The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 28 An unexpected invitation

"The Red Devils' invitation to Ferguson seemed very abrupt, but this was also because the Red Devils board of directors was desperate and had no other choice. But the world is so wonderful, and this invitation was finally successful."

--Inscription

After the 1986 World Cup, Ferguson returned to Aberdeen's up-and-coming club.

Although Ferguson still received many invitations after the World Cup, he chose to return to Aberdeen Newcomers.

The invitations from other clubs ultimately did not impress Ferguson until November 1986, when the Red Devils club from England suddenly extended an invitation.

Ferguson was very surprised. This invitation was too abrupt. Ferguson, who was concerned about the English league, knew that the Red Devils had a bad start this season and it was getting worse in November, but he did not think Atkinson would be fired. After all, Atkinson had led the Red Devils to win the FA Cup twice in the past few years, and he was generally good at leading the team.

But things took a sharp turn for the worse, and after the team's disastrous defeat to Southampton, the Red Devils board decided that not firing the head coach was not enough to prevent the crisis from escalating.

Red Devils director Edelson later recalled: "We held an emergency meeting overnight and decided to fire Atkinson. Everyone agreed that something had to be done, and that was to fire this guy immediately. Candidates? The list listed by reporters might be as long as the Thames, but we actually only had three options, or two to be exact: Ferguson or Venables."

Red Devils chairman of the board Edwards said: "My choice is Ferguson. When we discussed it in depth, most of our board members thought he was a good fit."

His idea was simple: Having won so many honors in the Scottish League, Ferguson was famous and had sufficient qualifications and prestige.

The reality is that the Red Devils do not have many options in England. There are almost no truly unemployed head coaches who are capable enough, and not all famous coaches are willing to wade into the muddy waters of the Red Devils.

Charlton, a member of the Red Devils' meritorious service and board of directors, said: "I support inviting Ferguson to coach. I once visited Aberdeen Newcomers. Fans throughout the city love Ferguson, and the club also respects him very much. He has great prestige and sufficient strength. I remember that visit to Aberdeen Newcomers Club. Their staff were very panicked, thinking we were going to poach their head coach."

Charlton believes that Ferguson's ability is unquestionable as he was able to lead the Aberdeen new team to break out of the siege of the two giants and defeat Bayern and Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup.

In 1985, some people suggested that the Red Devils invite Ferguson to coach, and many English teams were also rumored to be interested in Ferguson.

Ferguson brought the Aberdeen Newcomers to such a peak, 8 championships in 10 years, which is absolutely incredible and powerful. For a football coach in his 40s, this is definitely worth the risk for the Red Devils.

Ferguson was very popular in the Scottish Premier League at the time. Rangers invited him many times and extended an olive branch to him. Dundee United also offered a staggering price. Invitations from England were endless. Wolves, Arsenal, Liverpool expressed strong interest, and even several La Liga and Bundesliga clubs sent signals. Even this season, many other English clubs are ready to go to the Scottish Premier League to poach players.

Edwards said at the board meeting: "We need a tough coach, preferably with results to back up the team, who can lead the team out of the quagmire. My suggestion is Ferguson!"

Manchester United's Strachan was specifically asked about Ferguson's situation. He praised Ferguson at the board meeting, using words that even made people blush. However, he also said, "If Ferguson joins Manchester United to coach, there will inevitably be a big earthquake in the locker room, and everyone must be prepared."

Manchester United director Watkins did not expect Strachan to comment on Ferguson in this way. Strachan is deeply respected in the Manchester United locker room and was once Ferguson's favorite, but his attitude towards Ferguson is so special.

Edwards and Watkins discussed that this was a possible crisis, but no one was more suitable than Ferguson at the moment.

“It was a risk, but we had to decide,” Watkins said.

Another factor that motivated Ferguson to come to coach was Busby, the legendary Red Devils coach. Ferguson once sought advice from the legend as Stan's disciple. Busby was very interested in Ferguson's story of coaching the new Aberdeen team. He believed that Ferguson's tactical thinking and team building ideas were distinctive, and his management insights were unique, making him a rare talent.

The decision of the Red Devils to invite Ferguson seemed sudden, but when you think about it, it seems to be the only reason.

After the Red Devils board sacked Atkinson, they immediately made a request to Aberdeen Newcomers - this was required through official channels.

Edwards recalled: "We announced Atkinson's dismissal, but there was no way to immediately announce Ferguson's successor. We had to talk to the Aberdeen New Club. At that time, we didn't know Ferguson's attitude, which was the most critical."

Aberdeen's new board of directors responded that the Red Devils could first consult Ferguson's wishes and then discuss possible termination and compensation matters.

Aberdeen Newcomers opened the door to convenience. Edwards said: "We were anxious like ants on a hot pot, because the reporter who followed the team once said that Ferguson had rejected many English teams. At that time, we wanted to contact Ferguson first, but we didn't have Ferguson's phone number. What should we do?"

Team manager Mike Edelson came up with a solution and called the Aberdeen Newcomers office. He used a Scottish accent to slur the operator's words, pretending to be Strachan's agent, and asked to speak to Alex, "Thank God, the other party really called Ferguson."

Edwards said: "I took the initiative, picked up the phone and said, 'Hi, I'm Martin Edwards from Manchester United, can I talk to you about the English league?'"

