Alex Ferguson, Manchester United manager will be attending the College Philosophical Society (Phil) on January 20 to be interviewed for Trinity students. Students wishing to see Alex Ferguson should visit the Phil’s website and apply for tickets.
Tickets will be selected randomly by the Phil and successful applicants will be notified. All those wishing to apply are advised that you must all ready be a member of the Phil when applying otherwise your application will not be accepted.
Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager in British football history – winning more than 30 trophies during his time in charge of the Reds.
Born on New Year’s Eve 1941 it was as a player that Ferguson began his long and storied career in football. His tenure as a player saw him represent many sides in his native Scotland including Dunfermline Athletic, Falkirk and most notably his boyhood heroes Glasgow Rangers.
Retiring at the age of 32, it was East Stirlingshire that introduced Ferguson to management in 1974. The club’s fortunes improved immediately and bigger clubs began to take note and following a four year spell in charge of St. Mirren, Aberdeen came calling.
Only two years were needed for Ferguson to break the Celtic/Rangers monopoly on the Scottish Premier League title as ‘The Dons’ were crowned champions in 1980.
Two more league wins, five SFA Cups, one League Cup, one European Super Cup and one European Cup Winners’ Cup were to follow in the next six years with the latter being secured with an unprecedented 2-1 win over the mighty Real Madrid in the final.
Bigger and better things were to come though, when on 6 November 1986 ‘Fergie’ was appointed manager of Manchester United, historically one of the most successful clubs in Britain but a sleeping giant for almost 20 years.
After inheriting a squad possessing problems both on and off the field Sir Alex set about restructuring the club from top to bottom, taking five years to register his first success with Manchester United the 1990 FA Cup.
Still though that English league title eluded United and their manager. It took a fateful call from Howard Wilkinson, then Leeds United manager (The champions at the time) enquiring about the availability of Denis Irwin to turn the tide.
The signing of Eric Cantona the outrageously talented but often eccentric French forward was secured that day and the course of history would change forever. A league title win that year (1993) would be closely followed by a league and FA Cup double in 1994 and another double in 1996.
It is perhaps most likely however that the achievement he will be most remembered by was the legendary ‘Treble’ win of League, FA Cup and European Cup in 1999.
11 league titles, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 2 European Cups, 2 Club World Cups and 10 other major trophies have been secured in Sir Alex’s 23 year reign to date and yet he still retains his passion and desire to attempt to achieve even greater success season after season.
