2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Shivam Khatwani)
In many ways, Sir Alex Ferguson is synonymous with Manchester United . It was his trophy-laden 26-year-long spell at Old Trafford that turned the club into a behemoth it is today, despite their recent misfortunes on the field. When Ferguson was appointed as the head coach of United all the way back in November 1986, he knew that he had to change a lot of things.
The club was second from bottom on the table and in a rut. To add to his woes, Ferguson was left worried with the drinking habits of his star players, Norman Whiteside , Paul McGrath, and Bryan Robson amongst others. On one instance early into what would become the Ferguson era at the club, United headed to Bahrain for an exhibition match that had been pre-arranged before the Scot took over.
It was Whiteside who scored the winner and the Manchester side won 1-0. The following day, news spread around the squad that Ferguson had headed out for a spot of shopping, meaning the players soon 'got stuck into a few beers'. Whiteside, very popular among United fans after his heroics in the 1985 FA Cup final, recalled: "As the session unwound, the singsongs and loud banter eventually became so rowdy that it must have caught the boss' attention on his return from his trip, in the early evening.
He stormed into the bar, still clutching his bags, and told all of us to get to his room at once. "With 15 of us crowded into his bedroom, he read us the riot act for the first time, shouting his head off that we were 'a disgrace to the club and yourselves. You're an absolute irresponsible bloody nightmare'.
" This harsh attitude is what eventually led to flipping the dynamic inside the club as players became more disciplined. However, rumours suggested that some players had started to dislike Ferguson because of his nature. Whiteside, who left the club in 1989, was one player that many believed had his relationship broken with Ferguson.
However, that was not the case. Instead, the Northern Irishman revealed that it was Ferguson who helped him with his contract with Everton . In a conversation with the Daily Mail , Whiteside stated that he never had a falling out with Ferguson and they got along quite well, contrary to popular belief.
He said: "Everyone thinks we don't get on. Even to this day when I see him, we're best mates. He was brilliant to me and more or less did my contract to Everton.
"He told me how much to ask for and gave me money to leave. He said, 'I know you haven't been on good wages since you were a kid'. I was only on £300 a week in the 1985 final.
I went there and got five times the money I was on at United." Whiteside, who came up through United’s academy, was eventually sold to Everton for £600,000 in 1989 after injuries continued to plague the Belfast native. After just two seasons at the club, he was forced to retire at the age of 26 in 1991 after continued struggles with injuries.
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