Ferguson seemed very surprised at first, but he understood what the other party was saying. "I am happy to share my views. This is not a problem."

Edwards said, "Shall we meet and discuss this in person?"

Edwards got a positive answer from Ferguson, and he felt hopeful, even though the conversation was like a guessing game.

The Red Devils board of directors took action overnight, and Edwards and Edelson set off immediately. They drove directly to Aberdeen, Scotland without wasting a moment.

Edwards and Ferguson met at a gas station and then went to Ferguson's sister's house to discuss. Edwards expressed the Red Devils' earnest wishes and introduced the Red Devils' current difficulties. He also got a preliminary understanding of Ferguson's ideas during this meeting and directly agreed to some of Ferguson's special requests.

The Red Devils team was overjoyed to receive Ferguson's initial intention. Edwards rushed back to Manchester overnight and asked the legal department to work overtime to prepare legal documents. Edwards took a large team, including legal advisers and financial directors, as well as famous players such as Charlton, to Aberdeen for negotiations the next morning.

Edwards brought so many people to Aberdeen New Edge mainly to solve the problem in one fell swoop. Edwards was very humble and asked Aberdeen New Edge to tolerate the Red Devils' "rude behavior" and hoped that Aberdeen New Edge would accept the compensation agreement and ask Ferguson to accept the invitation of the Red Devils.

Edwards said: "We certainly know that this is unreasonable. It is difficult not to offend others by poaching the head coach of a successful club at this time. I was ready to beg Donald. As long as the opponent agreed to release Ferguson, we would agree to sign him no matter how much the opponent offered. To our surprise, the new Aberdeen player did not make things difficult for us, and everything went smoothly. "

Ferguson recalled: "I went to work as usual that morning because I had been informed of a lot of things by the club before. The weather was good that morning, and Chairman Donald came to my office early. He looked at me, handed me a piece of paper and said, 'Someone told me that this person wants to come and talk to us?' On the paper was Edwards' name and phone number. He asked me: 'Do you think you can talk to him?' I told him yes, and he then clearly knew my decision."

The Red Devils' negotiating team was sincere, and the amount of compensation demanded by Aberdeen Newcomers was also very restrained. The two sides quickly reached a consensus, and after each confirmed the relevant terms, the only thing left was to negotiate with Ferguson personally.

Ferguson waited alone in his office for the result. When he walked downstairs to the locker room with a relaxed look, he found that the club's problems had been resolved.

The Red Devils were sincere, Aberdeen's newcomer helped, and the matter was settled.

Donald told Ferguson with a reluctant look on his face: "I have agreed to the Red Devils' request. Now it's about your personal treatment and some details. Do you want to talk here or find another place to talk? On behalf of Aberdeen's newcomers, I tell you again that if you fail in the talks with them, you are welcome to come back."

Ferguson couldn't help but sigh, "How come it's so fast!"

Donald said: "The Red Devils are in a mess now. They fired the coach and now you are the only candidate to take over as coach, which is why the negotiations are so busy. If you want to accept this challenge, we will certainly fulfill it for you; if you don't want to, then we will continue to support you to stay and coach."

“This is our attitude and our commitment.”

Ferguson was very grateful to Donald for his help and initially agreed to the Red Devils' conditions, but he still needed to discuss it with his family.

When he told his wife and children that he wanted to go to England, the whole family was shocked. Ferguson's wife Cathy liked life in Aberdeen and was unwilling to leave. The Ferguson family lived happily here for 8 years. The children were already in school. The salary given by Aberdeen was also satisfactory. Ferguson was also promised that he would join the board of directors in the future, which was equivalent to giving Ferguson a lifelong guarantee.

Ferguson said: "I told my wife that I wanted to try a new challenge. The Red Devils and England are completely different from Scotland. A brand new and bigger platform and opportunity are also what attracts me. When I want to impact higher goals, Cathy will choose to encourage and help me. She finally supported my decision, and the children finally agreed."

And just like that, Ferguson is about to take office as the Red Devils.

At the time of his departure, Ferguson made a special speech to Aberdeen Newcomers: "I will always remember Aberdeen Newcomers and all the experiences here. I miss the hard work and happiness with everyone at Aberdeen Newcomers, and the hard work we put in together. These are all my precious assets. Aberdeen Newcomers is a great club, and I am fortunate to have contributed to its success. I thank everyone for their continued support, and I hope everyone will get better and better in the future!"

Ferguson especially thanked Chairman Donald. He thanked Chairman Donald for his unconditional trust, firm support and generosity. It was the management led by Chairman Donald who gave him the opportunity to coach Aberdeen Newcomers Club, leading the team to the pinnacle of honor and creating a glorious history. It was also because of his experience as a coach at Aberdeen Newcomers that Ferguson was favored and invited by the Red Devils.

Ferguson also thanked Donald for his advice, and Donald also thought that Manchester United was indeed the club that Ferguson should challenge. Donald said, "We highly recognize Alex's ability and firmly believe that he can succeed in Manchester United. We also sincerely wish him to win new honors."

For Ferguson, if there is still a team in the world worthy of his coaching, and any club worthy of his efforts to revive, it must be the Red Devils!