Competitive Scots meet again in a Liverpool-Manchester United tie
By Steven Saunders
Jan 9, 2011 5:30:00 AM
Come 8:30 am ET on Sunday, Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson will be in opposition once again. The Manchester United manager first arrived at Old Trafford with Liverpool as the kings of England and Dalglish in charge at Anfield – now the two clubs’ fortunes are reversed entirely, Dalglish is restored at the helm and the Scots can battle it out once more.
Ferguson and Dalglish have known each other since the 1960s, and even played against one another when Ferguson was a player at Rangers and Dalglish was an 18-year-old upstart in Celtic’s reserves. Bizarrely, given that Dalglish would go on to become Scotland’s joint leading goalscorer of all-time, he played in defence up against striker Ferguson.
Writing in Dalglish: My Autobiography, Kenny states: “He [Ferguson] said he scored but I don’t remember any goal. We won anyway. All I remember are Fergie’s elbows. They were a real nuisance. But that was the way Fergie ran. He was a competitive player. He carried that over into management. We are both very competitive.”
When Ferguson headed to Old Trafford from Aberdeen, the team he famously wanted to “knock off their perch” were Dalglish’s Liverpool. It wasn’t to happen while his fellow Glaswegian was still in charge, but it would happen eventually. After one 3-3 draw between the clubs, Ferguson was apoplectic about having a man sent off.
Dalglish couldn’t resist a dig as he walked past his rival manager in the tunnel while carrying his young daughter Lauren. He said to the radio interviewer speaking to Ferguson: “You’d be better off talking to my baby. She’s only six weeks old but you’d get more sense from her than him.”
Ferguson and Dalglish have known each other since the 1960s, and even played against one another when Ferguson was a player at Rangers and Dalglish was an 18-year-old upstart in Celtic’s reserves. Bizarrely, given that Dalglish would go on to become Scotland’s joint leading goalscorer of all-time, he played in defence up against striker Ferguson.
Writing in Dalglish: My Autobiography, Kenny states: “He [Ferguson] said he scored but I don’t remember any goal. We won anyway. All I remember are Fergie’s elbows. They were a real nuisance. But that was the way Fergie ran. He was a competitive player. He carried that over into management. We are both very competitive.”
When Ferguson headed to Old Trafford from Aberdeen, the team he famously wanted to “knock off their perch” were Dalglish’s Liverpool. It wasn’t to happen while his fellow Glaswegian was still in charge, but it would happen eventually. After one 3-3 draw between the clubs, Ferguson was apoplectic about having a man sent off.
Dalglish couldn’t resist a dig as he walked past his rival manager in the tunnel while carrying his young daughter Lauren. He said to the radio interviewer speaking to Ferguson: “You’d be better off talking to my baby. She’s only six weeks old but you’d get more sense from her than him.”
The competitiveness between the two isn’t just limited to Liverpool and Manchester United – for a spell in the 1990s, it was Dalglish against Manchester United. After leaving Liverpool in 1991, he led Blackburn to promotion to the newly-formed Premier League and they became the title rivals for Ferguson’s United.
In 1994, Rovers finished distant runners-up. The following year, Blackburn pipped United to the title in memorable fashion, and at Anfield. It was a somewhat perfect day for Liverpool fans – their team won 2-1 thanks to Jamie Redknapp’s astonishing late free-kick, their prodigal son Dalglish became champion and Manchester United were denied.
After leaving Blackburn, Dalglish replaced Kevin Keegan at Newcastle and led them to a second-placed finish behind United in 1998.
Dalglish even played against Ferguson’s Aberdeen for Liverpool, the two sides being drawn together in the European Cup in the early 80s. Dalglish took the spoils, Liverpool routing the Dons 5-0 on aggregate, but many of the Aberdeen contingent cite that footballing lesson as the key factor behind them going on to claim the Cup Winners’ Cup by beating Real Madrid in the final in 1983.
