Manchester United fans tend to cling to Sir Alex Ferguson like tired swimmers cling to rocks. As the country’s most famous football club continues to wade through quicksand, the Scot – although now 82 – is a link to all the great things that once were.
Now that modern United – the United of Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe – have taken steps to marginalize him by ending his lucrative ambassadorship, there is a lot of unrest when there really shouldn’t be any. It turns out that Ferguson was paid more than £2 million a year for his duties, an agreement struck by the Glazer family when he resigned as manager in 2013. That’s around £23 million in total. When you look at it like that, for a club mired in Glazer debt, it’s been a pretty surprising deal.
So now Ferguson’s 19-year relationship with the Glazers is essentially over, a marriage of inconveniences that was always complex, to say the least.
When he was winning trophies, Ferguson was the best public relations man Americans ever had. While the Glazers were absorbing millions from the club to support their dirty takeover of United in 2005, Ferguson’s unparalleled skills were such that he ensured the team continued to win. Between Ferguson’s takeover and handing the reins to David Moyes eight years later, United won five Premier League titles, three League Cups and one Champions League. No wonder the Glazers felt like rewarding him when it was all over.
Back then, United fans may have been angry at how their club had fallen into the hands of a family of American venture capitalists who didn’t care about them, but at least they had Ferguson’s football to take comfort in. It was this that made them return.
Manchester United fans tend to cling to Sir Alex Ferguson like tired swimmers cling to rocks.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has shown his ruthlessness and ended his ambassadorship, in which he pocketed £2 million a year.
The deal was struck by the Glazer family when the Scot stepped down as coach in 2013.
They may have been dressed in green and gold (the colors of United’s protest) on a Saturday, but they still came, putting their money in the Glazers’ pockets every time. In their heads, many United members might have wanted to turn their backs on a club they no longer recognised. But it’s hard to ignore the glory on the field, isn’t it?
Ferguson, for his part, lowered his head and moved on. So did United CEO David Gill. Between them they built a new era of United around talents such as Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Given such a chaotic financial background, it was quite an achievement, but the truth is that there were uncomfortable contradictions everywhere you looked.
Before the Glazers arrived, Gill infamously pronounced that “debt was the road to ruin.” However, he still stayed. Ferguson, meanwhile, rarely offered anything more than platitudes about the club’s owners, but took issue with the Manchester Evening News for publishing reports on the games of breakaway club FC United, made up of fans disenfranchised by the takeover. . It was a strange look for a self-proclaimed man of the people.
And then there was the big unspoken theory, the one lingering thought that no one was brave enough to verbalize within Ferguson’s earshot. There is a small section of the United fan base that still wonders to this day whether Ferguson indirectly and unintentionally sowed the seed for Glazer’s acquisition in the first place.
United were a thriving publicly owned football club two decades ago. They won games and printed money. Its majority shareholders were racing magnates John Magnier and JP McManus.
But then, after Ferguson legally challenged them for stud rights to the Rock of Gilbraltar racehorse in 2004, the two men put their shares on the market and the Glazers bought them. It was the first step towards where we are now and the possibility of whether Magnier and McManus, knowing full well the consequences, sold simply out of spite has remained up in the air ever since.
Ferguson didn’t know the route his old friends would take when he put them on the horse. As far as he was concerned, he was simply seeking what was his.
Ferguson fell out with United’s then majority shareholders, John Magnier and JP McManus, over the stud rights to the racehorse The Rock of Gilbraltar.
Former United CEO David Gill (R) said “debt was the road to ruin” but remained in his role.
Ferguson, for his part, put his head down and moved on when there were riots over the Glazer property.
Ferguson pictured with Bryan Glazer (left), Avram Glazer (second left) and Joel Glazer (right) in Portugal shortly after his controversial takeover.
In the books he has written since his retirement, Ferguson has dedicated only a few lines to the subject. It’s almost as if it’s a period of his tenure that he’d rather not think about.
Magnier, however, told author Chris Blackhurst last year that: “United was part of my life for a while, but, for something that was meant to be a bit of a pleasure at the beginning, it ended up not being that enjoyable.” I couldn’t get far enough and fast enough.’
The truth is that Glazer’s acquisition was a moment of such significance that his shadow continues to hang over United to this day. The family is estimated to have taken just over £1bn from United during their years of ownership, which, by clear coincidence, is what Tottenham paid to build their shiny new stadium in north London. How it would do United (now led by Ratcliffe even though the Glazers remain majority owners) to have one of those to call their own.
He’s clearly a ruthless guy, Ratcliffe. If he does not now ensure that Ferguson receives due courtesy, hospitality and deference on match day at Old Trafford, then he will be sorely mistaken. If it hadn’t been for the last manager who lifted them to a league title, United wouldn’t have such a huge part of English football history to rightly call their own. Ferguson should always have a seat and a ticket to his name at Old Trafford.
But Ratcliffe is trying to move United forward and the Glazers’ annual payments to Ferguson only serve as a link to the past. It seems like the right time to let it all go.
Ratcliffe is trying to move United forward and the Glazers’ payments to Ferguson only serve as a link to the past
warrior success
Wigan Warriors are the first club in the modern era to win all four trophies available in a rugby league season. Matt Peet’s team beat Hull KR at Old Trafford to add the Super League title to the League Leader’s Shield, the Challenge Cup and the Club World Cup they already won in 2004 and, if they are not crowned Team of the Year in the BBC Sports Personalities spree in December, then we should all give up and go home.
However, it was hard not to laugh at a comment caught on referee Chris Kendall’s microphone during last weekend’s Grand Final match at Old Trafford. Kendall scolded a Wigan player for remaining on the ground after a tackle, saying: “Get up, this isn’t football.”
Quite.
Wigan Warriors are the first club in the modern era to win all four trophies available in a rugby league season.
Meanwhile, Rob Edwards is under pressure with Luton struggling in the Championship this season.
A long way back to the city
Gravity has taken its toll on Luton Town. Their promotion to the Premier League was not sustainable and financial forces now see them fighting for a place outside the bottom three of the Championship. Some fans are calling for Rob Edwards’ head and another promising coach may soon be sitting on the couch at home.
Everyone loved Edwards last season as his enterprising team scared some people in the premier league. He earned a couple of manager of the month nominations along the way.
But no one offered you a job, right? So when Luton went down, he went down with them and if he wants to get back to the Premier League he will have to take a team there himself.
And we wonder why, when the FA looked for English coaches who had good results at established clubs, they couldn’t find any. Thomas Tuchel, we really wish you the best.
