Alex Ferguson
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Chapman Ferguson
Date of birth	December 31, 1941 (1941-12-31) (age 66)
Place of birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Playing position	Striker (retired)
Club information
Current club	Manchester United (manager)
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1957–1960 1960–1964 1964–1967 1967–1969 1969–1973 1973–1974	Queen's Park St. Johnstone Dunfermline Athletic Rangers Falkirk Ayr United Total	032 0(11) 037 0(19) 088 0(66) 041 0(25) 106 0(37) 024 00(9) 327 (167)
Teams managed
1974 1974–1978 1978–1986 1985–1986 1986–	East Stirlingshire St. Mirren Aberdeen Scotland Manchester United
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Coach (baseball|Coach (basketball|Coach (ice hockeyIn Sports a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction instruction and training of the operations Not to be confused with English football club Queens Park Rangers F St Johnstone Football Club is a professional football club based in Perth Scotland. Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Falkirk, playing in the Scottish Premier League after winning promotion from Ayr United FC are an Association football team currently playing in the Scottish Football League. East Stirlingshire Football Club are a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk, although home matches are currently played in the nearby town of Saint Mirren Football Club (commonly known by the shortening St Aberdeen Football Club (also known as The Dons, The Reds and The Dandies) is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. * Appearances (Goals)

Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson CBE (born 31 December 1941 in Govan, Glasgow) is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United F.C., where he has been in charge for over 1,000 matches. The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Govan ( Scottish Gaelic: Baile a' Ghobhainn) is a district and former Burgh in the southwestern part of the City of Glasgow, Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Coach (baseball|Coach (basketball|Coach (ice hockeyIn Sports a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction instruction and training of the operations Considered to be one of the best managers in the game, he has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of English football. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland With 21 years under his belt, he is the second-longest serving manager in the history of Manchester United after Sir Matt Busby. Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby CBE KCSG (26 May 1909 – 20 January 1994 was a Scottish football player and manager most noted He currently holds the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen, due to his services to the city. Aberdeen's Freedom ceremony has its origins in the 12th Century

Contents 1 Overview 2 Background and personal life 3 Playing career 4 Early managerial career 4.1 East Stirlingshire 4.2 St Mirren 5 Managing Aberdeen 5.1 Early disappointment 5.2 Silverware at last 5.3 European success 6 Managing Manchester United 6.1 First seasons at United 6.2 First trophy in England 6.3 European success, but a disappointment in the league 6.4 1992–1993: Champions at last 6.5 1993–1994: The Double 6.6 1994–1995: Trophyless season 6.7 1995–1996: The Double Double 6.8 1996–1997: Another title 6.9 1997–1998: No silverware 6.10 1998–1999: The Treble 6.11 1999-2000: Title number 6 6.12 2000-01: Title number 7 6.13 2001-02: Trophyless season 6.14 Aborted retirement 6.15 2002-03: Title number 8 6.16 2003-04: FA Cup glory 6.17 2004-05: Trophyless season 6.18 2005-06: League Cup triumph, European failure 6.19 2006-07: Ferguson's 20th full season in charge 6.20 2007-08: The European Double 7 Managerial honours 7.1 St.Mirren 1974–1978 7.2 Aberdeen 1978–1986 7.3 Manchester United 1986– 8 Managerial stats 9 References 10 External links

Overview

Ferguson previously managed East Stirlingshire and St. Mirren, before a highly successful period as manager of Aberdeen. East Stirlingshire Football Club are a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk, although home matches are currently played in the nearby town of Saint Mirren Football Club (commonly known by the shortening St Aberdeen Football Club (also known as The Dons, The Reds and The Dandies) is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen Briefly manager of the Scotland national team – in a temporary capacity owing to the death of Jock Stein – he was appointed manager of Manchester United in November 1986. The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. John 'Jock' Stein CBE (5 October 1922 &ndash 10 September 1985 was one of the most notable managers in British football history

At Manchester United, Sir Alex has become the most successful manager in the history of English football, having guided the team to ten league championships. In 1999, he became the first manager to lead an English team to the treble of league championship, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club As well as being the only manager to win the FA Cup five times, he is also the only manager ever to win three successive league championships in the top flight in England with the same club (1998-1999, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001). In 2008, he joined Brian Clough (Nottingham Forest) and Bob Paisley (Liverpool) as only the third British manager to win the European Cup on more than one occasion. Brian Howard Clough, OBE ( 21 March, 1935 – 20 September, 2004) was a successful footballer and subsequently football Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham Robert " Bob " Paisley OBE (23 January 1919 — 14 February 1996 was an English football half back who became Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England.

One recurring theme of Ferguson's management of Manchester United has been his view that no player is bigger than the club. He has consistently taken a "my way or the highway" approach in his dealings with players and the pressure of this management tactic has often been the cause of many notable players' departures. Over the years players such as Gordon Strachan, Paul McGrath, Paul Ince, Jaap Stam, Dwight Yorke, David Beckham and more recently, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gabriel Heinze have left the club after varying degrees of conflict with Ferguson. This page is about the footballer and manager Gordon C Strachan was indicted in the Watergate scandal Gordon David Strachan (/strɔn/ Paul McGrath (born 4 December 1959 in Ealing, London England is a former football defender, a long-time member of the Republic of Ireland national Paul Emerson Herbert Carlyle Ince (born 21 October 1967 in Ilford, London) is an English football manager who is currently Jakob "Jaap" Stam (born July 17 1972 in Kampen in the Netherlands) is a retired Dutch football player Dwight Eversley Yorke (born November 3 1971 in Canaan, Tobago) is a Trinidad and Tobago football player David Robert Joseph Beckham, and is also a member of the England national team. Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer Gabriel Iván Heinze (born 19 April 1978 in Crespo, Entre Ríos Province) is an Argentine footballer of Volga It is also suggested that one of the most inspirational players in the club's history, Roy Keane was also a victim of Ferguson's wrath following damning criticism of his team mates on the club's in-house television channel, MUTV. Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971 in Mayfield, Cork) is an Irish former professional footballer and the current manager of This disciplinary line that he takes with such highly-paid, high-profile players has been mentioned as a reason for the ongoing success of Manchester United.

