Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professionalfootball manager andplayer, best known for managingManchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, having won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football.[5][6] Ferguson is often credited for valuing youth during his time at Manchester United, particularly in the 1990s with the "Class of '92", who contributed to making the club one of the most successful in the world.[7]
Ferguson was appointedmanager of Manchester United in November 1986. During his 26 years with Manchester United, he won 38 trophies, including 13Premier League titles, fiveFA Cups, and twoUEFA Champions League titles. He wasknighted in the1999 Queen's Birthday Honours list for his services to the game.[8] Ferguson is the longest-serving manager of Manchester United, having overtaken SirMatt Busby's record on 19 December 2010. He retired from management at the end of the2012–13 season, having won the Premier League in his final season.
Early life
Alexander Chapman Ferguson[9] was born at his grandmother's home on Shieldhall Road in theGovan district ofGlasgow 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.[10] He grew up in a tenement at 667 Govan Road, which has since been demolished, where he lived with his parents and his younger brotherMartin, who also became a footballer.[11] He attendedBroomloan Road Primary School and laterGovan High School.[12] He began his football career with Harmony Row Boys Club in Govan,[13][14] before progressing toDrumchapel Amateurs, a youth club with a strong reputation for producing senior footballers.[15] He also took anapprenticeship as atoolmaker at a factory inHillington, being appointed a unionshop steward.[13]
Playing career
Club
Ferguson's playing career began as an amateur withQueen's Park, where he made his debut as astriker, aged 16.[16] He described his first match as a "nightmare",[17] but scored Queen's Park's goal in a 2–1 defeat againstStranraer. Perhaps his most notable game for Queen's Park was the 7–1 defeat away toQueen of the South on Boxing Day 1959 when ex-England internationalIvor Broadis scored four of the Queen of the South goals. Ferguson was the solitary Queen's Park goalscorer.[18]
Despite scoring 20goals in his 31 games for Queen's Park, he could not command a regular place in the side and moved toSt 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 inPerth.[19] 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.[20] St Johnstone's failure to sign another forward led the manager to select Ferguson for a match againstRangers, in which he scored ahat-trick in a surprise 3–2 victory atIbrox.[20][21]
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 theScottish league title and reached theScottish 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 toCeltic, then failed to win the League by one point. The1965–66 season saw Ferguson notch up 45 goals in 51 games for Dunfermline. Along withJoe McBride of Celtic, he was the top goalscorer in the Scottish league with 31 goals.[22]
Ferguson then joined Rangers for £65,000, which was a record fee for a transfer between two Scottish clubs.[23] He performed well in Europe during his two seasons with the club, scoring six goals in nine appearances in theInter-Cities Fairs Cup including two against1.FC Köln in the1967–68 competition, and an important strike againstAthletic Bilbao in the1968–69 edition which helped Rangers into the semi-finals,[24] but on both occasions they were knocked out by English opposition. He was blamed for a goal conceded in the1969 Scottish Cup Final,[25] in a match in which he was designated to mark Celticcaptain,Billy McNeill, and was subsequently forced to play for the club's junior side instead of for the first team.[26] According to his brother, Ferguson was so upset by the experience that he threw his losers' medal away.[27]
There have been claims that he suffereddiscrimination at Rangers due to his marriage to a Catholic, Cathy Holding.[28] 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.[19] His autobiography noted that Rangers had known of his wife's religion when he joined the club.[29] 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 aregistry office.[30] Ferguson left Rangers reluctantly, as he had grown up locally and had dreamed of succeeding there.[31] 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.[31]
The following October,Nottingham Forest wanted to sign Ferguson,[32] but his wife was not keen on moving to England at that time, so he went toFalkirk 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 whenJohn 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 toAyr United, where he finished his playing career in 1974.[33]
International
Ferguson's only involvement with theScotland national team was during an overseas tour in 1967. For many years none of the tour matches were recognised by theScottish Football Association as full internationals, and so Ferguson was deemed to have never played for Scotland. ABBC Sport article in June 2020 identified him as one of the best Scottish players to have never played a full international.[23] 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 ofEast 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 singlegoalkeeper at the time.[34] He gained a reputation as a disciplinarian, with club forwardBobby McCulley later saying he had "never been afraid of anyone before but Ferguson was a frightening bastard from the start."[35]
St Mirren
In October 1974, Ferguson was invited to manageSt Mirren. While they were belowEast 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 fromJock Stein.[36]
Ferguson was manager of St Mirren from 1974 until 1978, producing a remarkable transformation of a team in the lower half of the oldSecond Division watched by crowds of just over 1,000, toFirst Division champions in1977, discovering talent likeBilly Stark,Tony Fitzpatrick,Lex Richardson,Frank McGarvey, Bobby Reid andPeter Weir while playing superb attacking football.[37] The average age of the league winning team was 19 and the captain, Fitzpatrick, was 20.[38]
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 aSunday Herald article on 30 May 1999, the official version is that Ferguson was sacked for various breaches of contract, including unauthorised payments to players.[37] 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".[39] It was claimed during the tribunal by St Mirren chairman, Willie Todd, that Ferguson had "no managerial ability".[40]
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 theDaily 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.[41]
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.[42]
Aberdeen
Late 1970s
Ferguson joined Aberdeen as manager in June 1978. Although Aberdeen were one of Scotland's major clubs they had won the league only once, in1955 underDave 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.[43] 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 asJoe Harper.[44] The season did not go especially well, with Aberdeen reaching the semi-final of theScottish Cup and theScottish League Cup Final, but losing both matches andfinishing fourth in the league.
