To Sir Alex Ferguson
"We made the best decision we ever could in bringing Alex Ferguson to this club." - Sir Bobby Charlton
The Impossible Dream Made Possible By Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as Manchester United manager at the end of the season after 26 years in charge and will now become a director and ambassador for the club.
Sunday was the end of a successful career. Sir Alex Ferguson ended it in style with his 1 500th match as the manager of the Red Devils.
Chief executive David Gill said, "What he has done for this club and for the game in general will never is forgotten."
Sir Alex Ferguson and the R Word
"The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about. It is the right time," Ferguson said.
"It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so," he said.
"The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one."
"It has been an honour and enormous privilege to lead your club and I have treasured my time as manager of Manchester United".
On the 1999 Champions League triumph "I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Football. Bloody hell."
Timeline: The Life and Times of Sir Alex Ferguson
1941: Born December 31 in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland.
1957: Begins playing career at Queen's Park as amateur while apprentice tool maker in Glasgow factory.
1960: Joins St Johnstone as part-timer.
1964: Quits tool making to join Dunfermline.
1966: Marries Cathy.
1967: Moves to Rangers for £65,000.
1969: Another move to Falkirk, for £20,000.
1973: Joins Ayr, returning to part-time ranks while running his Glasgow pub.
1974: Appointed manager of East Stirling in September, but moves to St Mirren three months later.
1978: Sacked by St Mirren and appointed at Aberdeen as successor to Billy McNeill.
1980: First managerial honour as Aberdeen wins the Scottish championship.
1982: Aberdeen wins the Scottish Cup, beating Rangers 4-1.
1983: Aberdeen retains the Scottish Cup, this time beating Rangers 1-0 and defeat Real Madrid 2-1 in Gothenburg to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup.
1984: Aberdeen wins the League and Cup double, beating Celtic 2-1 in the Cup final.
1985: Appointed caretaker manager of Scotland following death of Jock Stein during Wales v Scotland World Cup qualifier.
1986: Scotland bow out of Mexico World Cup after first round. Ferguson leaves Aberdeen to take over at Manchester United after the sacking of Ron Atkinson.
1989: Breaks British transfer record to sign Gary Pallister for £2.3 million from Middlesbrough.
1990: First trophy at Old Trafford as United beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in an FA Cup final replay after a 3-3 draw.
1991: United beat Barcelona 2-1 in Rotterdam to win Cup Winners' Cup.
1992: European Super Cup arrives at Old Trafford as United beat Red Star Belgrade, while his first League Cup triumph is booked with a 1-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest.
1992: Signs French forward Eric Cantona. "If ever there was one player, anywhere in the world, who was made for Manchester United, it was Cantona," he would later reflect.
1993: Old Trafford's 26-year wait for the title is ended as United finish 10 points clear of Aston Villa to win the inaugural Premier League title and signs Roy Keane from Nottingham Forest for a British transfer record of £3.75million.
1994: United become the sixth team to complete the league and FA Cup double.
1995: Breaks British transfer record again to sign Andy Cole from Newcastle for £7 million and United finish runners-up to Blackburn in the league and Everton in the FA Cup.
1996: United become the first club ever to complete the league and FA Cup double twice.
1996: Wins Premier League again, this time with youngsters in his team such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville known as "Fergie's Fledglings."
1997: Claims fourth championship title in five seasons.
1998: Finishes season without a trophy.
1999: Two stoppage-time goals secure a thrilling victory in the UEFA Champions League final in Barcelona as the Red Devils come from behind to beat Bayern Munich. The victory – which yields Ferguson’s famous “football... bloody hell” quote – guarantees the club an unprecedented domestic and European treble. Wins Intercontinental Cup.
2000: Guides United to a sixth Premier League title, finishing the campaign 18 points clear of Arsenal.
2001: Wins his seventh title in nine years and breaks British transfer record to sign Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron for 28 million pounds.
2002: Changes plans to retire to sign a new three-year deal as United manager and United finish outside the top two in the Premier League for first time.
2003: Involved in dressing room bust-up with star player David Beckham, who it emerges with a cut in the face by a boot kicked by Ferguson in frustration; courts controversy by claiming Champions League draw is fixed; United win title again; launches legal action against major United shareholder John Magnier over stud rights to top racehorse Rock of Gibraltar, Beckham sold to Real Madrid that summer and signs Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon.
2004: United win the FA Cup with victory over Millwall in the final and signs Everton star Wayne Rooney for a fee which could rise to £27million.