Background and personal life

The son of Alexander Beaton Ferguson, a plater's helper in the shipbuilding industry, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Hardie,^[1] Ferguson lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire, with his wife, Cathy Ferguson (née Holding), whom he married in 1966. Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. Cheshire (or archaically the County of Chester) is a county in North West England. They have three sons: Mark (born 1968) and twins (born 1972) Darren, manager of Peterborough United and Jason, who runs an events management company. Darren Ferguson (born 9 February 1972) is a professional Scottish football player Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football team based in Peterborough.

Playing career

Alex Ferguson grew up in Govan, attending Govan High School, and supported Rangers. Govan ( Scottish Gaelic: Baile a' Ghobhainn) is a district and former Burgh in the southwestern part of the City of Glasgow, Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. His playing career began as an amateur with Queen's Park, where he made his debut as a striker aged 16. Not to be confused with English football club Queens Park Rangers F Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing He described his first match as a "nightmare"^[2] but scored Queen's Park's goal in a 2-1 defeat against Stranraer. Stranraer Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team based in the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway. As Queen's Park were an amateur team he also worked in the Clyde shipyards as an apprentice tool-worker, where he became an active trade union shop steward. The River Clyde ( Gaelic: Abhainn Chluaidh, avɪɲˈxɫ̪uəj is a major River in Scotland. Union Steward (aka Shop Steward) is the title of an Official position within the organizational hierarchy of a labor union. Perhaps his most notable game for Queens Park was the 7 - 1 defeat away to Queen of the South on Boxing day 1959 when ex England international Ivor Broadis scored four for QoS. Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries in south-west Scotland Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Ivan Arthur Broadis (born 18 December 1922, Isle of Dogs, London) is a former England international footballer. Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries in south-west Scotland Ferguson was the Queens Park scorer. ^[3]

Although he scored 20 goals in his 31 games for Queen's Park, he could not command a regular place in the side and moved to St. Johnstone in 1960. Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface in which a score is made St Johnstone Football Club is a professional football club based in Perth Scotland. Although he continued to score regularly at St. Johnstone, he was still unable to command a regular place and regularly requested transfers. Although he was out of favour at the club, their failure to sign a forward led the manager to select Ferguson for a match against Rangers, in which he scored a hat trick in a surprise victory. Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. A hat-trick in Sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts Dunfermline signed him the following summer (1964), and Ferguson became a full-time professional footballer. Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline

The following season (1964-65), Dunfermline were strong challengers for the Scottish League and reached the Scottish 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 to Celtic, then failed to win the League by one point.

The 1965-66 season saw Ferguson notch up 45 goals in 51 games for Dunfermline.

In 1967, he joined Rangers for £65,000, then a record fee for a transfer between two Scottish clubs. He was blamed for a goal that they conceded in the 1969 Scottish cup final,^[4] and was forced to play for the club's junior side instead of the first team. ^[5] According to his brother, Ferguson was so upset by the experience that he threw his losers' medal away. ^[6] There have been claims that he suffered discrimination at Rangers after his marriage to his wife Cathie, who was a Catholic^[7] but Ferguson himself makes it clear in his autobiography^[8] that Rangers knew of his wife's religion when he joined the club and that he left the club very reluctantly, due to the fall-out from his alleged cup final mistake.

The following October, Nottingham Forest wanted to sign Ferguson,^[9] but his wife was not keen on moving to England at that time so he went to Falkirk instead. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Falkirk, playing in the Scottish Premier League after winning promotion from He was promoted to player-coach there, but when John Prentice became manager he removed Ferguson's coaching responsibilities. John Prentice (1926 &ndash February 10, 2006) was a Scottish football player and manager Ferguson responded by requesting a transfer and moved to Ayr United, where he finished his playing career in 1974. Ayr United FC are an Association football team currently playing in the Scottish Football League.

Early managerial career

East Stirlingshire

In June 1974, Ferguson was appointed manager of East Stirlingshire, at the comparatively young age of 32. East Stirlingshire Football Club are a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk, although home matches are currently played in the nearby town of It was a part-time job that paid £40 per week, and the club did not have a single goalkeeper at the time. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports ^[10] He immediately gained a reputation as a disciplinarian, with club forward Bobby McCulley later saying he had "never been afraid of anyone before but Ferguson was a frightening bastard from the start. "^[11] His players admired his tactical decisions, however, and the club's results improved considerably.

The following October, Ferguson was invited to manage St. Mirren. Saint Mirren Football Club (commonly known by the shortening St Although they were below East 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 from Jock Stein. East Stirlingshire Football Club are a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk, although home matches are currently played in the nearby town of East Stirlingshire Football Club are a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk, although home matches are currently played in the nearby town of Saint Mirren Football Club (commonly known by the shortening St John 'Jock' Stein CBE (5 October 1922 &ndash 10 September 1985 was one of the most notable managers in British football history ^[12]

St Mirren

Ferguson was manager of St Mirren from 1974-1978, producing a remarkable transformation of a team in the lower half of the old Second Division watched by crowds of just over 1,000, to first division champions in 1977, discovering talent like Billy Stark, Tony Fitzpatrick, Lex Richardson, Frank McGarvey, Bobby Reid and Peter Weir while playing superb attacking football. ^[13] The average age of the league winning team was 19 and the captain Tony Fitzpatrick was 20. ^[14]

St Mirren have been 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 a Billy Adams Sunday Herald article on 30 May 1999, the official version is that Ferguson was sacked for various breaches of contract including unauthorised payments to players. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ^[13] He was counter-accused of intimidating behaviour towards his office secretary because he wanted players to get some expenses tax free. He didn't 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" . ^[15]

On 31 May 2008, The Guardian published an interview with the now-87-year-old chairman of St Mirren, Willie Todd, who sacked Ferguson. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. He explained 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 the Daily Mirror that he had asked at least one member of the squad to go to Aberdeen with him. The Daily Mirror, often referred to simply as The Mirror, is a British Tabloid daily Newspaper founded in 1903 He also 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. ^[16]

