Glory, Glory Man Utd. Harry Harris
treatmentʼ. Notably in February 2003 when he kicked a boot in the changing room which hit David Beckham on the forehead. Beckhamsʼ visible wound created a public fallout and the then England captain left the club months later. Yet, Beckham was full of praise for Sir Alex illustrating the respect for his former boss, as he reacted, “Iʼve just seen the news on Sir Alex. As I have said many times before the boss wasnʼt just the greatest and best manager I ever played under he was also a father figure to me from the moment I arrived at the club at the age of 11 until the day I left. Without him I would never have achieved what I have done in my career. He understood how important it was to play for your country and he knew how much it meant to me. After 1998 [when he was sent off in the World Cup] without the manager I would have found it virtually impossible to cope with the attention I was getting on and off the field and for this I will always be grateful to him for his support and protection. I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football and to have had the career that I had under him. Thank you, boss, and enjoy the rest!”
On Twitter, Rio Ferdinand commented, ʼThe bosses work ethic, his desire to win + to make us better players were unrivalled. Thanks boss.ʼ Meanwhile FA chairman David Bernstein recognised Sir Alexʼs “remarkable” contribution to the game. He said: “Sir Alex Fergusonʼs achievements are truly remarkable – he is genuinely one of the greatest managers of all time and certainly of the modern era. His contribution to English football has been outstanding in every regard and, in the FAʼs 150th year, it is something that should be celebrated. On behalf of the FA Iʼd like to wish him a happy and healthy retirement.”
First – team coach Rene Meulensteen was told of Fergusonʼs plans on Wednesday morning and felt the news was not entirely unexpected. “(I found out) this morning when I came to the club. He called us into his office and he said what decision he took. Itʼs always been on the cards – thereʼs speculation every season. I think the manager kept his cards close to his chest. I think he felt the time was right now and he made a decision. Heʼs obviously a man who thinks very, very well so Iʼm sure heʼs taken a lot of thought into making this decision. I wish him well. Heʼs been fantastic for this club and I hope all the fans give whoeverʼs going to come in the same support that he gets.”
Former United defender Steve Bruce believes any successor to Ferguson will struggle to get close to emulating his record. The Hull manager said, “Heʼs going to be some act to follow. Itʼs impossible to copy somebody like him. He will treat the groundsman just as well as he will treat his star centre – forward. Heʼs got a fantastic humility about him, for all that heʼs achieved.”
The repercussions for United were felt much further afield than the United dressing room for present and past players, far greater than the club might even have imagined. The Board knew there would be a seismic shift in opinion about where the club would go without their talisman manager, but they couldnʼt have imagined the global intensity of media interest.
After giving emotional speeches to his players and staff at their Carrington training ground, the fall out really began... The decision seem to be strangely timed with rumours flying about in Manchester that a player had leaked information on the clubʼs golf day and at least one betting company announcing on the Monday that a number of large bets had been placed on David Moyes to succeed Sir Alex before the end of the season.
The previous weekend, in his programme notes for a match against Chelsea, Sir Alex had insisted, “I certainly donʼt have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special and worth being around to see. Itʼs always difficult in football to be absolutely sure of the future because the game has a habit of tripping you up, but I donʼt live in a fantasy world and believe we have every reason to feel confident about the future of Manchester United. My view stems not from the euphoria of winning back the title we lost last season, but on the way we did it and the make – up of our playing personnel.”
In the light of subsequent events, Fergusonʼs notes seem very curious indeed. As in a statement announcing the end of his managerial career he said: “The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.”
David Meek helped write Sir Alexʼs autobiography and ghost – writes his Old Trafford programme notes. The 82 – yearold journalist is trusted by Sir Alex and been writing his programme notes for 26 years. Meek, a journalist I have known for many years, is conservative in his news gathering during his time as covering the fortunes of Manchester United with the Manchester Evening News, his sources impeccable inside Old Trafford. Meek added to the intrigue when he wondered what really went on behind the scenes after he penned the programme notes in which Sir Alex insisted he wanted to continue managing. Was he ʼnudgedʼ towards the exit? “I canʼt honestly say Iʼm aware of anything.” Meek replied, “We never hear anything from the Glazers but theyʼre in charge. There is the scenario that he was blissfully intending to carry on for another season, true to his programme notes, but then there was a top summit meeting and the suggestion was made (that he retired). I donʼt think it had to be made forcefully. If he felt the owners no longer had 100 per cent confidence in him, I donʼt think heʼd hesitate [to go].” When pushed if he thought that was realistic, he replied: “Well yeah... Iʼd love to know. Thatʼs the next chapter to the story. Did he go or was he pushed? I knew something was afoot when I rang him [on Tuesday] at his home and I said ʼshall I come in tomorrow morning?ʼ He said ʼno, I shall be too busy.ʼ Thatʼs all he said.”
Sir Alex reprimanded Meek for his comments on the Keys and Gray radio show. There was no updated column from Sir Alex in the programme for his final game at Old Trafford days later, instead his resignation quotes were reprinted as he wanted to save his thoughts until his address to the fans after his Farewell Game. The interview he gave Meek for his final home match programme was not used, and Meek changed his ʼstoryʼ on of Sir Alexʼs departure, saying on Radio 5 Liveʼs Sportsweek that the managerʼs Chelsea programme notes had been a ʼsmokescreenʼ. Meek said, “He sold us all a dummy. I didnʼt doubt for a moment he was kidding me.”
Well, was he or wasnʼt he? Only Sir Alex really knows. His son Darren, manager of Peterborough, made it clear that the United boss hadnʼt quit over ill health and would have coped with the hip operation, but didnʼt address the issue of stress. Having always cited his health as the primary factor in any decision to retire, the club confirmation only days before the announcement that Sir Alex, who had a heart pacemaker fitted in 2004, would undergo hip surgery in August which inevitably inspired acres of media coverage speculating about his future whether he would bring in David Moyes as his assistant for a year or whether he would finally retire.
It was also reported that two Premier League managers, who remained anonymous, suggested Sir Alex would have quit a year earlier had United not lost the Premier League title race to City. That though, was not confirmed by United but neither was it denied that he confided in wife Cath that he had to shelve plans to retire within hours of Cityʼs shock title triumph. Sir Alex comments that followed the final home game with Swansea did stand up the view he had no intent on going out unless it was as a winner.
Was it the stress or something connected to the mysterious nosebleed the year before as David Whelan had told me a year earlier? Former England manager Fabio Capello thought so. Capello, the then manager of the Russian national side, spoke to Sir Alex about it, “I called him and he told me that he decided this way because of excess stress. A few months ago he told me that he was going to stay on. The news of his retirement really surprised me. I called him and he told me that he decided this way because of excess stress. He told me that now heʼll go and travel a bit, have fun and see the world with his wife. He was the greatest coach of all time, especially because of all the difficulties he overcame at the start of his career with Manchester and for remaining for so many years on the same bench. Itʼs really incredible. I normally think that after four–five years at the most a coach should move, so to think that he stayed on the same bench for 26 years is incredible. That takes psychological, technical and humane capacity. I had a special relationship with him.”
The ʼnoisy neighboursʼ absorbed the implications on the eve of their FA Cup final against Wigan at Wembley, hoping it would mean a permanent shift of power across Manchester. Roberto Mancini said: “It was a great honour to beat him at Old Trafford