Glory Glory Man. United: Sir Alex Ferguson Is Marching On

A decade ago Manchester United manager Sir
Alex Ferguson started hinting that retirement
was on the cards. However, as the years went
by and more major trophies were won
Manchester United fans put the thought of
their beloved manager's retirement at the back
of their minds.
That was until yesterday.
After twenty-six years in the position Sir Alex
announced that he will be stepping down as
manager at the end of the season.
While expected, the announcement still came
as a surprise to many Manchester United fans.
One of those shocked fans is Ken Morton, who
played for Manchester United in the 1960s.
These days, however, Morton's home ground is
no longer Old Trafford but rather Hobart,
Tasmania.
Morton is the head of Victory League
contenders, the South Hobart football club,
and he also runs the Morton Soccer School,
which has an affiliation with Manchester
United.
Like a true football supporter, Morton was on
the training field when he heard the news that
Sir Alex was retiring.
"I was really stunned because I didn't think Sir
Alex would do it just yet - I always believed
that he still had unfinished business with the
Champion's League," Morton told Louise
Saunders on the 936 ABC Hobart Drive
Program.
"I think if you talked to him he would say that
Europe had been his downfall and that he
wanted to win that one more time at least."
"Sir Alex believed that United are a massive
club who should do better in Europe and it was
a mighty aim of his," Morton said.
Sir Alex began his career with Manchester
United after a successful stint with Aberdeen
that cultivated with the club winning, what was
then, the European Cup.
Sir Alex may have managed United to thirty-
seven major trophies in his time, but it wasn't
always smooth sailing - especially in the early
years.
"When Sir Alex came to Manchester United it
didn't happen straight away for him - he had
to work through it and he was indebted, at the
time, to Bobby Charlton who supported him
when people were calling for his head,"
Morton said.
"He stuck at it and he had this way of doing
things and he wanted that to go through the
football club - eventually that happened and
the rest, as they say, is history," Morton said.
For twenty-six years as players came and went,
Sir Alex stood as the cornerstone of
Manchester United.
""It didn't matter who the player was they had
to tow the line... Sir Alex was very much on
the side of discipline and he didn't take any
nonsense from anyone."
"He has been a great manager although he has
had some moments with players, he always
handled them - he dealt with Beckham when
he had to, and he brought in the controversial
Cantona and he had him playing wonderful
football," Morton said.
While Morton never played under Sir Alex, he
told Louise Saunders about playing as a "Bobsy
baby" for Manchester United under Sir Matt
Bobsy.
"Bobsy was a brilliant manager, brilliant guy,
and he drove United in the same way that Sir
Alex has done."
"My day was brilliant with people like George
Best, Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law - The
Three Musketeers."
"They were great players as well as great
ambassadors for the football club," Morton
told Louise Saunders.
As an ex-player and continued passionate
supporter Morton believes there is an affinity
towards the Manchester United football club.
"A lot of people became fans because of the
Munich Air disaster, which Sir Martin Bobby
survived, and it really did make the club grow
and the supporters became worldwide,"
Morton said.
"Now there's an aura about Manchester United
football club and I think every club, even
Chelsea and Arsenal, strive to be like them and
be better than them," Morton said.
Everton Manager, David Moyes is tipped to
take over the position at Manchester United at
the end of the season after receiving a
personal recommendation from Sir Alex
Ferguson himself.