Sir Alex Ferguson commences his twenty third season as manager of Manchester United. Appointed in November, 1986 he has a record of success at Old Trafford that will never be surpassed. The longest serving manager in English football, he has won twenty two major honours for Manchester United in that time. So dominant has he been that his ten Premier League title wins are more than the other three major clubs, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have won together during that period.
Playing Career
His seventeen year playing career started as a striker with Queen’s Park befoe moving to St Johnstone and Dunfermline. Rangers paid £65,000 for him, a record transfer fee at that time between two Scottish clubs. After two seasons he went to Falkirk and then finished his career at Ayr United in 1974.
Managerial Career in Scotland
Having had some coaching experience at Falkirk, Ferguson immediately took over as manager at East Stirlingshire. However, four months later he became manager at St Mirren where he stayed for four years. His growing reputation saw him appointed manager at Aberdeen in 1978. After a difficult start he eventually enabled Aberdeen to break the stranglehold that Rangers and Celtic had on Scottish football. In 1979-80 the club won the first of three Scottish Premier League titles. Aberdeen were successful in the Scottish League Cup and won the Scottish Cup on four occasions. Ferguson also brought European success to the club by winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1982-83 and the UEFA Super Cup.
At Old Trafford
After eight years at Aberdeen, Manchester United offered him the opportunity to restore the club to the former success experienced under Sit Matt Busby. It had been difficult to replace such a great manager and many had tried but failed. Initially, Ferguson found it equally as difficult and there was talk of his time running out when United defeating Crystal Palace after a replay in the FA Cup Final in 1989-90. A goal by Lee Martin brought the first trophy of Alex Ferguson’s managerial reign at Old Trafford and the following season the first European success with a Cup Winners’ Cup triumph.
Record of Success
From that point, Manchester United experienced unrivalled success at home and abroad. Ten League titles, five FA Cup successes, two League Cup triumphs, the European Cup Winners Cup on one occasion and the ‘holy grail’ of European success, the Champions League on two occasions. United have also won the Intercontinental Cup and the European Super Cup as well as the Charity/Community Shield on eight occasions.
First League Title
The first league success came in 1992-93, a trophy that United had not won for twenty six years. The signing of Eric Cantona from Leeds United during the season proved to be the catalyst for the title win and future successes. The club won the ‘double’ in 1993-94 and on two further occasions during the 1990s.
Champions League Triumph
Going one better with the ‘treble’ in 1989-99 with the addition of the Champions League win in a last gasp success over Bayern Munich. Two added time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer meant that Ferguson had won the one trophy that had so far eluded him.
Further success in the following years climaxed with the Champions League Final win over Chelsea in Moscow last May. A penalty shoot-out brought them their third success in Europe’s most prestigious trophy.
Great Players
Sir Alex Ferguson has had many great players under his control at Old Trafford – Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo – and all have discovered that Ferguson is a strict disciplinarian and sets very exacting standards which he expects to be fully followed.
Although past retirement age, there is no indication of Ferguson stepping down. He looks forward to the challenge of retaining the league title and building on his European success as he strives to make them the best club in the world.
Logan Holmes - A retired Primary School Principal who enjoys writing about football, particularly Tottenham Hotspur.
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