TomClare
04 Jun 2007, 10:18 AM
MY DREAM DINNER TABLE
MANCHESTER UNITED EXCLUSIVE THE BOSS AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE
04/06/2007
SIR ALEX FERGUSON has revealed his five ideal dinner party guests - the men who have inspired and influenced the Manchester United boss during his glittering career.
1. VINCENT LOMBARDI:
Fergie: "He used to coach the Green Bay Packers. They'd never won a sausage in their lives until he came along. They're based just north of Chicago, and it's so cold even the birds don't whistle. He went up there and won two Super Bowls. That place has a population of about 20,000. Incredible. When I was reading his book, When Pride Still Mattered, I thought 'I'm reading about myself here'. All the things he did, in terms of obsession, preparation, detail and so on, was what I'd done."
2. NELSON MANDELA:
Fergie: "I've met him three times and found him fascinating company, because you've got to think 'this is history'. He broke a racial barrier that no-one thought could ever happen. The first time I met him was in 1993, when we'd just won the league. The next time was in Monte Carlo, when we won the award for team of the year. When he made his speech that night, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. And I met him last summer on our pre-season tour of South Africa."
3. DENIS LAW:
Fergie: "Denis was my hero. When I was a player, I tried to copy him. The way he wore his sleeves, the way he wiped his nose, everything. To me, Denis epitomised everything a Scotsman was. One, he could start a row in an empty house and fight his shadow. Two, he loved chasing lost causes. To me he represented what a real Scotsman was."
4. JOCK STEIN:
Fergie: "I worked with Jock two years prior to him dying and I found that time absolutely riveting. I was a young manager and would quiz him about this and that. He was such a modest man and would never take any praise for himself. We'd be talking until 3am and I'd be saying to Jock, 'I've got to get to my bed, I've got a game in the morning'. He'd say: 'Don't worry son, you'll get a nap in the afternoon'. A remarkable man."
5. MUHAMMAD ALI:
Fergie: "He was the greatest sportsman of all time. I met him briefly, once. What he did about not joining the army was not about a refusal to fight for America, it was a refusal to fight against people he didn't know. He said: 'I don't even know these Vietnamese, why am I going to fight people I don't know?' It made him unpopular, but when the effect of Vietnam really took shape, I don't think many people doubted his motives. It was a big stand for a young man. It showed great courage, quite aside from his boxing skills."
Now - what would your's be?
MANCHESTER UNITED EXCLUSIVE THE BOSS AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE
04/06/2007
SIR ALEX FERGUSON has revealed his five ideal dinner party guests - the men who have inspired and influenced the Manchester United boss during his glittering career.
1. VINCENT LOMBARDI:
Fergie: "He used to coach the Green Bay Packers. They'd never won a sausage in their lives until he came along. They're based just north of Chicago, and it's so cold even the birds don't whistle. He went up there and won two Super Bowls. That place has a population of about 20,000. Incredible. When I was reading his book, When Pride Still Mattered, I thought 'I'm reading about myself here'. All the things he did, in terms of obsession, preparation, detail and so on, was what I'd done."
2. NELSON MANDELA:
Fergie: "I've met him three times and found him fascinating company, because you've got to think 'this is history'. He broke a racial barrier that no-one thought could ever happen. The first time I met him was in 1993, when we'd just won the league. The next time was in Monte Carlo, when we won the award for team of the year. When he made his speech that night, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. And I met him last summer on our pre-season tour of South Africa."
3. DENIS LAW:
Fergie: "Denis was my hero. When I was a player, I tried to copy him. The way he wore his sleeves, the way he wiped his nose, everything. To me, Denis epitomised everything a Scotsman was. One, he could start a row in an empty house and fight his shadow. Two, he loved chasing lost causes. To me he represented what a real Scotsman was."
4. JOCK STEIN:
Fergie: "I worked with Jock two years prior to him dying and I found that time absolutely riveting. I was a young manager and would quiz him about this and that. He was such a modest man and would never take any praise for himself. We'd be talking until 3am and I'd be saying to Jock, 'I've got to get to my bed, I've got a game in the morning'. He'd say: 'Don't worry son, you'll get a nap in the afternoon'. A remarkable man."
5. MUHAMMAD ALI:
Fergie: "He was the greatest sportsman of all time. I met him briefly, once. What he did about not joining the army was not about a refusal to fight for America, it was a refusal to fight against people he didn't know. He said: 'I don't even know these Vietnamese, why am I going to fight people I don't know?' It made him unpopular, but when the effect of Vietnam really took shape, I don't think many people doubted his motives. It was a big stand for a young man. It showed great courage, quite aside from his boxing skills."
Now - what would your's be?