Aberdeen lost the1979–80 Scottish League Cup Final, this time toDundee United after a replay. Ferguson took the blame for the defeat, saying he should have made changes to the team for the replay.[45]
1980s and silverware
Aberdeen had started the1979–80 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".[46]
He was still a strict disciplinarian, though, and his players nicknamed him "Furious Fergie".[47] He fined one of his players,John Hewitt, for overtaking him on a public road,[48] and kicked a tea urn at the players at half time after a poor first half.[49] 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.[50] The team continued their success with a Scottish Cup win in1982. Ferguson was offered the manager's job atWolverhampton Wanderers but turned it down as he felt that Wolves were in trouble[51] and his "ambitions at Aberdeen were not even half fulfilled".[52]
European success and Scottish national side
Ferguson led Aberdeen to even greater success the following season, 1982–83. They had qualified for theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup as a result of winning the Scottish Cup the previous season, and impressively knocked outBayern Munich,[53][54] who had beatenTottenham Hotspur 4–1 in the previous round.[55][56] According toWillie Miller, this gave them the confidence to believe that they could go on to win the competition,[57] which they did, with a 2–1 victory overReal Madrid in thefinal on 11 May 1983.[58] 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".[59] This was followed up with victory in theEuropean Super Cup in December 1983, whenHamburger SV, thereigning European Cup champions, were beaten 2–0 over two legs.[60][61] Aberdeen had also performed well in the league that season, and retained the Scottish Cup with a1–0 victory over Rangers,[62] 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.[63]
After a sub-standard start to the1983–84 season, Aberdeen's form improved and the team won the Scottish league and retained the Scottish Cup. Ferguson was appointed an Officer of theOrder of the British Empire (OBE) in the1985 New Year Honours,[64][65] and was offered the managers' jobs at Rangers andArsenal during the season.[66][67][68] Aberdeen retained their league title in the 1984–85 season. In1985–86, 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 toldDick Donald, their chairman, that he intended to leave that summer.[citation needed]
Ferguson had been part of the coaching staff for theScottish national side during qualifying for the1986 World Cup, but managerJock Stein hadcollapsed and died on 10 September 1985 – at the end of the game in which Scotland qualified from their group for a play-off againstAustralia. 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 appointedArchie 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.[69]
Around this time, Tottenham Hotspur offered Ferguson the chance to take over fromPeter Shreeves as manager, but he rejected this offer and the job went toLuton Town'sDavid Pleat instead. There was also an offer for Ferguson to replaceDon Howe as Arsenal manager, but he rejected this offer as well, and fellow ScotGeorge Graham took the post instead.[70] That summer, there had been speculation that he would take over fromRon Atkinson atManchester United, who had slumped to fourth in the English top flight after a ten-match winning start.[24]
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 succeedingJohn Barnwell as manager as they were heading for relegation from the First Division.[71] 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 theLiverpool manager's job after the retirement ofJoe Fagan was announced, but the job was quickly accepted by Liverpool strikerKenny Dalglish.[72]
Although Ferguson remained at Aberdeen over the summer, he did eventually join Manchester United when Atkinson was sacked in November 1986.[73]
Manchester United
Appointment and first FA Cup title
Ferguson was appointed manager atOld Trafford on 6 November 1986.[74] He was initially worried that many of the players, such asNorman Whiteside,Paul McGrath andBryan 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.[75]
His first game in charge was a 2–0 defeat atOxford United on 8 November, followed seven days later by a goalless draw at newly promotedNorwich City, and then his first win (1–0 at home toQueens Park Rangers) on 22 November.[76] 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 onBoxing Day, it was clear that United were on the road to recovery.[77] The year 1987 began on a high note with a 4–1 victory overNewcastle 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.[77]
In the 1987–88 season, Ferguson made several major signings, includingSteve Bruce,Viv Anderson andBrian McClair.[78][79][80] 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, leaving some way to go before United could match their northwestern rivals.[citation needed]
During the season, United played two friendly matches in Bermuda against theBermuda national team and the Somerset Cricket Club.[81] 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.[81]
United were expected to do well whenMark Hughes returned to the club two years after leaving forBarcelona, alongsideJim Leighton fromAberdeen; but the1988–89 season was a disappointment for them, finishing 11th in the league and losing 1–0 at home to Nottingham Forest in theFA Cup sixth round.[82] 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.[83]
