Here are some unique facts about Sir Alex Ferguson
What's the story
A great club is not just made by the players, but the manager too has an equally important role. Manchester United rode on the prolific managerial reign of Sir Alex Ferguson to become England's greatest football club. While he might also be the greatest football manager in the world, Fergie's contributions were unique. Here, we present some unique facts about the legend.
Misses
He missed only three matches in charge at United
The role of a manager is to stick with the team in match days. However, there can be an exception under emergency circumstances. While in charge at United, the club meant everything to Ferguson. And, he missed only three matches in his tenure. The reasons were his son's wedding and brother's funeral, followed by the scouting of David de Gea, which ultimately paid off.
Temperament
His temperament led to him serving 17 touchline bans
While Ferguson might look like a cool and calm-minded person, he was famous for his hot-headed temperament. As it was common inside the dressing room, his temperament often flared up during matches at the touchline. He was noted for arguing with the match officials, which had led to him serving 17 touchline bans during his managerial career at United.
Longest-serving manager
He is not the longest-serving manager
Ferguson managed United for 26-and-a-half years and as a result, became the longest-serving manager in the EPL. However, the Scot is often mistaken for being the longest-serving manager of all time. The record for the same in Europe lies with Guy Roux, who managed Auxerre for 44 years. Also, the longest-serving manager from Scotland to date is Maley, who managed Celtic for 43 years.
First EPL title
It took him seven years to win first EPL title
The sooner a manager wins a league title, the better it is for his managerial career at the club. However, it was not the case for Ferguson at United. Having been appointed as the manager in November 1986, it took him seven years to win his first league title in 1992-93. Not sure what made the management wait so long, but it paid off.
Fine
He was fined £4,600 for claiming UCL draw was fixed
Despite being a great manager, he wasn't spared when it came to code violation of the FA or UEFA. In 2003, he had claimed that the draw of the UEFA Champions League was fixed and that it was done to aid Spanish and Italian teams. The outburst did not go well, as UEFA fined him £4,600 for his claims.