THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SIR ALEX FERGUSON

 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SIR ALEX FERGUSON
1941 - Born Dec. 31 in Govan, Scotland.
1957 - Begins playing career at Scottish club Queen's Park.
1966 - Marries Cathy.
1974 - Ends six-club playing career and takes charge of Scottish club East Stirling.
1978 - Becomes manager of Aberdeen in Scottish top division, winning Scottish league for the first time in 1981.
1983 - Wins European Cup Winners' Cup with victory over Real Madrid in final, and becomes Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
1985 - Takes temporary charge of Scotland's national team after death of manager Jock Stein on Sept. 10.
1986 - Coaches Scotland at World Cup, where team failed to advance from group.
1986 - Becomes Manchester United manager as replacement for the fired Ron Atkinson. Leaves Aberdeen with three Scottish titles, four Scottish Cups, one League Cup, a European Cup Winners' Cup and a European Super Cup.
1990 - Wins first trophy at United, the FA Cup after a replay against Crystal Palace in the final.
1991 - Wins European Cup Winners' Cup after beating Barcelona 2-1 in final.
1992 - Signs French forward Eric Cantona.

1993 - Wins United's first English title since 1967 and voted Manager of the Year.
1994 - Retains English title and also wins FA Cup.
1995 - Made Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
1996 - Wins Premier League again, this time with youngsters in his team such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville known as "Fergie's Fledglings."
1999 - Wins a historic Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble, after winning European Cup for the first time thanks to late goals by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich; Becomes a knight; Wins Intercontinental Cup
2001 - Breaks British transfer record to sign Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron for 28 million pounds.
2002 - Decides to stay on at United after announcing decision to retire at the end of the season. Admits decision to make announcement public was an "absolute disaster."
2003 - Launches legal action against then-United shareholder John Magnier over ownership of race horse Rock of Gibraltar; Reportedly kicks football boot into face of Beckham, causing injury to midfielder's face. Beckham sold to Real Madrid that summer; Signs Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon.
2004 - Has pacemaker fitted.
2007 - Denies Chelsea a third straight English title by winning Premier League with United for ninth time.
2008 - Wins Champions League for the second time with victory in a penalty shootout over Chelsea, following 1-1 draw; Wins Club World Cup.
2009 - Given four-match touchline ban for comments criticizing fitness of referee Alan Wiley.
2010 - Wins fourth and final League Cup.
2011 - United names north stand at Old Trafford as the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
2013 - Reclaims Premier League title from Manchester City, winning it for 13th time.



FERGUSON'S STATEMENT

'The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.

'It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so. The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one.

'Our training facilities are amongst the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.

'Going forward, I am delighted to take on the roles of both Director and Ambassador for the club. With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future.

'I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential. My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement. Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.

'As for my players and staff, past and present, I would like to thank them all for a staggering level of professional conduct and dedication that has helped to deliver so many memorable triumphs. Without their contribution the history of this great club would not be as rich.

'In my early years, the backing of the board, and Sir Bobby Charlton in particular, gave me the confidence and time to build a football club, rather than just a football team.

'Over the past decade, the Glazer family have provided me with the platform to manage Manchester United to the best of my ability and I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with a talented and trustworthy Chief Executive in David Gill. I am truly grateful to all of them.

'To the fans, thank you. The support you have provided over the years has been truly humbling. It has been an honour and an enormous privilege to have had the opportunity to lead your club and I have treasured my time as manager of Manchester United.'


FERGUSON'S FABULOUS 49

Sir Alex's 49 trophies is the most successful managerial career Britain has ever known.

ST MIRREN
Scottish First Division (1): 1976-77.

ABERDEEN
Scottish Premier Division (3): 1979-80, 1983-84, 1984-85.
Scottish Cup (4): 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86.
Scottish League Cup (1): 1985-86.
European Cup-Winners' Cup (1): 1982-83.
European Super Cup (1): 1983.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Premier League (13): 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13.

FA Cup (5): 1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04.

League Cup (4): 1991-92, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10.

Charity/Community Shield (10): 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.

Champions League (2): 1998-99, 2007-08.

European Cup-Winners' Cup (1): 1990-91.

European Super Cup (1): 1991.

Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999.

FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008wn up

FERGIE'S GREATEST SIGNINGS
Peter Schmeichel (from Brondby, 1991)

Widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history, the Dane's heroic efforts provided clean sheets aplenty and the security at the back which was so key to United's success throughout the 1990s. Schmeichel, recruited for around £500,000, knew how to intimidate opposition strikers by making optimum use of his frame and at times appeared just as fearful for his defenders, who would frequently receive a rollicking from him. Capped eight glorious years with the club by skippering United - in the absence of the suspended Roy Keane - in the 1999 Champions League final as Ferguson's men secured the treble.

Eric Cantona (from Leeds, 1992)

Cantona's five-year spell at United will never be forgotten. The Frenchman, who cost Ferguson just over £1million, gave the club's fans many a moment to savour on the pitch with his dazzling skills, which helped the Red Devils to a haul of four Premier League titles and two FA Cups. But what perhaps cemented his iconic status was the way he played the part of the tortured genius. The most infamous instance of his short temper was the kung-fu kick he aimed at a Crystal Palace supporter and he made philosophical comments afterwards about seagulls following a trawler. It was somewhat appropriate that he exited early leaving the crowd wanting more, retiring aged 30 in 1997.

Roy Keane (from Nottingham Forest, 1993)

The £3.75million Ferguson paid Forest for Keane was a British transfer record at the time, but there is little question that he got value for money. In 12 years of service, the Irish midfielder was United's engine room and driving force as they dominated English football through the 1990s and into the next decade. He also led them to the 1999 Champions League final, only to miss the game through suspension. Keane succeeded Cantona as captain and was just as combustible a character, if not more so. But it was that edge on the field that so endeared him to United fans and made him the player everyone else wanted in their team.

Cristiano Ronaldo (from Sporting, 2003)

Ferguson signed a teenage Ronaldo for £12.24million and it looked as if he may have paid over the odds for little more than a showboater in the early days of the Portuguese forward's United career. He soon showed his game was not just about stepovers, though, developing into one of the world's most potent players. Ronaldo scored an incredible total of 42 goals for the club in the 2007-08 season as the Red Devils won the Champions League. Although his exit to Real Madrid a year later was a blow, the world record £80million fee he commanded softened it considerably.

Edwin van der Sar (from Fulham, 2005)

Van der Sar was 34 when he arrived at Old Trafford for an undisclosed fee, but the Dutch goalkeeper was in no way a fading force. It soon became apparent that Ferguson had finally found the solution in a position which had been a problem for United since Schmeichel's departure, as Van der Sar's reliable hands helped the team achieve a new period of success. He broke a multitude of records with his clean sheets in the 2008-09 season and finally retired from football in 2011, having won four Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Red Devils.