For the1989–90 season, Ferguson further boosted his squad by paying large sums of money for midfieldersNeil Webb,Mike Phelan, andPaul Ince, as well as defenderGary Pallister and wingerDanny Wallace.[84][85] 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 againstfierce rivalsManchester 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.[86][87] 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.[88][89]
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,[90] 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 aMark Robins goal and eventually reached the final. This cup win is often cited as the match that saved Ferguson's Old Trafford career.[90][91][92] United went on to win the FA Cup, beatingCrystal Palace 1–0 in thefinal 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 inLes Sealey.
United's European firsts and Ferguson's seconds
Ferguson in 1992
Although United's league form improved greatly in1990–91, they were still inconsistent and finished sixth. There were some excellent performances that season, including a 6–2 demolition of Arsenal atHighbury, but results like an early 2–1 loss at newly promotedSunderland, a 4–0 September hammering by Liverpool at Anfield, and a 2–0 home defeat byEverton in early March (the game where 17-year-old talented prospectRyan Giggs made his senior debut) showed that United still had some way to go.[93][94]
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 sinceMatt Busby had failed – to win the league title.[92] They were runners-up in theLeague Cup, losing 1–0 toSheffield Wednesday. However, they won theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, beating that season's Spanish championsBarcelona 2–1. It would be United's only Cup Winners' Cup title.[95] 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.[96]
During the 1991 close season, Ferguson's assistant Archie Knox departed to Rangers to become assistant toWalter Smith, and Ferguson promoted youth team coachBrian Kidd to the role of assistant manager in Knox's place.[97] He also made two major signings – goalkeeperPeter Schmeichel and defenderPaul Parker – to bolster his side.[98][99] 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 ofLee 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 midfielderAndrei Kanchelskis to the right wing, giving him a more attacking alternative to older midfieldersMike Phelan and Bryan Robson.[7][8][100]
The1991–92 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".[101] United won theLeague Cup andEuropean Super Cup;[102] both for the first time, but lost out on theleague title to rivalsLeeds 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 ofMick Harford fromLuton 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.[103]
During the 1992 close season, Ferguson went on the hunt for a new striker. He first attempted to signAlan Shearer fromSouthampton, but lost out toBlackburn Rovers.[104] He also made at least one approach for the Sheffield Wednesday strikerDavid Hirst, but managerTrevor Francis rejected all offers and the player stayed put. In the end, he paid £1 million for 23-year-oldCambridge United strikerDion Dublin – his only major signing of the summer.[105]
After a slow start to the1992–93 season by sitting 10th at the beginning of November, it looked as though United would miss out on theleague title yet again. However, after the purchase of French strikerEric Cantona from Leeds for £1.2 million, the future of Manchester United, and Ferguson's position as manager, began to look bright.[106] 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 beforeSteve Bruce equalised. After seven 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 Fergusoncelebrating the goal by running from his dugout on to the touch line, while assistant Brian Kidd ran on to the field.[107] 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 firstPremier League champions. United finished with a ten-point margin over runners-upAston Villa, whose 1–0 defeat atOldham Athletic on 2 May 1993 had given United the title. Ferguson was later votedManager of the Year by theLeague Managers' Association.[108]
1993–95: Double win and loss
The1993–94 season brought more success. Ferguson added Nottingham Forest's 22-year-old midfielderRoy 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.[109] United led the1993–94 Premier League table virtually from start to finish.[110] Ferguson was the first winner of thePremier League Manager of the Month award, introduced for the start of the 1993–94 season, when he collected the accolade for August 1993.[111] Cantona was top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions despite beingsent 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 againstChelsea, winning Ferguson his secondLeague 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.[112][113][110]
Ferguson made only one close-season signing, paying Blackburn £1.2 million forDavid May.[114] There were newspaper reports that Ferguson was also going to sign highly rated 21-year-old strikerChris Sutton from Norwich City, but the player headed for Blackburn instead.[9]1994–95 was a harder season for Ferguson. Cantona assaulted a Crystal Palace supporter in a game atSelhurst 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.[115] United paid a British record fee of £7 million for Newcastle United's prolific strikerAndy Cole, with young wingerKeith Gillespie heading to the north-east in exchange.[116] The season also saw the breakthrough of young playersGary Neville,Nicky Butt andPaul 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 withWest Ham United on the final day of the season, when a win would have given them a third successive league title. United also lost theFA Cup final in a 1–0 defeat by Everton.[117][118]
