FERGUSON RETIREMENT CONFIRMED




Manchester United have confirmed that Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season after winning the club’s 20th league title and will move upstairs to become a director and ambassador.
Sir Alex Ferguson will move onto the football club's board at the end of the season
GettyImages
Sir Alex Ferguson will move onto the football club’s board at the end of the season

Ferguson, 71, took charge of United in 1986 and enjoyed a trophy-laden 27 years at the club. United have dominated English football in the Premier League era, winning the title 13 times and also lifting the Champions League in 1999 and 2008.
In addition, he won the FA Cup five times, the League Cup four times, plus the FIFA Club World Cup, Intercontinental Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
His final match will be against West Bromwich Albion on May 19, his 1500th game in charge of United.
He won an unprecented 49 trophies in total, the frst coming when St Mirren won the Scottish First Division title in 1976-77. He then moved to Aberdeen and turned the Dons into a European force in the 1980s. There he won three championships, four Scottish FA Cups, the League Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
A statement released to the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday morning stated: “Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season, Manchester United announced today. The most successful manager in English football history will bow out after the West Bromwich Albion game on 19 May and join the football club board.”
Announcing his decision to retire, Ferguson spoke of his pride at his achievements at United and also thanked the club for allowing him to rebuild it from top to bottom.
“The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly,” he said. “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, 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.”
United chief executive David Gill, who will himself leave the club this summer, said: “I’ve had the tremendous pleasure of working very closely with Alex for 16 unforgettable years – through the Treble, the double, countless trophy wins and numerous signings. We knew that his retirement would come one day and we both have been planning for it by ensuring the quality of the squad and club structures are in first class condition.
“Alex’s vision, energy and ability have built teams – both on and off the pitch – that his successor can count on as among the best and

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