Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement today after spending 27 years at Manchester United and bringing a huge amount of success to the club. But where did it all begin for the Scot and how successful was he at his other clubs? We take a look.
Ferguson started his managerial career at East Stirlingshire in the summer of 1974 at the age of 32. As he only spent a few months there before moving on to St. Mirren, he didn’t bring any trophies to the club but demonstrated the first instance of his “hairdryer”. Club striker Bobby McCulley later said he had “never been afraid of anyone but Ferguson was a frightening b****** from the start”.
In late 1974, Ferguson moved to Paisley to take over St. Mirren. The Buddies were in the old Scottish second division at the time but by 1977, they won the first division and gave Ferguson his first trophy of his managerial career. However, St. Mirren did what would now be considered unthinkable and sacked him in 1978.
The same year, he moved to Aberdeen and the most successful period in the club’s history was to begin. It took Ferguson two years to make his mark, but in 1980 the Dons won the Scottish championship title. More trophy success was to follow with Aberdeen winning the Scottish Cup three years in a row between 1982 and 1984, before winning the competition one more time in 1986.
Aberdeen’s greatest moment in their history came in 1983, when Ferguson led them to continental glory after they won the European Cup Winner’s Cup. They went on to win the European Super Cup later that summer, and no Scottish club has been able to repeat this feat since. Ferguson completed his Aberdeen trophy haul with another league title in 1984 and in 1985, and a League Cup in 1986.
In November 1986, Ferguson moved South to Manchester and the rest of the history. During his 27 years there, Ferguson has won the Premier League 13 times, the FA Cup 5 times, the League Cup 4 times and the Charity Shield 10 times. On an international stage, he has won the Champions League twice, one European Cup Winner’s Cup, one Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one Club World Cup.
He retires as one of the most successful managers not just in British football, but also in the global game.
The lists of Ferguson’s achievements are as follows:
St Mirren:
Scottish First Division – 1977
Aberdeen:
Scottish Premier League – 1980, 1984, 1985
Scottish Cup – 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986
Scottish League Cup – 1986
European Cup Winner’s Cup – 1983
European Super Cup – 1983
Manchester United:
Premier League – 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
FA Cup – 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup – 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010
UEFA Champions League – 1999, 2008
European Cup Winner’s Cup – 1991
UEFA Super Cup – 1991
Intercontinental Cup – 1999
FIFA Club World Cup – 2008