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 toInternazionale 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.[119][120][121] 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.[10][11] And so the1995–96 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][122]
A youthful United team lost 3–1 in their opening league game of the 1995–96 season, against Aston Villa.[123] OnMatch of the Day, punditAlan Hansen criticised their performance, ending his analysis with the words, "You can't win anything with kids."[124] 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.[125] 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 managerKevin 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."[126] A win againstMiddlesbrough on the final day sealed the title for United and the team beat Liverpool by a goal to nil to win the1996 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.[127][125]
United started the following season thrashing the previous year's league runners-up Newcastle 4-0 in theCharity Shield.[128] They went on to win their fourth league title in five seasons at the end of the1996–97 campaign, made easier by the fact that their rivals were "not up to the job".[129] 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.[130] United did not advance any further, after defeat byBorussia Dortmund of Germany.[131] Norwegian signingsOle Gunnar Solskjær andRonny 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.[132] The player "felt exploited by United's merchandising department" and questioned the ambition of the club, reasons which Ferguson understood.[132] StrikerTeddy Sheringham was signed as Cantona's replacement from Tottenham Hotspur, with Blackburn defenderHenning Berg the other significant purchase that summer.[133][134] 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's1997 FA Charity Shield win and believed Keane had "all the right ingredients" to succeed from Cantona.[135]
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.[136] 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.[137] 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".[138] 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.[139] This was enough for Manchester bookmakerFred Done to pay out on punters who backed the champions retaining their title.[140]
Arsenal collected maximum points, sealing the title with a win against Everton on 3 May 1998.[141] Ferguson congratulated his opponentArsène 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."[142] United straight after paid £10.75 million forPSV defenderJaap Stam, a new club record fee.[143] Ferguson wanted to strengthen the squad's attacking options and identified Aston Villa'sDwight Yorke as his main target.[144] Attempts to sign Yorke were rebuffed at first, before Ferguson persuaded Edwards to increase United's initial offer of £10 million.[145] 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.[145]
1998–99: Treble success
United opened the1998–99 season with a 3–0 loss to Arsenal in the1998 FA Charity Shield.[146] 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 instructedEric Harrison andLes Kershaw to find suitable replacements, "in terms of coaching ability and work ethic." Both recommendedSteve McClaren, the assistant toJim Smith atDerby County. McClaren was Ferguson's initial choice and appointed him in February 1999. His first game as assistant wasUnited's 8–1 victory over Nottingham Forest.[147]
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.[148] 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".[149]
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 credible 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.[12] 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.[150] 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.[149] United went on to beat Newcastle United in theFA Cup final and completed the double – a week earlier the team had regained thePremiership title.[149]
United's progression in the Champions League was promising compared to previous seasons. The team eliminated Inter Milan at the quarter-final stage and facedJuventus in the last four of the competition.[12] 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."[151] At theStadio delle Alpi, strikerFilippo Inzaghi scored twice to put Juventus 3–1 up on aggregate.[152] Keane headed in a Beckham cross to halve the deficit just before half-time, but was later shown a yellow card for a foul onEdgar Davids, which prevented him from playing in the final.[152] Yorke equalised, before Cole added a third to win the match outright.[152] 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.[149]
Days after the FA Cup final, United travelled to Barcelona, the setting for theUEFA Champions League final. Ferguson contemplated his team selection against Bayern Munich; suspensions to Scholes and Keane ruled both players out of the match.[149] 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.[149] United conceded in the first six minutes of the final, from aMario 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."[149] Three minutes into added time, Solskjær scored the winner, which for United completed an unprecedentedtreble. Ferguson, interviewed moments after, said, "I can't believe it. Football, bloody hell. But they never gave in and that's what won it."[18] He and Schmeichel, the stand-in captain, jointly lifted the cup during the trophy presentation.[153]