Managing Aberdeen

Early disappointment

Ferguson joined Aberdeen as manager in June 1978, replacing Billy McNeill who had only lasted a season before he was offered the chance to manage Celtic. William "Billy" McNeill MBE DUniv (born 2 March, 1940) is a former Scottish footballer and manager The Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the east end of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. Although Aberdeen was one of Scotland's major clubs, they had not won the league since 1955. 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. ^[17] 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 as Joe Harper. For other people called Joe Harper see Joseph Harper. Joseph Montgomery Harper (born January 11 1948, in Greenock ^[18] The season did not go especially well, with Aberdeen reaching the semi-final of the Scottish F.A. Cup and the final of the league cup, but losing both matches and finishing fourth in the league. The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, usually known as the Scottish Cup, is the national football cup competition of Scotland The Scottish Football League Cup is an Association football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs

The following December (1979), they lost the league cup final again, this time to Dundee United after a replay. Ferguson took the blame for the defeat, saying he should have made changes to the team for the replay. ^[19]

Silverware at last

Aberdeen had started the 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 fifteen years that the league had not been won by either Rangers or Celtic. Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. The Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the east end of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. 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". ^[20]

He was still a strict disciplinarian, though, and his players nicknamed him Furious Fergie. He fined one of his players, John Hewitt, for overtaking him on a public road,^[21] and kicked a tea urn at the players at half time after a poor first half. John Hewitt, (born 9 February 1963 in Aberdeen) is a Scottish former footballer and manager who spent the majority of his playing career with ^[22] 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, in order to motivate the team. ^[23] The team continued their success with a Scottish Cup win in 1982. Ferguson was offered the managers' job at Wolves but turned it down as he felt that Wolves were in trouble^[24] and "[his] ambitions at Aberdeen were not even half fulfilled". ^[25]

European success

Ferguson led Aberdeen to even greater success the following season (1982-83). They had qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as a result of winning the Scottish Cup the previous season, and impressively knocked out Bayern Munich, who had beaten Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 in the previous round. FC Bayern München is a German Sports club based in Munich, Bavaria (München Bayern Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. According to Willie Miller, this gave them the confidence to believe that they could go on to win the competition,^[26] which they did, with a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid in the final on 11 May 1983. William Ferguson Miller, MBE (born May 2, 1955 in Glasgow) is a former professional football player who made a club record 558 league Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) 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". ^[27] Aberdeen had also performed well in the league that season, and retained the Scottish Cup with a 1–0 victory over Rangers, but Ferguson was not happy with his team's play in that match and upset the players by describing them as a "disgraceful performance" in a televised interview after the match^[28] - a statement that he later retracted.

After a sub-standard start to the 1983-84 season, Aberdeen's form improved and the team won the Scottish league and retained the Scottish Cup. Ferguson was awarded the OBE in the 1984 honours list^[29], and was offered the managers' jobs at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur during the season. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. Aberdeen retained their league title in the 1984-85 season, but had a disappointing season in 1985-86, finishing fourth in the league, although they did win both domestic cups. Ferguson had been appointed to the club's board of directors early in 1986, but that April he told Dick Donald, their chairman, that he intended to leave that summer. After the death of Jock Stein he had also taken on the role of Scotland manager in preparation for the 1986 World Cup, appointing Archie Knox as his co-manager at Aberdeen during this time. John 'Jock' Stein CBE (5 October 1922 &ndash 10 September 1985 was one of the most notable managers in British football history The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. Archibald "Archie" Knox (born 1 May 1947 in Tealing) is a Scottish football manager and former player and is There had been speculation that he would take over from Ron Atkinson at Manchester United, who had been struggling badly that season after a good start. Ronald Franklin Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and (earlier in his managerial career "Bojangles" (born 18 March, 1939 Although Ferguson remained at the club over the summer, he did eventually join Manchester United when Atkinson was sacked in November 1986.

Managing Manchester United

First seasons at United

He was appointed manager at Old Trafford on 6 November 1986. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Ferguson was worried that many of the players, such as Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath and Bryan 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. Norman Whiteside (born May 7 1965) in Rathcoole, Northern Ireland) is a former Northern Irish football player who represented Paul McGrath (born 4 December 1959 in Ealing, London England is a former football defender, a long-time member of the Republic of Ireland national Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957 is an English former football manager and a former player His mother died from lung cancer in late 1986.

Ferguson made several major signings in the 1987–88 season, including Steve Bruce, Viv Anderson, Brian McClair and Jim Leighton. Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce (born 31 December 1960 is an English football manager and former player Vivian Alexander Anderson MBE (born 29 July 1956 in Nottingham) is an English football player and coach who played for Brian John McClair (b December 8 1963, Bellshill, Scotland) is a former Scottish international football player who played as James ("Jim" Leighton MBE (born 24 July, 1958 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire) is a former football Goalkeeper The new players greatly improved the team and they finished in second place, nine points behind Liverpool.

United were expected to do well when Mark Hughes returned to the club, but the 1988-89 season was a disappointment for them, finishing eleventh in the league and losing 1–0 at home to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup quarter final. Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963 in Ruabon, Wrexham, Wales) nicknamed Sparky, is a former Welsh international football

First trophy in England

During the summer of 1989 United signed two new midfielders to bolster their chances of success in the 1989-90 season: Nottingham Forest's Neil Webb and West Ham United's Paul Ince. Neil John Webb (born 30 July 1963 in Reading Berkshire) is an English television pundit and former football player Paul Emerson Herbert Carlyle Ince (born 21 October 1967 in Ilford, London) is an English football manager who is currently Middlesbrough's 24-year-old central defender Gary Pallister also joined the club for a fee of £2. Gary Andrew Pallister OBE (born 30 June 1965 in Ramsgate, Kent, England) is an English footballer 3million. On the opening day of the 1989-90 season, United beat defending champions Arsenal 4-1. But in September, United suffered a humiliating 5–1 away defeat against neighbours Manchester City. TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club Things did not improve during the rest of the 1989, and in November 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. ^[30] United went on a run of six defeats and two draws in eight games and Ferguson later described December 1989 as "the darkest period [he had] ever suffered in the game. "^[31]

In January 1990, Manchester United were drawn away to Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Forest were one of the most feared cup teams in that era, and it was expected that United would lose the match and Ferguson would consequently be sacked, but United won the game 1–0 and eventually reached the final. This cup win is often cited as the match which saved Ferguson's Old Trafford career.

