Think Alex Ferguson and instantly we think of Manchester United and the story they created of being a champion team - one that could never be written off. Under Ferguson, the team grew from strength to strength and won five league championships, four FA Cups, the Euro Cup and the Euro Super Cup. Though I did not follow much football except theWorld Cup in all these years, Manchester United certainly caught my attention and when I saw this book in the Book Chor exhibition I picked it up.
Ferguson grew up in the tough area called Govan, a district in Glasgow, Scotland, but Ferguson thinks it's a different culture by itself. His father worked in the shipyard quite close to where they lived and he and his brother Martin grew up playing and discussing football which was a big thing in those parts. Alex did well and performed well for his school, for his junior teams and was picked for the senior teams quite early, scoring against the local big club Rangers. He was a talented striker, worked hard at his game, had spirit and really wanted a future. He also took up apprentice jobs as a toolmaker and one in Remington Rand while playing football. From junior level to senior level football and Alex did well to avoid injury, score goals and win matches for his teams - travelling abroad to Israel, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong with one club. He recounts many of the players he played with and we get a sense of how much talent also got wasted over the years.
Alex marries Cathy who is a Catholic which seems to make a big difference in those parts, a bit like the caste system here I guess. After thirty and with three kids (a pair of twins) he starts looking at life in football beyond playing, starts a couple of pubs, trains as a coach and then picks up work as an assistant manager. He does a good job of managing, working hard as always and making his teams perform. He recalls his stint with Jock Stein and how he learned so much about managing players from him ad how his sudden death shocked him. What Alex does well is to pick his players well, based on their character, invests in them, has a tough work ethic, disciplines them and make them perform. He is not sentimental about them though - when the time comes, he looks out for the best interests of his club. He gets picked as Manager of Manchester United and though he is not too happy with his salary, chooses the job for the reputation of the club ad the possibilities it brings. He works on a youth program that throws up a whole bunch of stars like Beckham, Scholes, Neville, plays his old favourites and somehow they always give him their best. Though he does not say it, they clearly feel he has their best interests in mind.
He was with Manchester United from 1986 to 2013 and has won more trophies than any manager in football. That was indeed the golden period for the club and perhaps even for English football. The book throws light on his sacrifices, his family life, his convictions and beliefs (like the time a foreign agent gives him some 40000 euros in cash as a gift and he notices it only at night and returns the entire thing to the club next morning with a sworn affidavit and the money is finally returned to that man after some ten years). Interesting lives. And for such a tough man he is squeamish about blood as he himself says. The way he writes about his players - Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Schmeichel and others shows a degree of his admiration for them and their commitment. I liked the bit about how he recruits Eric Cantona as a last-minute change and how Cantona changes the culture of the team with his work ethic. How Paul Gascoigne does not join MU and joins Tottenham Spurs because they offer his parents a house and other little tidbits are many.
Interesting. I still could not get how they buy and sell players but it's a very interesting game and how the players themselves negotiate with their agents etc about their prices. I got some idea though as to how seriously they play, how professionally they look at their football. Glad I read the book. It does what most autobiographies should do - give you a sense that you really know this person inside out. And Alex Ferguson is a good one to know.
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