A crowd of over 500,000 people[15] turned out on the streets of Manchester to greet the players, who paraded through the city in an open-top bus.[154] As European champions, United were invited to play in theIntercontinental Cup. The club also entered the inauguralClub World Championship, which was held in Brazil. This brought about a potentialfixture congestion so United accepted the FA's recommendation of withdrawing from the FA Cup, the first holders to do so.[155] 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."[156]
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 ItalianMassimo 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 the1999–2000 league season as champions, with just three defeats and a record points margin of 18.[157] In December 1999, the club beatPalmeiras inTokyo to win the Intercontinental Cup,[158] but a month later exited at the group stage of theinaugural Club World Championship,[159][160] although Ferguson stated the tournament was "fantastic".[161] United failed to retain the Champions League, as they lost in the quarter-final stage to eventual winners Real Madrid.[162][163] Ferguson sought to strengthen his squad and signedFabien Barthez from Monaco for £7.8 million.[164] He also monitored the progress ofRuud van Nistelrooy, "a striker of the highest calibre".[165] He met the player and his agent in Manchester to discuss formalities and was informed of Van Nistelrooy's troubled right knee.[165] Ferguson was not agitated by this; he recalled from experience a similar niggle that did not stop his playing career.[165] Van Nistelrooy, however, failed his medical, but Ferguson reassured him that "we might yet find a way out of the nightmare".[165] The deal was resurrected in April 2001 for a British record transfer fee of £19 million.[166]
In the2000–01 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.[167] He told the club's television channelMUTV 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."[168] 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."[169] 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."[170]
In May 2001, McClaren left to become Middlesbrough manager,[171] withJimmy Ryan being named assistant to Ferguson for the duration of the campaign.[172] United once more broke their transfer record with the purchase ofJuan Sebastián Verón fromLazio for a reported £28.1 million.[173] In August 2001, Stam was transferred to Lazio for £16 million.[174] The player reportedly moved because of claims in his autobiographyHead to Head; Stam implied that Ferguson illegally contacted him about a move to Manchester United, before informing PSV.[175] Ferguson said he sold the player because the club needed to cut back on its "massive wage bill".[176] He replaced the defender withLaurent Blanc, a long sought-after target.[176] In an interview withAlastair Campbell eight years after, Ferguson described his biggest mistake at the club was "letting go of Jaap Stam. No question".[177]
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.[178] 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,[179] 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 toBayer Leverkusen.[180] 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.[181]
2002–2006: Rebuilding and transition
In June 2002, Ferguson appointedCarlos Queiroz as his new assistant.[182] The recommendation came fromAndy 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 defenderRio 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."[183]
The2002–03 season began rather poorly for United; the club made their worst start to a league campaign in 13 years.[184] In a column forThe Daily Telegraph, Hansen said Ferguson "will recognise this difficult start to the season for what it is: the greatest challenge of his career".[185] 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.[186]
Several players were sent away for surgery in this period, a "minor gamble" Ferguson took in the hope they would return energised.[21] 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 accommodatingDiego 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 the2003 Football League Cup Final and they overhauled Arsenal to win the Premier League for an eighth time in May 2003.[187] 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.[188] 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.[28][189] United in the meantime rebuilt their team:Tim Howard replaced Barthez in goal andKléberson,Eric Djemba-Djemba andCristiano Ronaldo came in to bolster the squad.[190][191][192]Ronaldinho might have also joined "had he not said yes, then no, to our offer".[193]
In December 2003, Rio Ferdinand was banned from playing football for eight months after he failed to present himself at a drugs test.[194] 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 the2003–04 season; the team finished third behind Arsenal's "Invincibles" and Chelsea. In Europe, they experienced defeat at the hands of eventual winnersPorto. 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, beatingMillwall 3–0 in the2004 final.[195]
At the beginning of the2004–05 season, teenage strikerWayne Rooney (the world's most expensive teenager at more than £20 million) and Argentine defenderGabriel Heinze joined United while Cristiano Ronaldo continued where he had left off the previous season by putting in more match-winning performances.[196] 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 the2004–05 FA Cup, they lost onpenalties 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 againstLyon.[197][198]