In the final United drew 3–3 with Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. United's goalkeeper, Jim Leighton, was heavily criticised for two of Crystal Palace's goals, and his form over the whole season had been poor. James ("Jim" Leighton MBE (born 24 July, 1958 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire) is a former football Goalkeeper Ferguson surprised many by replacing Leighton with Les Sealey for the replay, feeling that Leighton was "not in the right mental state" to play in the replay. Leslie Jesse Sealey ( 29 September, 1957 &ndash 19 August 2001) was an English professional football goalkeeper ^[32] United won the match 1–0 with a goal from defender Lee Martin. Lee Andrew Martin (born 5 February 1968 in Hyde Greater Manchester) is a former English football player As FA Cup winners, United became England's representatives in the European Cup Winners Cup the following season. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland However, they had finished a disappointing 13th in the league.

European success, but a disappointment in the league

Although United's league form improved greatly in 1990–91, they were still inconsistent and finished sixth. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. They reached the League Cup final, but lost 1–0 to Sheffield Wednesday, who were managed by Ferguson's predecessor at United, Ron Atkinson. Ronald Franklin Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and (earlier in his managerial career "Bojangles" (born 18 March, 1939 They also reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating that season's Spanish champions Barcelona in the final. Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan After the match, Ferguson announced to journalists that United would win the league the following season. ^[33] It was a brave prediction, considering that the club had failed to do so since 1967.

The 1991–92 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". Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) ^[34] They won the League Cup and Super Cup for the first time but lost out on the league title to rivals Leeds United after leading the table for much of the season. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football Ferguson felt that his failure to sign Mick Harford from Luton 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. Michael Gordon "Mick" Harford (born 12 February 1959) is an English former football player and current manager of League 2 Luton Town Football Club are an English football team based in the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. ^[35]

1992–1993: Champions at last

After a slow start to the season (they were 10th of 22 at the beginning of November) it looked as though United would miss out on the championship again. But then Alex Ferguson paid Leeds United £1. Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football 2 million for their French striker Eric Cantona and the deal proved to be a turning point in the history of Manchester United. Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born 24 May 1966 is a French former footballer of the late 1980s and 1990s Cantona formed a strong partnership with Mark Hughes and fired the club to the top of the table, ending United's 26-year wait, and also making them the first ever Premiership Champions, after the league reform. Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963 in Ruabon, Wrexham, Wales) nicknamed Sparky, is a former Welsh international football Alex Ferguson was voted Manager of the Year by the League Managers' Association.

1993–1994: The Double

1993–94 brought more success. He added Nottingham Forest's 22-year-old midfielder Roy Keane to the ranks for a British record fee of £3. Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971 in Mayfield, Cork) is an Irish former professional footballer and the current manager of 75million as a long term replacement for Bryan Robson, who was nearing the end of his career. Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957 is an English former football manager and a former player

United led the 1993–94 Premiership table virtually from start to finish. Cantona was top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions despite being sent off twice in the space of five days in March 1994. Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player which is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction (caution or dismissal in accordance United also reached the League Cup final but lost 3-1 to Ron Atkinson's Aston Villa. Ronald Franklin Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and (earlier in his managerial career "Bojangles" (born 18 March, 1939 In the FA Cup final Manchester United achieved an impressive 4-0 scoreline against Chelsea. United had become only the sixth club ever to win the League Championship/FA Cup double. The Double is a term in football, which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season Ferguson made only one close-season signing, paying Blackburn Rovers £1. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. 2million for David May. David May (born June 24, 1970 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is a retired English footballer.

1994–1995: Trophyless season

1994–95 was a harder season for Ferguson. Cantona assaulted a Crystal Palace supporter in a game at Selhurst Park, and it seemed likely he would leave English football. Crystal Palace FC is an English football club based in South Norwood, London. Selhurst Park is a British football Stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon 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. On the brighter side, United paid a British record fee of £7million for Newcastle's prolific striker Andy Cole, with young winger Keith Gillespie heading to the north-east in exchange. Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon Andrew Alexander Cole (born 15 October 1971 in Nottingham, England, UK) is an English footballer. Keith Robert Gillespie (born 18 February 1975 in Larne, County Antrim) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays

However, the championship slipped out of Manchester United's grasp as they drew 1–1 with West Ham United on the final day of the season, when a win would have given them the league. } West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, who have played United also lost the FA Cup final in a 1-0 defeat to Everton. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool.

1995–1996: The Double Double

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 to Internazionale of Italy for £7. Paul Emerson Herbert Carlyle Ince (born 21 October 1967 in Ilford, London) is an English football manager who is currently Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club 5 million, long serving striker Mark Hughes was suddenly sold to Chelsea in a £1. Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963 in Ruabon, Wrexham, Wales) nicknamed Sparky, is a former Welsh international football 5 million deal, and Andrei Kanchelskis was sold to Everton. Andrei Antanasovich Kanchelskis (Андрей Антанасович Канчельскис is a retired Soviet and Russian football Midfielder It was widely known that 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. Gary Alexander Neville (born February 18, 1975 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English football player Philip Gary Polka Neville "The Big P" Neville (born 21 January 1977 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English David Robert Joseph Beckham, and is also a member of the England national team. Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. Nicholas "Nicky" Butt (born January 21, 1975 in Gorton, Manchester) is an English footballer who currently plays

When United lost their first league match 3–1 to Aston Villa, the media swooped upon Ferguson with undisguised glee. They wrote United off because Alex Ferguson's squad contained so many young and inexperienced players. Match of the Day pundit, Alan Hansen infamously proclaimed that "you can't win anything with kids". Match of the Day (sometimes abbreviated as MOTD) is the BBC 's main football Television programme Alan David Hansen (born Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, 13 June 1955 is a BBC television football pundit and a former However, the young players performed well and United won their next five matches.

Cantona's return from suspension was a boost, but they found themselves fourteen points behind Newcastle. Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon However a series of good results in early 1996 saw the gap close, and from early March onwards United led the table. This contrasted with a disastrous run of form for Newcastle, whose manager, Kevin Keegan, succumbed to the immense pressure of the title race, and the mind games Ferguson famously loves to play with opposing managers. Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born 14 February 1951 is a former footballer, and former England national team coach who has been manager of various The term mind games refers to Passive aggressive behavior used specifically to demoralize the subject while making the aggressor look superior His famous outburst on live television, "I'd love it if we beat them! Love it!" has gone down in football legend as Fergie's greatest personal victory over another manager. United's Premiership title success was confirmed on the final day of the season. They played Liverpool in that year's FA Cup final, winning 1–0 with a late goal by Cantona.