2005: United lose the FA Cup final to Arsenal on penalties.
2006: Wins the League Cup for only the second time thanks to a 4-0 thrashing of Wigan.
2007: Denies Chelsea a third straight English title by winning the Premier League with United for a ninth time.
2008: Beats Chelsea to the Premier League title again before defeating the Blues on penalties in the Champions League final in Moscow and win the Club World Cup before the end of the year.
2009: Retains Premier League title having already won the League Cup against Tottenham and United reach the Champions League final in Rome but lose to Barcelona 2-0. Given four-match touchline ban for comments criticizing fitness of referee Alan Wiley.
2010: Forced to settle for just his fourth League Cup, against Aston Villa. Fergie becomes United's longest-serving manager.
2011: Given a five-match touchline ban and a £30,000 fine for his verbal attack on referee Martin Atkinson at Chelsea in February.
"You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway - and we didn't get that," said Ferguson in the aftermath of the 2-1 defeat.
"I must say, when I saw who the referee was I feared it. I feared the worst."
2012: United are beaten to the Premier League title on a dramatic final day of the season, with bitter rivals Manchester City instead taking top spot on goal difference. Ferguson manages his 1000th league game with United against Southampton. Two weeks later, he wins his 100th game in the Champions League be beating Galatasaray at Old Trafford.
2013: United land a record 20th league title with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa. The club announces he will retire at the end of the season.
On City again "Sometimes you have a noisy neighbour. You cannot do anything about that. They will always be noisy. You just have to get on with your life, put your television on and turn it up a bit louder."
Sir Alex Ferguson's Titles:
St Mirren
Scottish First Division (1): 1976-77.
Aberdeen
Scottish Premier Division (3): 1979-80, 1983-84, 1984-85.
Scottish Cup (4): 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86.
Scottish League Cup (1): 1985-86.
European Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1982-83.
European Super Cup (1): 1983.
Manchester United
Premier League (13): 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.
FA Cup (5): 1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04.
League Cup (4): 1991-92, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10.
Charity/Community Shield (10): 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.
Champions League (2): 1998-99, 2007-08.
European Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1990-91.
European Super Cup (1): 1991.
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999.
FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008.
On Arsène Wenger "They say he's an intelligent man, right? Speaks five languages. I've got a 15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast who speaks five languages!"
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Achievements in Numbers
1: Knighthood from the Queen in June 1999.
2: Champions League titles against Bayern Munich in 1999 and Chelsea in 2008.
5: Teams managed by Ferguson - East Stirling 1974, St Mirren 1975-78, Aberdeen 1978-1986, Scotland 1985-86, Man Utd 1986-2013.
6: Clubs as a player - Queen's Park, St Johnstone, Dunfermline, Rangers, Falkirk, Ayr.
9: Scottish and English FA Cup titles.
17: Games missed due to touchline bans.
26: Years since United had won the title before Ferguson's triumph in 1993.
38: Trophies won at Old Trafford.
49: Trophies won as a manager with Manchester United, Aberdeen and St Mirren.
104: Players bought while at Manchester United. The last was Wilfred Zaha.
170: Goals scored during his playing career.
370: Appearances as a player.
1500: Games at Manchester United, with 895 wins, 338 draws and 267 defeats.
On Liverpool "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."
Sir Alex Ferguson Awards/Achievements
In 1983, Sir Alex Ferguson was honoured with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for his service to football. He received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1995 and the Knight Bachelor in 1999. The Manchester United manager becomes Sir Alex Ferguson after receiving a knighthood from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
"If my parents were still alive to see this, they would be very proud,” he said.
"The Queen told me she doesn't think it will ever be achieved again - and she's right.
"The culmination of three trophies was the pinnacle of my career and it has been rewarded with a knighthood."
In recognition to his achievements with Manchester United FC, Sir Alex Ferguson was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
For his commendable contribution to the game of football, Sir Alex Ferguson received a number of awards in 1999, including, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award, BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award, World Soccer Magazine Coach of the Year, Mussabini Medal, International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) Club Coach of the Year and Onze d’Or Coach of the Year. Sir Alex Ferguson was conferred the Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year (2000) and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
The year 2007 was yet another successful year for the winning manager of the Manchester United FC, Sir Alex Ferguson, who went on to claim the World Soccer Magazine Coach of the Year, the Professional Footballers’ Association Merit Award and Onze D’Or Coach of the Year.