Ferguson's preparations for the2005–06 season were disrupted by a high-profile dispute with major shareholderJohn Magnier, over the ownership of the racehorseRock of Gibraltar. When Magnier and business partnerJ. P. McManus agreed to sell their shares to American business tycoonMalcolm Glazer, it cleared the way for Glazer to acquire full control of the club. This sparked violent protests from United fans,[199] 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 theDutch goalkeeperEdwin van der Sar fromFulham andKorean starPark 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 defenderNemanja Vidić and French full-backPatrice 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.[200]
Before the start of the new season, Ferguson received much criticism, particular in the guise of an article inThe Guardian titled "Shredding his legacy at every turn".[201]
Second Champions League trophy
Ferguson in 2006Ferguson in 2008, standing beside assistant managerCarlos 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.[202] United started the season well, and for the first time ever won their first four Premier League games, United's best start since 1985.[202][203] They set the early pace in thePremier League and never relinquished top spot from the tenth match of the 38-game season.[204] 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.[205] 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,[206] as well as his old foe, Arsène Wenger.[207] The party was spoiled the following day when United endured a single-goal defeat at the hands ofSouthend United in the fourth round of the League Cup.[208] On 1 December it was announced that Manchester United had signed 35-year-oldHenrik Larsson on loan,[209] 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.[210]
Manchester United subsequently won their ninth Premier League title but were denied a unique fourth double by Chelsea'sDidier Drogba scoring a late goal in theFA Cup final atWembley Stadium.[211] In the Champions League, the club reached the semi-finals, recording a 7–1 home win overRoma in the quarter-final second leg,[212] but lost at theSan Siro to Milan 3–0 in the second leg of the semi-final after being 3–2 up from the first leg.[213]
For the2007–08 season, Ferguson made notable signings to reinforce United's first team. Long-term targetOwen Hargreaves joined from Bayern Munich, young Portuguese wingerNani and Brazilian playmakerAnderson joined soon after, while the last summer signing was West Ham andArgentina strikerCarlos Tevez after a complex and protracted transfer saga.[214][215][216]
Despite getting some retribution on Chelsea by beating them in theCommunity Shield, United suffered their worst start to a league season under Ferguson, drawing theirfirst two league games before suffering a 1–0 defeat by local rivals Manchester City.[217][218] 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.[219]
On 16 February 2008, United beat Arsenal 4–0 in anFA Cup fifth round match at Old Trafford,[220] but were knocked out by eventual winnersPortsmouth in the quarter-final on 8 March, losing 1–0 at home.[221] United having had a penalty claim turned down, Ferguson alleged after the game thatKeith Hackett, general manager of theProfessional Game Match Officials Board, was "not doing his job properly".[222][223] Ferguson was subsequently charged byThe 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 atBolton Wanderers – a charge he decided not to contest.[224]
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 overWigan Athletic, managed by former United captain Steve Bruce.[225][226]
On 21 May 2008, Ferguson won his second European Cup with Manchester United as they beat Chelsea6–5 on penalties in theLuzhniki Stadium inMoscow, following a 1–1 draw after extra time in the first ever all-English UEFA Champions League Final.[227][228][229] A penalty miss from Cristiano Ronaldo meant thatJohn 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 aNicolas Anelka penalty which gave the trophy to Manchester United for the second time under Ferguson and for the third time overall.[230]
Although the team had a slow start to the2008–09 season,[231] United won the Premier League with a game to spare,[232] 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.[233] They also won the League Cup on penalties after a goalless draw in thefinal against Tottenham, after becoming the first British club to win theFIFA Club World Cup inDecember 2008.[234]
Ferguson in 2009
They contested theChampions League final against Barcelona on 27 May 2009 but lost 2–0, thus failed to defend the trophy.[235][236]
In2009–10 season, Ferguson added another League Cup to his honours list as United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 in thefinal on 28 February 2010, United's first ever successful knockout cup defence.[237][238] 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 overStoke City meaningless.[239]
He ended thefollowing 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 the2011 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".[240] With Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes all retiring in 2011,[241] Ferguson spent big by signing defenderPhil Jones from Blackburn and wingerAshley Young from Aston Villa for around £17 million each,[242][243] and goalkeeperDavid de Gea fromAtlético Madrid for around £19 million.[244]
The2012–13 season saw Ferguson guide United to become league champions for the20th 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.[245] 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.[246] Earlier in the season, on 2 September 2012, Ferguson managed his 1,000th league game with United playing againstSouthampton. 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 overGalatasaray at Old Trafford.[29]
