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Topics: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United, Football, Premier League
Luke Davies
Topics: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United, Football, Premier League
Sir Alex Ferguson once banned a reporter from his Friday morning press conferences for six years for a rather harsh reason.
Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns with Manchester United, needs no introduction.
Between 1986 and 2013, ‘Fergie’ guided United to sustained success and is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.
Almost 13 years on from his final game as United manager, fans, former players, and pundits look back on the 83-year-old’s tenure with fondness.
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However, Ferguson didn’t get along with everyone, even falling out with high-profile players such as David Beckham and Roy Keane.
The press also came under fire throughout his time at United, with some journalists even being banned from attending press conferences.
At one point, Ferguson refused to deal with the BBC for seven years between 2004 and 2011 due to a documentary aired about his son Jason, who was an agent at the time.
Ferguson incurred a fine every time he refused to speak to the BBC due to a breach of Premier League rules.
The Scot eventually met with the BBC’s hierarchy to resolve the issue before later giving interviews to BBC programmes such as football highlights show Match of the Day.
Several other journalists were also banished from United’s Carrington training ground, where Ferguson used to attend his pre-match press conferences.
In a recent piece by The Athletic, one journalist even explained how he was banned for six years for writing a book about the Scottish manager.
Daniel Taylor, who works as a Senior Football Writer for The Athletic, having previously written for The Guardian for almost 20 years, explained: “Sir Alex Ferguson banned me from his Friday-morning press conferences because I’d written a book about him.
“I did inform his press office in advance, but they were too scared of him to pass on the news.
“Fergie saw that as bad manners by me and hit the roof when the book came out. And that was me gone for, no kidding, six years.”
Former Sports Editor of the Daily Mirror, David Walker, previously recalled that he was banned by Ferguson on three occasions but noted that he was always allowed back in.
Writing for the SJA in 2013, Walker said: “How do you get back into Old Trafford when the most successful manager in British football history has banned you? Easy. You keep ringing him, asking if he’s available, pressing him for a chat. For a few days, the message comes back that you’re banned and he has no interest in talking to you.”