Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out with a ten-goal thriller at the Hawthorns, a spectacular match to end a spectacular career for Britain’s most successful ever manager.
It has been almost a 40-year journey from East Stirling to a 13th title at Old Trafford, via St. Mirren, breaking Celtic and Rangers’ dominance with Aberdeen and a brief spell in charge of Scotland.
And the 71-year-old admits the managerial world he leaves is a different universe to the one he entered as a 32-year-old in 1974.
“Thirty-nine years as a manager since 1974,” he said. “Going from that day, starting at East Stirling with eight players and no goalkeeper, to this season with six goalkeepers and a hundred players.
“I remember the old chairman, he was a great chain smoker. I asked him for a list of players they had and he started to shake, his cigarette was going at a hundred miles an hour.
“I had to remind him again a couple of days later. He gave me a list – eight players, no goalkeeper. I said, ‘you know it’s advisable to start with a goalkeeper, are you aware of that?”
Ferguson collected his first piece of silverware with St. Mirren as they claimed the Scottish First Division in 1977 using a squad with an average age of just 20.
Despite being sacked by chairman Willie Todd, the two-times Champions League winner got his first taste of European success when he took over Aberdeen, guiding the Dons to UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup glory in 1983.
One thing that has changed dramatically for the Scot since he began in the 70s is the financial side of football, from £100 signings at Firs Park to capturing Robin van Persie for a ‘cut price’ £24million at Old Trafford.
“My first signing was a boy from Partick Thistle, Tom Gourlay,” he explained.
“God he was big. I had to pay £1,000 for him. All the rest were done in £100 signing on fees, free transfers.
“That was an education, it was fantastic. Anyone starting in management should start that kind of way, but I don’t suppose it’s that way now.
“I got £2,000 to get nine players in, £800 went to Tom Gourlay, £700 went to a centre-forward from Clyde, and the rest were £100 signing-on fees – we got there.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Image courtesy of SkySports, via YouTube, with thanks.
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