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.[247][248]The Guardian announced it was the "end of an era",[249] whileUEFA presidentMichel Platini referred to Ferguson as "a true visionary".[250] Former Manchester United players Paul Ince and Bryan Robson agreed that Ferguson would be "a hard act to follow".[251] Manchester United co-chairmanJoel Glazer said, "His determination to succeed and dedication to the club have been truly remarkable."[252] 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.[253] Ferguson's announcement of his decision to retire saw United's shares fall 5% on theNew York Stock Exchange.[254]
On 9 May 2013, Manchester United announced Everton managerDavid Moyes would replace Ferguson as the club manager from 1 July, having signed a six-year contract.[255][256] In Ferguson's final match in charge, Manchester United drew 5–5 at West Bromwich Albion, a hat-trick fromRomelu Lukaku, later a United player, denying Ferguson a final victory.[257]
Ferguson released his second autobiography in October 2013 calledMy Autobiography.[258][259] In January 2014, Ferguson was appointed as the UEFA Coaching Ambassador,[260][261] and said it was "an honour and a privilege" to be given the role.[262] In April 2014, it was announced that Ferguson would be taking up a "long-term teaching position" atHarvard University, where he would be lecturing on a new course titled "The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports".[263] This came six months after he revealed his blueprint for success was included in theHarvard Business Review in a series of interviews withAnita Elberse.[264][265] His book,Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United, was published in collaboration with billionaireventure capitalist, author and former journalistMichael Moritz in August 2015.[266]
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 clubFC Köln without telling Ferguson.[267] 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".[267] Strachan did not sign for Köln, but instead moved to Manchester United in the summer of 1984.[267] Strachan liked the move because he felt that Ron Atkinson treated him as an adult, unlike Ferguson.[268] Strachan was still with the club when Ferguson was appointed manager in November 1986.[267] 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.[267] Strachan enjoyed significant success with Leeds as a veteran player, helping them win the1991–92 English league championship in a title race with Ferguson's United.[267]
Their relationship continued to be frosty as Strachan moved into management himself.[267] 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".[267] 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'sCoventry City in 2001 by fielding a weakened Manchester United team in a match against Derby County.[267] By 2006 they appeared to have "declared something of a truce",[267] ahead of Champions League matches between United and Strachan's Celtic.[269]
David Beckham
In February 2003, Ferguson was involved in a dressing room argument with Manchester United playerDavid Beckham.[270] Ferguson allegedly kicked a football boot in frustration, which hit Beckham in the face and caused a minor injury.[271] Ferguson apologised to Beckham, who was transferred toReal Madrid later that year.[271]
Champions League draw fixing
On 5 April 2003, Ferguson claimed that the Champions League draw was fixed in favour of Spanish and Italian teams.[270] UEFA charged Ferguson for bringing the game into disrepute with his comments.[272] 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.[272]
Rock of Gibraltar
In 2003, Ferguson launched legal action against the then major Manchester United shareholderJohn Magnier over stud rights for race horseRock of Gibraltar.[273] Magnier counter-sued Ferguson[274] 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.[275] 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.[276] The case was eventually settled out of Court.[275]
BBC
Ferguson refused to give interviews to theBBC after a documentary calledFergie and Son was shown onBBC Three on 27 May 2004.[277] According to an article inThe 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.[278]
Under new Premier League rules intended for the 2010–11 season, Ferguson was required to end his BBC boycott.[280] However, he refused to end his boycott and Manchester United said they would pay the resulting fines.[281] No fines were ever issued, as the BBC hoped to resolve the dispute.[279] On 25 August 2011, Ferguson met with BBC director generalMark Thompson and BBC North directorPeter Salmon, after which Ferguson agreed to end his seven-year boycott.[279]
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 officialJeff Winter.[282]
14 December 2007 – Two-match touchline ban and fined £5,000 after using abusive and/or insulting words towardsMark Clattenburg.[283]
18 November 2008 – Two-match touchline ban and fined £10,000 after confrontingMike Dean after a game.[284]
12 November 2009 – Four-match touchline ban (two suspended) and fined £20,000 for comments made about the fitness ofAlan Wiley.[285]
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 ofMartin Atkinson.[286]
"Fergie Time"
It has also been suggested that Ferguson's intimidation of referees resulted in so-called "Fergie Time": that is, unusually generousinjury time being added in matches where Manchester United were behind. The phrase is at least as old as 1998,[287] but the concept first appeared on 10 April 1993 whenSteve Bruce scored a 97th-minute goal (seventh minute of injury time added on by the referee) againstSheffield Wednesday to win the game for United: they went top of the league with this win and remained there until the season ended.[107] The term got wider coverage when United came from behind to win the1999 UEFA Champions League final with two goals in injury time.[288][289][290]
