[ Joined from Aberdeen ]
  [ Manager ]
  [ Dob 31/12/41 ]
  [ signed 1986 ]
  [ Games 658 upd 1/2/99 ]
  [ W356 L125 D177 ]

  [Debut: 8/11/86 Oxford(a)]
  [Top Score 9-0 Ipswich (h) 4/3/95]
  [Born in Govan, Glasgow]
[1999 European Champions Wallpaper!]

Order Sir Alex Ferguson's Managing My Life Today!

Updated 1/3/2000: Matches

Goals For/Against

• 1985: caretaker manager of Scotland following death of Jock Stein during Wales v Scotland World Cup qualifier.
• First trophy at Old Trafford as United beat Crystal Palace 1-0 in an FA Cup final replay after a 2-2 draw.
• Old Trafford’s 26-year wait for title is ended as United finish 10 points clear of Aston Villa.
• United become only fourth team this century, and sixth in total, to complete championship and FA Cup double. The Old Trafford club defeat Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup final.
• ........43 signings TOTAL: M77
• ........64 Sales Total: M32 Pounds Sterling.   CURRENT BALANCE : -44 Million

---

Brief History .......

Alexander Chapman Ferguson
 - born on December 31st 1942.

After spells as a player with Queen's Park, St Johnstone,
Dunfermline, Glasgow Rangers, Falkirk and Ayr United, and as
manager of East Stirlingshire, St Mirren and Aberdeen, Alex
Ferguson succeeded Ron Atkinson as manager of Manchester United 
on 6th November 1986.

In the 13 League matches up to Ferguson's arrival at Old
Trafford, United had only won three and had lost six. They
had also been knocked out of the Littlewoods Cup after
suffering a 1-4 defeat at Southampton. Looking back it is
easy to see why United's position was so dire: "Ferguson
inherited a dispirited team of underachievers who had
consistently, to their supporters' foaming discontent,
failed to break Liverpool's domination. The team sheet
drawn up by the new man for his first match says it all:
Turner, Duxbury, Albiston, McGrath (Olsen), Moran,
Hogg, Blackmore, Stapleton, Moses, Davenport, Barnes.
The team lost 0-2 to Oxford United." (Jim White quoted in
Total Sport, May 1997).

Stuck in the bottom four of the Division One table,
Ferguson immediately set about attempting to stave off
the very real threat of relegation. Without resorting to the
transfer market, Ferguson guided United up the table to
finish in 11th place. By now it was apparent to Fergie that
it was a major job to turn the club around. United were an
entertaining side but one that seemed unable to cope with
the more physical aspects of League football. Crucially for
the future, there seemed to be few players coming
through the youth system to challenge the established
stars.

In his first full season, Ferguson guided United to a
League runners-up position as new signings Viv
Anderson, Steve Bruce and Brian McClair made their
mark. This was followed by 11th position in 1988/89 and,
after a further threat of relegation, 13th position in
1989-90. The fans were not convinced by Alex Ferguson
and on his third anniversary as manager of Manchester
United a banner was unfurled in the scoreboard end
saying: "Three years of excuses; Ta-ra Fergie". Ferguson
remembers the period as 'Black December': "It was,
without question, the lowest, most desperate point ever in
all my years in management." (Alex Ferguson, Just Champion).

United's poor League form continued, but at least the fans
were able to cheer a Cup run. On May 17 1990, for the
first time in five years, the fans tasted success when
United won the FA Cup, defeating Crystal Palace 1-0 after
a replay. United have since gone from strength to
strength. In 1991 Ferguson's team were League Cup finalists, 
but went on to defeat Barcelona 2-1 in the European Cup-Winners' 
Cup Final. 

However it was in the League that the Old Trafford faithful
were demanding success. United again came close in 1991/92 
when Leeds United pipped them to the title after United had
looked the better team for most of the season.
Some silverware did return to Old Trafford that season as
Nottingham Forest were defeated 1-0 in the League Cup Final 
and Red Star Belgrade were defeated by the same scoreline in
the European Super Cup Final. 

Finally United's time had come, despite a strong challenge from
Aston Villa, Ferguson's team became the inaugural Champions of
the breakaway F.A. Premier League in 1992-93. The twenty-six year 
wait was over. "The Championship triumph, apart from ending 26 
years of collective cursing and frustration, was unquestionably
the breaching of a barrier that had defied so many talented people, 
world renowned players as well as Managers". (Alex Ferguson, 
Just Champion).

This Championship victory also won him the 'Manager of the Year' 
trophy, an award he won again the following year as United retained
their hold on the Premier crown. His team went one better becoming
only the sixth team to win the League and FA Cup Double. It was close 
to being an unprecedented treble but Ron Atkinson's Aston Villa side 
won a hard-fought League Cup Final 3-1.

His 1993 Premier League victory meant that Ferguson became the first 
Manager to win League titles north and south of the border. He is
also only the second Manager,after Johan Cruyff, to win the European
Cup-Winners' Cup with teams from different countries.

At the start of 1995 things were looking rosy for Ferguson. He'd just
been awarded the C.B.E. in the New Year honours list, United had landed 
Andy Cole for £7m from Newcastle United and had just beaten their title
rivals Blackburn Rovers 1-0 in a great battle at Old Trafford. A third 
Premier League title looked destined for the trophy room at Old Trafford.
However on January 25, United's season took a cruel twist when Eric Cantona
attacked an abusive Crystal Palace fan after being sent off. Failure to 
win at West Ham on the last day of the season and losing to Everton in
the FA Cup Final meant that the trophy cabinet at Old Trafford was empty
for the first time in five years. Ferguson still muses that at least
one trophy would have found it's way to Old Trafford had Cantona not been 
banned for nine months by the FA.

When the 1995/6 season began it did so minus Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes, 
Andrei Kanchelskis and Paul Ince, players who had played such an important 
part in United's success. By the end of the season, memories of 1995 had 
been washed away as United's 'kids', led by a rejuvenated Cantona, won 
an historic 'Double Double'. No less that five players were under the age 
of 21 and had graduated from United's youth system. A testimony to Alex 
Ferguson's managerial ability, which won him the Carling Premiership
'Manager of the Year' award yet again. 

The following season expectations were high. Ferguson had made some shrewd 
buys during the summer including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ronny Johnsen. 
In November 1996, the Boss completed ten years as manager of Manchester 
United, the longest serving coach since Sir Matt Busby and the second 
longest serving boss in the League behind Crewe's Dario Gradi.

The season ended with United picking up their fourth Premiership title 
and narrowly missing out on reaching the European Cup Final, losing the 
semi-final to the eventual winners Borussia Dortmund. Again Ferguson
won the Carling Premiership 'Manager of the Year' award, confirming his 
place amongst the great Managers to have graced the British football scene.

That status was confirmed in the 1998/99 season, when United completed the 
unprecedented Treble – Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. He followed
Matt Busby to Buckingham Palace, and became the first working football
manager to be knighted.

•Sir Alex Ferguson was voted the 'Best Coach' in Europe at the 1999 UEFA
Football Gala.

•Alex is a keen musician, and is learning to play the piano in his spare time.

•As a boy he would climb over walls to watch his beloved Glasgow Rangers, 
for whom he would later play.

•He shares his birthday, on New Year's Eve, with former club captain Steve
Bruce.

•He owns several racehorses, and regularly watches them in action.


 

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