But while they have enjoyed a healthy rivalry, their stories are intrinsically linked and they retain a good friendship. Ferguson was one of the first to contact Dalglish in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, and sent a group of Manchester United fans to Anfield to pay their respects. “Anything you need, Kenny, I’m here for you,” he said.
“As long as I live, I’ll never forget Fergie’s exceptional gesture,” writes Dalglish in his latest autobiography My Liverpool Home. “It didn’t surprise me though, because Fergie is absolutely magnificent in any crisis.”
When Dalglish won his 100th cap for Scotland, Ferguson – the national team manager following Jock Stein’s sudden death in 1985 – made him captain for the night. It was Ferguson who had to take the call from Dalglish in the summer of 1986 saying that he would not be able to take part in a fourth successive World Cup finals due to a knee injury.
Dalglish even implored journalists in England’s north-west to give Ferguson time at United, having made a stuttering start to his time at Old Trafford. And when Blackburn pipped United to the title in 1995, Ferguson put aside the season-long bickering between the two managers (including Ferguson saying he hoped Blackburn would “do a Devon Loch” to which Dalglish sarcastically retorted “Is that an expanse of water in Scotland?”) to send Dalglish a letter of congratulations.
“I know that when we won the championship after 26 years it seemed that the city of Manchester just partied for days,” wrote Ferguson as he congratulated Blackburn. “A truly wonderful feeling and I could go to bed at night and sleep!”
At the end of the letter, he added “P.S Devon Loch is a horse! I’m sure your Dad must have backed it… mine did!”
Ferguson and Dalglish - compatriots with a shared and entwined history. And now rivals again.
In 1994, Rovers finished distant runners-up. The following year, Blackburn pipped United to the title in memorable fashion, and at Anfield. It was a somewhat perfect day for Liverpool fans – their team won 2-1 thanks to Jamie Redknapp’s astonishing late free-kick, their prodigal son Dalglish became champion and Manchester United were denied.
After leaving Blackburn, Dalglish replaced Kevin Keegan at Newcastle and led them to a second-placed finish behind United in 1998.
Dalglish even played against Ferguson’s Aberdeen for Liverpool, the two sides being drawn together in the European Cup in the early 80s. Dalglish took the spoils, Liverpool routing the Dons 5-0 on aggregate, but many of the Aberdeen contingent cite that footballing lesson as the key factor behind them going on to claim the Cup Winners’ Cup by beating Real Madrid in the final in 1983.
But while they have enjoyed a healthy rivalry, their stories are intrinsically linked and they retain a good friendship. Ferguson was one of the first to contact Dalglish in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, and sent a group of Manchester United fans to Anfield to pay their respects. “Anything you need, Kenny, I’m here for you,” he said.
“As long as I live, I’ll never forget Fergie’s exceptional gesture,” writes Dalglish in his latest autobiography My Liverpool Home. “It didn’t surprise me though, because Fergie is absolutely magnificent in any crisis.”
When Dalglish won his 100th cap for Scotland, Ferguson – the national team manager following Jock Stein’s sudden death in 1985 – made him captain for the night. It was Ferguson who had to take the call from Dalglish in the summer of 1986 saying that he would not be able to take part in a fourth successive World Cup finals due to a knee injury.
Dalglish even implored journalists in England’s north-west to give Ferguson time at United, having made a stuttering start to his time at Old Trafford. And when Blackburn pipped United to the title in 1995, Ferguson put aside the season-long bickering between the two managers (including Ferguson saying he hoped Blackburn would “do a Devon Loch” to which Dalglish sarcastically retorted “Is that an expanse of water in Scotland?”) to send Dalglish a letter of congratulations.
“I know that when we won the championship after 26 years it seemed that the city of Manchester just partied for days,” wrote Ferguson as he congratulated Blackburn. “A truly wonderful feeling and I could go to bed at night and sleep!”
At the end of the letter, he added “P.S Devon Loch is a horse! I’m sure your Dad must have backed it… mine did!”
Ferguson and Dalglish - compatriots with a shared and entwined history. And now rivals again.
No comments:
Post a Comment