The concept cropped up in the media (and by opponents) whenever games seemed to be having more injury time than expected.[107] A statistical analysis byThe 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.[291] Analysis byOpta 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.[292] 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.[292]
Abronze statue of Ferguson, designed by Scottish sculptorPhilip Jackson, was unveiled outside Old Trafford on 23 November 2012.[297][298] 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.[299][300] In July 2021, Aberdeen commissioned sculptorAndy Edwards to sculpt a bronze statue of Ferguson.[301] This was unveiled at Aberdeen's Pittodrie stadium on 25 February 2022,[302] and on the following day Ferguson was presented with a maquette of the statue.[303]
A documentary about Ferguson's career titledSir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In was released in UK cinemas on 27 May 2021 and was made available onAmazon 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.[304] Ferguson also inspired authorJilly Cooper to write a novel,Tackle!, based on football.[305]
Statues of Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson statue installed at Old Trafford on 23 November 2012
Statue of Sir Alex Ferguson atPittodrie Stadium by Andy Edwards, unveiled 25 February 2022
Personal life
Ferguson lives inWilmslow, Cheshire, and was married to Cathy Holding from 1966 until her death in October 2023.[306][307] They had three sons together: Mark (born 1968); and twinsDarren,[308] who was also a professional footballer and currently the manager ofPeterborough United; and Jason (born 1972), who runs an events management company.[citation needed] Jason directed the 2021 documentarySir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In about his father.[citation needed]
In 1991, Ferguson became awine collector after being shown a display of bottles fromChâteau d'Yquem andChâteau Pétrus while inMontpellier, France.[309] In 2014, he put part of his vast collection up for auction withChristie's, with their head of wine David Elswood describing his taste as "exceptional",[310] valued at up to £3 million.[311] After the first of three auctions, Ferguson had sold 229 lots for £2.2 million.[312][313]
Ferguson underwent an emergency surgery on 5 May 2018, after having abrain haemorrhage.[314] He made a recovery from the surgery and attended his first match at Old Trafford since then on 22 September 2018.[315]
In January 2011Graham Stringer, a Labour MP inManchester and Manchester United supporter, called for Ferguson to be made alife peer.[321] Stringer and fellow Manchester Labour MPPaul Goggins repeated this call after Ferguson announced his retirement in May 2013.[322]
After retiring from managing Manchester United in 2013, Ferguson continued to serve as an ambassador and director for the club. In October 2024, it was announced that at the end of the season he will leave his official role as club ambassador.[5]
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 atBraehead).[13][14][325][326][327]
In July 2025 Ferguson was announced as an official ambassador for theGlasgow‑baseddementia charityPlaylist for Life, which promotes the use of personally meaningful music indementia care.[328][329] The appointment formalised several years of support for the organisation, including fundraising activities and public advocacy. In 2024 he had shared a personal “playlist of his life” onBBC Breakfast to mark National Playlist Day, encouraging others to create their own therapeutic playlists.[330]
Ferguson was made an Inaugural Inductee of theEnglish Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a manager.[333] 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.[334] He is the Vice-President of theNational Football Museum, based inManchester,[335] and a member of the Executive Committee of theLeague Managers Association.[336] 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.[337]
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 theScottish league championship with a nonOld Firm team, achieving this in the1984–85 season withAberdeen.[30]
Ferguson is thesecond-most decorated manager in European football competitions with seven honours, behind onlyCarlo 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.[30] 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).[338][339] In 2017, Ferguson was named among the 10 most influential coaches since the foundation ofUEFA in 1954.[340]
Ferguson, Alex (2000).Managing My Life: The Autobiography. Coronet Books.ISBN0-340-72856-6.
Ferguson, Alex (2013).My Autobiography. Hodder & Stoughton.ISBN978-0-340-91939-2.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.ISBN978-1473621169.
^Ridley, Ian (9 November 1997)."All red and all conquering".The Independent on Sunday. London.Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved28 May 2012.
^Lacey, David (10 November 1997). "Platt stalls United's march".The Guardian. London. p. 19.
^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.
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^abcBartram, Steve; Bostock, Adam (20 October 2010)."Boss greets landmark game". Manchester United F.C. Archived fromthe original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved30 March 2017.
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