Dear Sir Alex,
I cannot begin writing this tribute to you in any way other than expressing
my deepest gratitude for making Manchester United the club and that
brand that it is today, for giving me, and all the other Man Utd fans around
the world a reason to rejoice every other year, for being a source of
inspiration when we were down, and most of all for teaching us that the
fight does not end when you lose, it only ends when you give up.
What can I say, that hasn’t been said a countless times already by the
greatest of players, managers and pundits? How many more accolades can
one shower upon you, one of the greatest managers of all time, a legend at
Old Trafford, hailed by Sir Matt Busby, and knighted by the Queen? What
more could anyone ask of you, when you have beaten all the competition
there were, conquered all that there is, demolished all the barriers that
there could be, and have already laid foundations to the next generation at
Old Trafford? Yet, here I am, a simple fan sitting in front of a laptop more
than 7000 miles away, trying to write a fitting tribute to the best in the
business.
Success is sometimes overwhelming, and it does not last forever. But in
your case, success was just a byproduct to excellence. You made the most
important decision of your life when you chose to manage Manchester
United, rejecting offers from Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and other clubs,
who were keen on appointing you as their gaffer. Whether it was luck or
destiny that Man Utd signed you, we would never know. And there started
a love affair of the highest quality, one that is 27 years young,and is
interlaced with many an interesting anecdote, many a fairy tale ending, and
a lot of success.
You taught us the value of trust, when you showed us that the trust you
had placed in the young crop of 92 was not misplaced. You were
responsible for giving us the ‘Golden Generation’ of Manchester United,
comparable only to the Busby Babes. You showed that you can win, and win
big with kids. You showed us that everyone are not alike, and everyone
needs to be respected for who they are. Convincing Eric Cantona to
return to football after his lengthy ban and making him the ace orchestrator
when he was on the pitch is one of the many instances. While it may seem
impossible to be protective of the players in the open while giving them
the hairdryer treatment they deserve behind the doors, you executed it to
perfection.
You were a fatherly figure to the players, and in a way, to us, Man Utd fans
all over the world. You had to manage the personal lives of the players as
well as their professional lives, and you always did it to the best of your
abilities. Out went the partying culture at Man Utd, and its place was taken
by unparalleled success. Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Roy Keane are but
few examples of the same.
At a time when loyalty is a foreign word in any walk of life, let alone the
money-driven world of football, you have shown that there are some
things money can’t buy. To strive to succeed for 27 years is hard enough,
to do it at one club is even harder. But to do it at a club of the stature of
Manchester United is what makes the word ‘legend’ seem insufficient to
describe it. The longevity can be truly illustrated only with the fact that
the “kids” you nurtured are past their career and have taken to television
punditry and coaching, while you still turned out on the pitch every single
day. English football has seen more than a thousand managers come and go
ever since you took over the reins at Old Trafford.
You saw off the challenge of the rich Blackburn Rovers, the mighty Arsenal
under Arsene Wenger and Chelsea with their Roubles, all the while playing
spectacular football in a run that saw us increasing our league tally from 7
to 20 over the past 20 years, in the process silencing the Kop faithful. You
always placed the club above individuals, including yourself, which in my
humble opinion, is the greatest trait of a great human being.
You have created a legacy at Old Trafford. One that would live on even
after you. Even as we rejoice our landmark 20th league title, the noisy
neighbours are raising their voices. And if there is one thing I am sure of,you
have prepared and laid the foundation for Manchester United to take the
bull by its horns and toss it away.To a legend who has been in charge of the
club for 27 amazingly successful years.
There is a lot more to be said, but words do not suffice or truly express
what I feel. A few years down the line, when my people ask me who the
greatest manager ever was, I would reply, “I don’t know.” Because frankly,
it doesn’t matter. For, the “greatest ever” is a title given to someone who
could be compared with another. And for me, you Sir Alex Ferguson are
beyond comparison.
Regards and a whole lot of gratitude,
A Man Utd fan.

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