 October 2013 Retrieved 4 October 2013 Fergie visits Harmony Row Daily Record 23 September 2008 Retrieved 29 August 2019 Sir Alex Ferguson Inspiration is just as important as education The Big Issue 24 November 2014 Retrieved 29 August 2019 Our vision and history Harmony Row Club a b c Barnes Eddie 16 December 2012 Alex Salmond silencing Scots says Sir Alex Ferguson The Scotsman Johnston Publishing Retrieved 26 August 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson Former Manchester United boss has emergency surgery BBC Sport 5 May 2018 Retrieved 5 May 2018 Sir Alex Ferguson returns to Old Trafford following recovery from brain surgery Sky Sports 22 September 2018 Retrieved 24 September 2018 Mercer Chris 5 June 2014 Decanter Interview Sir Alex Ferguson on wine Decanter Retrieved 17 December 2020 Rawlinson Kevin 24 May 2014 Sir Alex Ferguson begins selling wine collection to make space for new finds The Guardian Retrieved 17 December 2020 Sir Alex Ferguson wine collection auction could make 3m BBC News 16 April 2014 Retrieved 17 December 2020 Sir Alex Ferguson sells part of his wine collection for 2 2m in the first of three Hong Kong auctions The Independent 24 May 2014 Archived from the original on 25 April 2021 Retrieved 17 December 2020 Sir Alex Ferguson s wine collection sells for 2 2m BBC News 24 May 2014 Retrieved 17 December 2020 It s Fergie time as Sir Alex makes East End return Dunfermline Press 30 April 2018 Retrieved 1 June 2022 SIR ALEX FERGUSON GIVEN UNIQUE HONOUR BY QUEEN S PARK SPFL 4 October 2012 Retrieved 1 June 2022 Magowan Alistair 23 June 2008 What is a Uefa Pro Licence BBC Sport Retrieved 29 May 2011 National Football Museum Honorary Presidents amp Trustees National Football Museum Archived from the original on 6 June 2011 Retrieved 12 July 2011 League Managers Association 2011 12 PDF League Managers Association 2011 p 12 Archived from the original PDF on 26 January 2012 Retrieved 12 July 2011 Man Utd rename Old Trafford stand in Ferguson s honour BBC News 5 November 2011 Retrieved 5 November 2011 Sir Alex Ferguson National Football Museum Retrieved 16 October 2015 Lynch Kevin 8 May 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson retires Manchester United manager s record breaking legacy Guinness World Records Retrieved 8 October 2015 Coaching greats in profile UEFA com The official website for European football 13 January 2017 Retrieved 17 January 2017 a b c Manager profile Alex Ferguson Premier League Retrieved 14 September 2018 a b c d e f g h Trophies Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United F C Archived from the original on 25 August 2013 McNulty Phil 27 May 2009 Barcelona 2 0 Man Utd BBC Sport Retrieved 31 May 2021 McNulty Phil 28 May 2011 Barcelona 3 1 Man Utd BBC Sport Retrieved 31 May 2021 IFFHS ALL TIME RANKING OF THE WORLD S BEST COACH 1996 2020 IFFHS 25 February 2021 Greatest Managers No 1 Alex Ferguson ESPN 9 August 2013 France Football ranks the 50 greatest managers of all time OneFootball The 50 Greatest Football Managers of All Time Sports Illustrated 20 August 2019 Man City boss Pep Guardiola named Coach of the Century Manchester Evening News 27 December 2020 Retrieved 8 April 2022 Dundee United s Jim McLean The Guardian 27 December 2020 Retrieved 11 May 2022 Varsity Club award for Aberdeen boss Evening Express 27 April 1983 Retrieved 11 May 2022 via British Newspaper Archive Ferguson s Award Press amp Journal 30 May 1980 Retrieved 11 May 2022 via British Newspaper Archive Fergie soccer Scot of the year Evening Express 26 May 1983 Retrieved 11 May 2022 via British Newspaper Archive No 53893 The London Gazette Supplement 30 December 1994 p 9 No 55513 The London Gazette Supplement 12 June 1999 p 2 Sir Alex Ferguson to get freedom of Trafford and road name honour BBC News 10 September 2013 Retrieved 8 April 2022 Sir Alex Ferguson s Eight Degrees Top Universities 8 May 2013 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 27 January 2019 Retrieved 27 January 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Honorary Graduates News amp Events Robert Gordon University RGU Aberdeen Scotland rgu ac uk University Manchester Metropolitan Honorary Graduates 2011 1970 Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University 2008 2017 About University of Stirling Archived from the original on 21 April 2019 Retrieved 27 January 2019 Sir Alex receives University s highest honour on Foundation Day The University of Manchester Honorary graduates ulster ac uk 8 July 2022 a b c Alex Ferguson Post War English amp Scottish Football League A Z Player s Transfer Database Retrieved 19 January 2018 Rangers Player Alex Ferguson Details fitbastats com Rothmans Football Yearbook 1970 71 pp 724 740 741 Queen Anne Press London Rothmans Football Yearbook 1971 72 pp 563 537 Queen Anne Press London Rothmans Football Yearbook 1972 73 pp 648 649 683 684 688 Queen Anne Press London Rothmans Football Yearbook 1973 74 pp 572 573 626 628 Queen Anne Press London Rothmans Football Yearbook 1974 75 pp 570 571 642 644 Queen Anne Press London a b c Bartram Steve Bostock Adam 20 October 2010 Boss greets landmark game Manchester United F C Retrieved 30 March 2017 Inwood Benji 4 November 2011 Timeline Sir Alex Ferguson s 25 years at Manchester United The Guardian London Retrieved 30 March 2017 History archives Managers Alex Ferguson Scottish Football Association Archived from the original on 30 March 2017 Retrieved 30 March 2017 Managers Alex Ferguson Soccerbase Centurycomm Retrieved 30 March 2017 Sir Alex Ferguson Profile amp MUFC Managerial Record www mufcinfo com Retrieved 9 December 2022 ReferencesBarclay Patrick 2010 Football Bloody Hell The Biography of Alex Ferguson Vintage ISBN 978 0 224 08305 8 Crick Michael 2003 The Boss The Many Sides of Alex Ferguson Pocket Books ISBN 0 7434 2991 5 Ferguson Alex 2000 Managing My Life The Autobiography Coronet Books ISBN 0 340 72856 6 Ferguson Alex 2013 My Autobiography Hodder amp Stoughton ISBN 978 0 340 91939 2 External linksAlex Ferguson at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Data from Wikidata Sir Alex Ferguson s Manchester United Managerial Record at mufcinfo com Alex Ferguson management career statistics at Soccerbase English Football Hall of Fame profile Sir Alex Ferguson s managerial stats according to the official Manchester United statistics website Scottish Football Hall of Fame profile Aberdeen Manager profile at AFC Heritage Trust Alex Ferguson UEFA coaching record archived Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alex Ferguson amp oldid 1141701649, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.