1996–1997: Another title

1996–97 saw Alex Ferguson guide Manchester United to their fourth Premiership title in five seasons. In late October, they suffered three league defeats in a row and conceded 13 goals in the process. They also lost their 40 year unbeaten home record in Europe to unfancied Turkish side Fenerbahçe. Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (Fenerbahçe Sports Club commonly known as Fenerbahçe (feneːɾbatʃe is a professional Sports club based in the district of But they still reached the Champions League semi final, where they lost to Borussia Dortmund of Germany. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club BV Borussia Dortmund is a German football club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia and one of the most successful clubs At the end of the season, Cantona surprisingly retired from football.

1997–1998: No silverware

Ferguson made two new signings to bolster United's challenge for the 1997-98 season, 31-year-old England striker Teddy Sheringham and defender Henning Berg. Edward Paul 'Teddy' Sheringham MBE (born 2 April 1966 in Highams Park, London is a retired English professional footballer, and the father of footballer Henning Stille Berg (born 1 September 1969 in Eidsvoll) is a former Norwegian football player However the season ended trophyless as Arsenal won the Premiership under French manager Arsene Wenger, who started a long-lasting rivalry with Ferguson. Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal The summer of 1998 saw striker Dwight Yorke, Dutch defender Jaap Stam and the Swedish winger Jesper Blomqvist join Manchester United. Dwight Eversley Yorke (born November 3 1971 in Canaan, Tobago) is a Trinidad and Tobago football player Jakob "Jaap" Stam (born July 17 1972 in Kampen in the Netherlands) is a retired Dutch football player Lars Jesper Blomqvist (born 5 February 1974 is a Swedish football player currently a player-coach for Enköping in the Superettan league

1998–1999: The Treble

1998–99 saw the club winning an unprecedented treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and Champions League. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club The season was characterized by highly dramatic matches. In the Champions League semi-final second leg, United conceded two early goals away to Juventus; however, inspired by Roy Keane, who would later miss the final through suspension, United came back to beat Juventus 3-2 and reach their first European Cup final since 1968. Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971 in Mayfield, Cork) is an Irish former professional footballer and the current manager of In the FA Cup semi-final, United faced close rivals Arsenal and appeared to be heading for defeat when Keane was sent off and Arsenal were awarded a last-minute penalty. Peter Schmeichel saved the penalty, and in extra time Ryan Giggs ran the length of the pitch to score perhaps the most memorable goal of his career to win the match. Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE (born 18 November 1963 in Gladsaxe, Denmark) is a retired Danish professional footballer Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom They then defeated Newcastle United 2-0 in the FA Cup Final at Wembley thanks to goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes. Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. The European triumph was the most incredible of all. With 90 minutes on the clock they were 1-0 down to Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp in Barcelona thanks to a Mario Basler free kick, but in 3 minutes of injury time allowed by referee Pierluigi Collina, Teddy Sheringham, a substitute, equalised and extra time looked certain. FC Bayern München is a German Sports club based in Munich, Bavaria (München Bayern The Camp Nou (kam ˈnɔw Catalan for "new field" often erroneously called the Nou Camp in both Spanish and English) is a football Mario Basler (born December 18 1968 in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany) is a German former Football (soccer winger Pierluigi Collina (born 13 February 1960) is an Italian former football referee. Edward Paul 'Teddy' Sheringham MBE (born 2 April 1966 in Highams Park, London is a retired English professional footballer, and the father of footballer But with just seconds left on the clock, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, also a late substitution scored the winning goal and history was made. Ole Gunnar Solskjær (born 26 February 1973 in Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal) is a Norwegian former footballer who spent the majority of his

On 12 June 1999, Alex Ferguson received a knighthood in recognition of his services to the game. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ^[36]

1999-2000: Title number 6

Manchester United ended the 1999-2000 season as champions with just three Premiership defeats, and a cushion of 18 points. The massive gap between United and the rest of the Premiership caused some to wonder if the club's financial dominance was developing into a problem for the English game.

In April 2000, it was announced that Manchester United had agreed to sign Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy from PSV Eindhoven for a British record fee of £18million. Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer Philips Sport Vereniging ( English: Philips Sports Union) widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Sports club from But the move was put on hold when van Nistelrooy failed a medical, and he then returned to his homeland in a bid to regain fitness, only to suffer a serious knee injury which ruled him out for almost a year.

2000-01: Title number 7

29-year-old French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was signed from Monaco for £7. Fabien Alain Barthez (born 28 June 1971 in Lavelanet) is a retired French football goalkeeper who played for the French national team The Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club is a Monegasque football club founded in 1919 8million - making him the most expensive goalkeeper to be signed by a British club, and United won the title again. During the 2001 close season Ruud van Nistelrooy joined, and soon after Manchester United again broke the British transfer record - this time paying Lazio £28. Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer Società Sportiva Lazio, ( commonly referred to SS Lazio or simply Lazio, is an Italian professional Sports club most noted for its football 1million for Argentine attacking midfielder Juan Sebastián Verón, although he failed to live up to the high expectations his transfer fee suggested and he was sold to Chelsea for £15million only two years later. Juan Sebastián Verón (born 9 March 1975 in La Plata) is an Argentine professional football player who plays as a Midfielder.

2001-02: Trophyless season

Two games into the 2001-02 season, Dutch central defender Jaap Stam was sold to Lazio in a £16million deal. Jakob "Jaap" Stam (born July 17 1972 in Kampen in the Netherlands) is a retired Dutch football player Società Sportiva Lazio, ( commonly referred to SS Lazio or simply Lazio, is an Italian professional Sports club most noted for its football The reason for Stam's departure was believed to have been claims in his autobiography Head to Head that he had been illegally spoken to about a move to Manchester United by Alex Ferguson, before his previous club PSV Eindhoven had been informed. Philips Sport Vereniging ( English: Philips Sports Union) widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Sports club from Ferguson replaced Stam with Internazionale's 36-year-old central defender Laurent Blanc. Football Club Internazionale Milano, most commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, or Inter, is an Italian professional football club Laurent Robert Blanc (born 19 November 1965 in Alès) is a retired French football defender and current manager of

On 8 December 2001, Manchester United were ninth in the Premiership - 11 points behind leaders Liverpool who had a game in hand. Then came a dramatic turn around in form: between mid-December and late January, eight successive wins saw Manchester United climb to the top of the Premiership and put their title challenge back on track. Despite this, United finished third in the Premiership as rival Arsene Wenger clinched the title for Arsenal at Old Trafford with a 1-0 win in the penultimate game of the season.

