THERE are few superlatives that will go unused in the days and weeks to come after Sir Alex Ferguson's shock decision to retire as Manchester United manager following an incredible 26-plus years of glory.
Love him or loathe him, it is indisputable the 71-year-old Scot has etched his name as one of the great managers of all time alongside the likes of former Mariners boss Bill Shankly and will leave a huge hole at Old Trafford. For many modern football supporters, Ferguson is the only United manager they will have ever known but even 'Fergie time' had to come to an end one day. As a Manchester lad growing up supporting the Red Devils, I was just 12 when he arrived to succeed Ron Atkinson in November 1986. Almost three decades later and what he has done for the club is beyond any amount of thanks I, or any United fan, can throw his way. What a ride it has been.An incredible haul of trophies – the latest a 13th Premier League title this season – it is perhaps fitting he goes out at the top after steering his latest rebuilt squad to the pinnacle of English football once more. It is not just the impact at Old Trafford, either, the ripples have reached far and wide in football.A succession of talent has been nurtured by Ferguson – the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, Cantona and the famed Class of '92 Youth team. And that was after he broke the Old Firm dominance north of the border with Aberdeen. His legacy is evident with so many of his old charges going on to be good managers in their own right. The Mariners benefited briefly when the skipper of that Youth side, Chris Casper, arrived to assist Neil Woods as number two during my time as Town writer at the Grimsby Telegraph. Not many clubs have been unaffected by the Ferguson imprint at some point and that legacy will continue in years to come. If clubs can learn one thing from Fergie's dynasty, though, it is that stability and loyalty to a manger can bear fruit. Town's closeness to both FA Trophy and play-off success this season proves that fact; sticking with good young managers like Rob Scott and Paul Hurst is a must. If they can keep reinvigorating the Mariners like Ferguson has consistently done at United, they may just taste a little of his success at Blundell Park. Even the hardest-nosed opposing supporter would find it hard to acknowledge Ferguson is one-of-a-kind whose legacy in British football is here to stay. A hard act to follow? Not half.
Love him or loathe him, it is indisputable the 71-year-old Scot has etched his name as one of the great managers of all time alongside the likes of former Mariners boss Bill Shankly and will leave a huge hole at Old Trafford. For many modern football supporters, Ferguson is the only United manager they will have ever known but even 'Fergie time' had to come to an end one day. As a Manchester lad growing up supporting the Red Devils, I was just 12 when he arrived to succeed Ron Atkinson in November 1986. Almost three decades later and what he has done for the club is beyond any amount of thanks I, or any United fan, can throw his way. What a ride it has been.An incredible haul of trophies – the latest a 13th Premier League title this season – it is perhaps fitting he goes out at the top after steering his latest rebuilt squad to the pinnacle of English football once more. It is not just the impact at Old Trafford, either, the ripples have reached far and wide in football.A succession of talent has been nurtured by Ferguson – the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, Cantona and the famed Class of '92 Youth team. And that was after he broke the Old Firm dominance north of the border with Aberdeen. His legacy is evident with so many of his old charges going on to be good managers in their own right. The Mariners benefited briefly when the skipper of that Youth side, Chris Casper, arrived to assist Neil Woods as number two during my time as Town writer at the Grimsby Telegraph. Not many clubs have been unaffected by the Ferguson imprint at some point and that legacy will continue in years to come. If clubs can learn one thing from Fergie's dynasty, though, it is that stability and loyalty to a manger can bear fruit. Town's closeness to both FA Trophy and play-off success this season proves that fact; sticking with good young managers like Rob Scott and Paul Hurst is a must. If they can keep reinvigorating the Mariners like Ferguson has consistently done at United, they may just taste a little of his success at Blundell Park. Even the hardest-nosed opposing supporter would find it hard to acknowledge Ferguson is one-of-a-kind whose legacy in British football is here to stay. A hard act to follow? Not half.
