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| Sir Alex Ferguson (Getty Images) |
It is the end of an era in British football - that is what many journalists have said since Wednesday as it was announced that Sir Alex Ferguson has hung up his hairdryer by confirming his retirement from management. As a Chelsea fan myself, I could not be happier by this news. There hasn't been a manager as successful as him for an incredibly long time and the amount of respect he has received across the world is admirable. I reluctantly raise my hat to him.
My views on Sir Alex has been mainly negative. I have never met him but during my time as an avid football fan, I have always despised him. I hated the way he obsessively chewed gum in every match. I hated his celebrations every time The Red Devils would score a goal. I despised "Fergie time" and then when an opposing team takes advantage of it, he would throw a hissy fit. I hated the way he treated the media, the way he simply shown journalists the door if they didn't see eye-to-eye and I found his BBC boycott between 2004 and 2011 baffling. I also hated his constant whining whenever his team failed to win a game, with most of his attacks aimed at the referee in charge of that particular match.
Another reason why I could never like Ferguson as a manager is that as years went by, I noticed the number of Manchester United supporters who would become mini-Fergies. If Man United won a match, we would never hear the end of it. If Man United lost a match, we would never hear the end of it. The culture at that part of Manchester turned sour in recent years and for a Chelsea fan who will never witness his team match the Red Devil's success, watching United's emphasised glee is pretty painful.
On the other hand, like any other person, Sir Alex has many positives. He is a family man, faithfully married to the same woman for almost 50 years and I also hear stories about his kind nature off the field. He also is a passionate football spectator, who always has something intelligent to say about the beautiful game. I sincerely hope that he enjoys a relaxing retirement rather than boiling his blood over a decision which is completely out of his hands.
However, would we be praising Alex Ferguson this much had he been sacked in January 1990? It is fair to say that his first three years at Manchester United weren't easy. Other than finishing second in the league in 1988, United's domestic record in the 1980s was mediocre. The club's board of directors noticed this record and after winning no silverware between 1986 and 1989, Ferguson realised that his time at the club could have been limited, had his side failed to beat Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie. The tabloid press hyped this game for a while and had predicted Ferguson's departure if United lost. Forest at the time was one of Britain's most successful football clubs so the challenge to beat them was significant. A single Mark Robins goal proved to be the difference - United were 1-0 victors and made Ferguson a relieved man. Although it was unknown if Sir Alex would have been given the boot should the outcome have been different, it no longer matters as the Red Devils won the FA Cup that year.
Things got better for Alex Ferguson and Manchester United the season after as they finished the league sixth and had won the European Cup Winner's Cup. Meanwhile in the 1991/1992 season, they finished the league second whilst clinching the double - the League Cup and the European Super Cup. It was clear they were on the rise which had Ferguson's job increasingly secure.
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| Sky Sports camera (Image: ibtimes.co.uk) |
ITV previously showed the biggest matches live on the Sunday afternoon during the 1980s and seemed likely to offer the Premier League a lucrative deal which would mean more matches shown live. This was however until News International's BSkyB (owned by Rupert Murdoch) sneaked their way to snatch the deal, offering £30 million more than ITV. The rights were agreed by 14 of the 22 football executives from the top division clubs - Manchester United were one of the eight. However, the deal meant more income for those who were doing well. The Red Devils benefit from this deal, even if they were sceptical about it. Ferguson may have been the driving force to his personal and his team's success but the money invested in the Premier League by Rupert Murdoch contributed to this.
Since 1992, Man United has been nothing less than title contenders and had been developed to become one of the European giants. Liverpool was at the start of a decline in 1992 and hadn't recovered since and their record 18 top flight domestic titles was squandered in 2011 when United won their 19th. Alex Ferguson was knighted moments after winning his first European Cup in 1999.
Rupert Murdoch wanted to buy Manchester United in a potential £623 million deal in the late 1990s but this was blocked by the Labour government led by Tony Blair and the UK Monopolies and Mergers Commission as the move was deemed not "in the public interest". Had the purchase went ahead, Murdoch would have perhaps offered unique television rights for United, similar to that given to Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain.
Many football clubs rely on BSkyB's money - however, the Premier League rights in 1992 gave United that much needed lift to being the most well-known team in the world. BSkyB's cash helped the biggest British teams to be globally recognised and the Red Devils have been commercially successful in the Far East in recent years. Ferguson may not have appreciated the influence of broadcast media in football, but he has to realise that without BSkyB, his side wouldn't have had commercial success to this scale.
Alex Ferguson's departure will come as a shock to many worldwide and David Moyes's appointment has raised a few eyebrows. Moyes may be well known and respected in the UK, but his legacy hasn't reached as far as places like Malaysia and Japan. I am unsure of how the outgoing Everton manager's tenure with the current Premier League champions would pan out. He won't be expecting it to equal to Sir Alex's, and neither should the United supporters expect so too.
This week has been a major test to Manchester United's board of directors. Their Chief Executive David Gill is set to pack his bags and concentrate on being vice-Chairman of the Football Association and nobody knows of the incoming CEO of United, Ed Woodward's capabilities in this prestigious role. Moyes has been given a six year deal - will they keep to it, like they did for Ferguson all those years ago? Time will only tell. Moyes is a faithful character but will his loyalty match Woodward's?
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