United were also unsuccessful in Europe, losing the Champions League semi-final on away goals to Bayer Leverkusen. Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Aborted retirement

The 2001-02 season was to have been Ferguson's last as Manchester United manager, and the looming date of his retirement was cited by many as a reason for the team's loss of form. Ferguson himself admitted that the decision to pre-announce his retirement had resulted in a negative effect on the players and on his ability to impose discipline. But in February 2002 he agreed to stay in charge for at least another three years.

The close season saw Manchester United break the British transfer record yet again when they paid Leeds United £30million for 24-year-old central defender Rio Ferdinand. Leeds United Association Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Leeds United or informally Leeds, are an English professional football Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978 in Peckham, London) is an English footballer.

2002-03: Title number 8

Manchester United won their eighth Premiership title yet just over two months before the end of the season they were eight points behind leaders Arsenal. But an improvement in form for United, and a decline for Arsenal, saw the Premiership trophy gradually slip out of the Londoners' grasp and push it back in the direction of Old Trafford. Ferguson described the 02/03 championship as his most satisfying ever, due to the nature of a remarkable comeback. Not for the first time, Ferguson had proven to be a master of managerial mind-games, successfully rattling the composure of Arsenal and their otherwise unflappable manager Arsène Wenger.

2003-04: FA Cup glory

Ferguson guided Manchester United to their eleventh FA Cup at the end of the 2003-04 season, but it was a disappointing season which had seen them finish third in the Premiership and suffer Champions League elimination at the hands of eventual winners FC Porto. Futebol Clube do Porto ( pron futɨ'bɔɫ 'klub(ɨ du 'poɾtu - short FC Porto or FCP - is a Portuguese Sports club best known Rio Ferdinand missed the final four months of the season, as he served the beginning of an eight-month ban for missing a drugs test. New signings like Eric Djemba-Djemba and José Kléberson were disappointing, but there was at least one productive signing - 19-year-old Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo. Eric Daniel Djemba-Djemba (born 4 May 1981 in Douala, Cameroon) is a football defensive midfielder who currently plays José Kléberson Pereira (born 19 June 1979 in Uraí is a Brazilian football player Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira) is a Portuguese footballer

2004-05: Trophyless season

At the beginning of the 2004-05 season, Wayne Rooney and Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze joined United while Cristiano Ronaldo continued where he had left off the previous season by putting in more match-winning performances. Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English footballer who currently plays for English Premier Gabriel Iván Heinze (born 19 April 1978 in Crespo, Entre Ríos Province) is an Argentine footballer of Volga Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira) is a Portuguese footballer But the lack of a striker after Van Nistelrooy spent most of the season injured saw the club finish third for the third time in four seasons. In the F. A Cup they lost on penalties to Arsenal. Penalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament

2005-06: League Cup triumph, European failure

Ferguson's preparations for the season were disrupted by a high-profile dispute with major shareholder John Magnier, over the ownership of the racehorse Rock of Gibraltar. John Magnier (born 10 February 1948 in Fermoy, County Cork) is Ireland's leading Thoroughbred stud owner and has extensive business interests The Rock of Gibraltar (sometimes called the Pillar of Hercules or by its Latin name Calpe) is a Monolithic Limestone Promontory When Magnier and business partner J. P. McManus agreed to sell their shares to American business tycoon Malcolm Glazer, it cleared the way for Glazer to acquire full control of the club. John Patrick McManus (born 1 March 1951) is an Irish businessman and racehorse owner Malcolm Irving Glazer (born 25 May 1928 in Rochester, New York) is an American businessman and sports-team owner This sparked violent protests from United fans, 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 the Dutch keeper Edwin van der Sar from Fulham and Korean star Park Ji-Sung from PSV. The Netherlands national football team is the national football team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Football Association Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970 in Voorhout) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper Fulham Football Club is an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The Korea Republic national football team represents the Republic of Korea in international football competitions Park Ji-Sung ( Hangul: 박지성 IPA: /pʰak ʧi sʌŋ/ (born February 25 1981 Goheung, South Korea) is a professional South Korean Philips Sport Vereniging ( English: Philips Sports Union) widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Sports club from

The season was one of transition. On 18 November, Roy Keane officially left the club, his contract ended by mutual consent. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971 in Mayfield, Cork) is an Irish former professional footballer and the current manager of United failed to qualify for the knock-out phase of the UEFA Champions' League. In the January transfer window Serbian defender Nemanja Vidić and French full-back Patrice Evra were signed, and the side finished in second place in the league, behind runaway leaders Chelsea. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Nemanja Vidić ( Serbian Cyrillic: Немања Видић (born 21 October 1981 in Titovo Užice, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Patrice Latyr Evra (born 15 May 1981 in Dakar, Senegal) is a French international footballer who plays for English Winning the League Cup was a consolation prize for lack of success elsewhere. Ruud van Nistelrooy's future at Old Trafford seemed to be in doubt after not starting in the Carling Cup final, and he departed at the end of the season. Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer

2006-07: Ferguson's 20th full season in charge

Michael Carrick was signed as a replacement for Roy Keane for £14 million, although the figure may rise in the future to £18. Michael Adrian Carrick (born 28 July 1981 in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear) is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester United as a 6 million depending on appearances and results. United started the season well, and for the first time ever won their first four Premiership games. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs They set the early pace in the Premiership and never relinquished top spot from the tenth match of the 38-game season. 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 already existing players Rio Ferdinand and skipper Gary Neville. Patrice Latyr Evra (born 15 May 1981 in Dakar, Senegal) is a French international footballer who plays for English Nemanja Vidić ( Serbian Cyrillic: Немања Видић (born 21 October 1981 in Titovo Užice, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978 in Peckham, London) is an English footballer. Gary Alexander Neville (born February 18, 1975 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English football player The signing of Michael Carrick, which was questioned and criticised by a large portion of the media, brought stability and further creativity in the United midfield, forming an effective partnership with Paul Scholes. Michael Adrian Carrick (born 28 July 1981 in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear) is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester United as a Paul Aaron Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football player who has spent his whole career at Manchester United. 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. Park Ji-Sung ( Hangul: 박지성 IPA: /pʰak ʧi sʌŋ/ (born February 25 1981 Goheung, South Korea) is a professional South Korean Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English footballer who currently plays for English Premier Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira) is a Portuguese footballer