In 2011 United named the North Stand at Old Trafford as the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
In 2012, a statue of Sir Alex Ferguson was erected outside of Old Trafford. "Normally people die before they have a statue. I'm outliving death," was his response to his statue. During FIFA Ballon d'Or, he was presented with the President's Award. Blatter said Ferguson’s remarkable tenure at the club was unlikely to be repeated.
“Football is all about winning games and titles, and there is nobody better than him,” he said.
“It is an honour to be given this in the twilight of my life and it is very much appreciated. I always feel that no matter the honour I have received, it is recognition for Manchester United, which has always shared my vision.”
These are just some of his awards and achievements. There are many more out there which have not been accounted for.
On kicking a boot into David Beckham's face in 2003 "It was a freakish incident. If I tried it 100 or a million times it couldn't happen again. If I could I would have carried on playing!"
Signings
Of the 104 signings Sir Alex Ferguson made, plenty have stood out from the rest. From his fledglings to his last signing, Wilfred Zaha, Sir Alex Ferguson has managed and produced great talent. In some cases footballers are born and not made. However, some footballers are not born but made, and that is where Sir Alex Ferguson comes in.
Record Signings:
Ryan Giggs … Paul Scholes … David Beckham … Eric Cantona … Peter Schmeichel … Roy Keane … Edwin van der Sar … Ole Gunnar Solskjaer … Steve Bruce … Cristiano Ronaldo … Nemanja Vidic … Robin van Persie … The list is endless …
The boss certainly has an eye for talent.
Ever since I heard, I haven't been able to say the R word. I was in a state of shock and disbelief. I watched television every minute that day as every news and television station reported on Sir Alex Ferguson's decision and his achievements as a manager. I must admit, I cried all day long. I just couldn't stop crying. It felt as though somebody had told me one of my family members had died, like somebody had said I have an incurable disease, like the world and life I knew had come to nothing, an abrupt end. I was lost and confused. I was numb.
I cried during his guard of honour at Old Trafford, I cried during all his speeches, especially the one after the 2-1 victory over Swansea City, I cried when he lifted the title. I cried a lot. I just couldn't hold back all that emotion. I'm still crying.
Manchester United staff, players and supporters wished he could've stayed with us forever. But that was just wishful thinking. Cathy deserves to be with him too.
In an interview with Sir David Frost, I think in 2008, Sir Alex Ferguson said he will give it at least another 2/3 years before the R word. To be honest, he gave us 5 more years. 5 more years of success and memories.
We can thank the outgoing Manchester United manager for "Fergie Time", "squeaky-bum time" and the immortal "Football. Bloody hell". He "knocked Liverpool off their fucking perch", belittled the "noisy neighbours" at the Etihad and credited Italians as the "inventors of the smokescreen". Not to forget, his famous chewing gum.
On Manchester United's 19th league title "It's not so much passing Liverpool. It's more important that United are the best team in the country in terms of winning titles."
And on their 20th "Look at me – it's taken 10 years off me today. It's these tablets, they're great!"
Thank you Boss for all the memories
Love, the Duchess of Football
If I left anything out, I'm sorry, but the boss has a long and wealthy history. His life could fill countless books.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Career in Pictures
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22444888
Video: Thank You Sir Alex Ferguson
http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2013/May/video-thank-you-sir-alex-ferguson.aspx
Video: Guard of Honour
http://www.manutd.com/en/Thank-You-Sir-Alex-New/ThankYouSirAlexNews/2013/May/Video-Guard-of-honour.aspx?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=FB0228
Video: Sir Alex Ferguson Speech after Manchester United vs Swansea City
http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2013/May/video-sir-alex-speech.aspx
Video: Sir Alex Ferguson Talks to MUTV after Manchester United vs Swansea City
http://www.manutd.com/en/Thank-You-Sir-Alex-New/ThankYouSirAlexNews/2013/May/video-sir-alex-ferguson-interview-after-final-old-trafford-match.aspx
Video: Sir Alex Ferguson Parade Speech
http://www.manutd.com/en/Champions2013/Champions2013News/2013/May/Video-of-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-trophy-parade-speech.aspx
Video: Manchester United Parade Highlights
http://www.manutd.com/en/Champions2013/Champions2013News/2013/May/Video-Manchester-United-trophy-parade-highlights.aspx
For a brief yet intimate history of Sir Alex Ferguson, take a look at this: http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/Managers/Alex-Ferguson.aspx
