Ben Foster reveals Sir Alex Ferguson's strict plane rule that all players had to follow at Man Utd

Ben Foster has revealed just how strict Sir Alex Ferguson was at Manchester United when it came to upholding standards at the club.

Ferguson spent 26 years at United, winning 13 Premier League titles and creating an unrivalled legacy in English football.

He demanded so much from his players, not just on the pitch but in how they conducted themselves off it.

The fiery Scotsman took issue with David Beckham's haircuts and it was a non-negotiable that players had to be smart and presentable.

And according to Foster, this applied to travelling to and from games - even on flights to away games.

The retired goalkeeper, who made 23 appearances for United and won two League Cups, says United players had to board the plane in their club suits.

They would then be able to change into something more casual for the journey but had to be back into their smarter attire for when landing.

Image: Getty

It didn't matter how long the journey was, there was an expectation to be wearing a suit when taking off and when landing.

"When I was at United, with Sir Alex Ferguson, that was the bare minimum - hitting the standard was the bare minimum," he said on the Cycling GK podcast.

"I remember, if we would play away and we would fly, then we would get on the plane and you would get changed almost instantly.

"You arrive, you're in your suit, you've got your tie on. Everything's done. You don't even dare not have your top button done up, tie to the top perfect.

"You look immaculate. You've got your shoes on shined. The second you got on the plane, you would take your suit off, put it into its hanger and hang it up all nicely."

Image: Getty

Being in a full suit for a flight isn't too comfortable and so there was a period where players could be in a tracksuit.

Yet they had to be back in the suit ready for business when it came to exiting, to show that they United were "in town".

Foster continued: "Everybody is all labelled up nicely. You would get into leisurewear - shorts, t-shirt and everything like that.

"It might be a three-hour flight, it might be a six-hour flight. Within half an hour of landing, it would be ''Right lads, everybody back in your seats - get dressed again'.

"You get off the plane looking exactly the same as what you got looked on it six hours previous.

"It would be, 'Oh, Man United are in town' and it carried so much weight."

Image: Getty

The rule was not implemented when Ferguson retired but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought it back when he was at the helm.

Last season, Erik ten Hag banned the players from wearing their club-sponsored suits ahead of the Carabao Cup final as he felt it messed with their schedule.

Topics: Ben Foster, Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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