Ferguson celebrated his 20th anniversary in charge of Manchester United on 6 November 2006. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Tributes also came from Ferguson's players, both past and present,^[37] as well as his old foe, Arsène Wenger,^[38] his old captain, Roy Keane, and current players. Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971 in Mayfield, Cork) is an Irish former professional footballer and the current manager of The party was spoiled the following day when United endured a single-goal defeat at the hands of Southend in the fourth round of the Carling Cup. Southend United Football Club is an English football team based at Roots Hall Stadium in Prittlewell in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea, Essex The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition However, on 1 December it was announced that Manchester United had signed 35 year old Henrik Larsson on loan,^[39] a player that Alex Ferguson had admired for many years, and attempted to capture previously. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Henrik Edward Larsson, MBE (ˈhɛnrɪk ˈlɑːʂɔn born September 20 1971 in Helsingborg, Scania) is a Swedish footballer, On 23 December 2006, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the club's 2000th goal under the helm of Ferguson in a match against Aston Villa. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[40]

Manchester United subsequently won their ninth Premiership title but were denied a double by Chelsea's Didier Drogba scoring a late goal in the FA Cup Final. In the Champions League, the club reached the semi-finals, recording a 7-1 home win over Roma in the quarter-final second leg, but lost at the San Siro to Milan in the second leg of the semi-final. Associazione Sportiva Roma, ( commonly referred to as simply Roma, is an Italian professional football club from Rome, and are currently amongst For the town in the Province of Como, see San Siro (Como. For the saint after which these places are named see Syrus of Pavia or Syrus of

2007-08: The European Double

For the 2007-08 season, Ferguson made notable signings to reinforce United's first team. Long-term target Owen Hargreaves finally joined from Bayern Munich, bringing an end to a year of negotiations. Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981 in Calgary Alberta, Canada is a Canadian-born English two-time UEFA Champions League winning football FC Bayern München is a German Sports club based in Munich, Bavaria (München Bayern Ferguson further bolstered the midfield with the additions of young Portuguese winger Nani and Brazilian playmaker Anderson. For the technical director at West Ham, see Gianluca Nani. Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986 in Praia, Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira (born 13 April 1988 in Porto Alegre, Brazil) best known as Anderson, is a Brazilian footballer The last summer signing was of Carlos Tévez after a complex and protracted transfer saga. Carlos Alberto Tévez (born Carlos Alberto Martínez, 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine

United had their worst start to a season under Ferguson, drawing their first two league games before suffering a 1-0 defeat to crosstown rivals Manchester City. However, United recovered and began a tight race with Arsenal for the title. After a good run of form, Sir Alex claimed that throughout his time at Manchester United, this was the best squad he had managed to assemble thus far. ^[41]

On 16 February 2008, United beat Arsenal 4-0 in an FA Cup Fifth Round match at Old Trafford, but were knocked out by eventual winners Portsmouth in the Sixth Round on 8 March, losing 1–0 at home. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. United having had a penalty claim turned down, Ferguson alleged after the game that Keith Hackett, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, was "not doing his job properly". Keith Stuart Hackett (born June 22, 1944) is an English former football referee, who began refereeing in local leagues in the The Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOB and since made a Limited Liability Company (PGMOL or Professional Game Match Officials Limited was formed when English Ferguson was subsequently charged by the 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 at Bolton Wanderers – a charge he decided not to contest. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater

On 11 May, Ferguson led Manchester United to a tenth Premier League title by beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 at the JJB Stadium, exactly 25 years to the day after he led Aberdeen to European glory against Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople 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 2 points adrift of the champions.

On 21 May, Ferguson won his second European Cup with Manchester United as they beat Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, following a 1–1 draw after extra time in the first ever all-English UEFA Champions League Final. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex ( Большая спортивная арена Олимпийского комплекса Лужники) in After winning the UEFA Champions League 2007-08 Ferguson had stated that his intention to leave Manchester United within the next three years. ^[42] Manchester United Chief Executive David Gill moved quickly to calm the speculation about Alex Ferguson's pending retirement. David A Gill (born 5 August 1957) is British football Executive, currently Chief Executive of Manchester United F ^[43]

Managerial honours

Ferguson was made an Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a manager. The Hall of Fame is housed at The National Football Museum in Preston, England. In 2003, Ferguson became an inaugural recipient of the FA Coaching Diploma, awarded to all coaches who had at least 10 years experience of being a manager or head coach.

He is the Vice-President of the National Football Museum based in Preston. The National Football Museum is a Museum in Preston, England, founded to preserve conserve and interpret several important collections of Association Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Also, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the League Managers Association. The League Managers Association (LMA is the organisation which collectively represents all Premiership and Football League managers in English football

He is the only manager to win the top league honours and the Double north and south of the England-Scotland border (winning the Premiership with Manchester United, and the Scottish Premier League with Aberdeen).

St. Mirren 1974–1978

Domestic competition

• Scottish First Division:
  • Winner: 1976–77

Aberdeen 1978–1986

Domestic competition

• Scottish Premier Division:
  • Winner: 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85

• Scottish Cup:
  • Winner: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86
• Scottish League Cup:
  • Winner: 1985–86
  • Runner-up: 1978–79, 1979–80

European competition

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  • Winner: 1982–83
• UEFA Super Cup:
  • Winner: 1983

Manchester United 1986–

Domestic competition

• Premier League:
  • Winner: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08
  • Runner-up: 1994–95, 1997–98, 2005–06
• Football League First Division:
  • Runner-up: 1987–88, 1991–92
• FA Cup:
  • Winner: 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
  • Runner-up: 1994–95, 2004–05, 2006–07
• League Cup:
  • Winner: 1991–92, 2005–06
  • Runner-up: 1990–91, 1993–94, 2002–03
• FA Charity/Community Shield:
  • Winner: 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007
  • Runner-up: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004

European competition

• UEFA Champions League:
  • Winner: 1998–99, 2007–08
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:
  • Winner: 1990–91
• UEFA Super Cup:
  • Winner: 1991
  • Runner-up: 1999

International competition

• Intercontinental Cup:
  • Winner: 1999

Individual Awards

• FA Premier League Manager of the Year:
  • 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08
• FA Premier League Manager of the Month:
  • August 1993, October 1994, February 1996, March 1996, February 1997, October 1997, January 1999, April 1999, August 1999, March 2000, April 2000, February 2001, April 2003, December 2003, February 2005, March 2006, August 2006, October 2006, February 2007, January 2008, March 2008
• LMA Manager of the Year:
  • 1998–99, 2007–08
• LMA Manager of the Decade:
  • 1990s
• UEFA Champions League Manager of the Year:
  • 1998–99
• UEFA Team of the Year:
  • 2007
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award:
  • 2001
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award:
  • 1999
• IFFHS Club Coach of the Year:
  • 1999
• Football Writers' Association Tribute Award:
  • 1996
• Mussabini Medal:
  • 1999
• World Soccer Magazine Coach of the Year:
  • 1993, 1999, 2007
• Professional Footballers' Association Merit Award:
  • 2007
• Onze d'Or Coach of the Year :
  • 1999, 2007

Other awards

• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award: 1999
• Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year: 2000

Managerial stats

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	L	D	Win %
East Stirlingshire		1 June 1974	20 October 1974	12	7	3	2	58. Sponsorship On July 20, 2007, it was announced that Scottish Football League would be sponsored by Scottish soft drink Irn-Bru The Scottish Premier League, currently known as the Clydesdale Bank Premier League for sponsorship reasons and often known as the Premier League or SPL The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, usually known as the Scottish Cup, is the national football cup competition of Scotland The 1981&ndash82 Scottish Cup was the 97th staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition The 1982&ndash83 Scottish Cup was the 98th staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition The 1983&ndash84 Scottish Cup was the 99th staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition The 1985&ndash86 Scottish Cup was the 101st staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition The Scottish Football League Cup is an Association football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs The 1983 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match contested between Aberdeen of Scotland and Real Madrid of Spain. The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions The 1983 UEFA Super Cup was a two-legged match contested between the European Cup champions Hamburg SV, and the European Cup Winners' Cup champions The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The FA Premier League 2002-03 season (often referred to as the 2002-03 Barclaycard Premiership, due to sponsorship rights was the eleventh season of the The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The 1990 FA Cup Final was a football match contested by Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium, London, England The 1994 FA Cup Final was the 49th FA Cup final to be held since the Second World War and was contested between Manchester United and Chelsea The 1996 FA Cup final was the 51st to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War and was held between two of the biggest rivals in English Football The 1999 FA Cup Final took place on 22 May 1999 and was played at the old Wembley Stadium. The 2004 FA Cup Final took place on 22 May 2004 and was the fourth to be played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. The 1995 FA Cup Final &mdash the 50th Wembley FA Cup Final to be held since the Second World War &mdash was contested between Everton and The 2005 FA Cup Final was held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on 21 May 2005 between Arsenal and Manchester United. The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition The 1992 Rumbelows Cup Final took place at Wembley Stadium, and was played between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. The 2006 Carling Cup Final was played between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic on 26 February 2006. The 1991 Rumbelows Cup Final was a football match played on 21 April 1991 between Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday. The 1994 Coca-Cola Cup Final took place on 27 March 1994 at the old Wembley Stadium. The 2003 Worthington Cup Final was played between Liverpool and Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 2 March The 2003 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 10 August 2003 between 2002-03 Premier League champions Manchester The 2007 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 5 August 2007 between 2006-07 Barclays Premier League champions Manchester The 2004 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 8 August 2004 between 2003&ndash04 Barclays Premier League champions See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club Match summary First half Six minutes into the match Ronny Johnsen clumsily fouled Bayern striker Carsten Jancker just outside the area and Background Manchester United went into the Champions League final as champions of England for the 17th time and undefeated in the 2007&ndash08 Champions League The 1991 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match played between Manchester United and FC Barcelona at Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions The 1991 UEFA Super Cup was a football match between the 1990-91 European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade, and Manchester United, winners The 1999 UEFA Super Cup was a football match played on 27 August 1999 between the 1998-99 UEFA Champions League winners Manchester The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by The 1999 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 30 November 1999 between Manchester United, winners of the 1998-99 In the Premier League, the FA Premier League Manager of the Year Award is annual award given to a manager who is recognised for their overall contribution to the achievements The Manager of the Month award is a prize of recognition given to association football managers in the Premier League. In the English Premier League, The League Managers Association Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to a manager from any division for his achievements in the prior In the English Premier League, The League Managers Association Manager of the Year Award is an annual award given to a manager from any division for his achievements in the prior The UEFA Club Football Awards are awards given by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its official website The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its official website The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS is an organization that chronicles the history of football. World Soccer is an English language football Magazine published by IPC Media. The Onze d'Or (alternative name Onze Mondial European Footballer of the Year) is a football award handed out by French magazine Onze Mondial List of winners and nominees of the Laureus World Sports Awards: Team of the Year. East Stirlingshire Football Club are a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk, although home matches are currently played in the nearby town of Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. 33
St. Mirren		21 October 1974	31 May 1978	?	?	?	?	?
Aberdeen		1 August 1978	5 November 1986	288	167	50	71	57. Saint Mirren Football Club (commonly known by the shortening St Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Aberdeen Football Club (also known as The Dons, The Reds and The Dandies) is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) 99
Manchester United		6 November 1986	Present	1210	702	221	287	58. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) 02

References

External links

• Alex Ferguson management career stats at Soccerbase
• A look back at 20 years in charge at Man United, includes video interview with Bryan Robson and Ian Rush
• Alex Ferguson celebrates 1,000th game with Manchester Utd
• Sir Alex Ferguson: A career profile with pictures
• English Football Hall of Fame
• Sir Alex Ferguson's managerial stats according to the official Manchester United statistics website

Persondata
NAME	Ferguson, Sir Alexander Chapman
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Ferguson, Sir Alex
SHORT DESCRIPTION	footballer and manager
DATE OF BIRTH	1941-12-31
PLACE OF BIRTH	Glasgow, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

The Racing Post is a British daily Horse racing, Greyhound racing and Sports betting Newspaper. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

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