9 Nov 2006(Thu)

Nagoya, Japan, November 8, 2006: Sir Alex Ferguson deserves all the plaudits he is receiving at the moment.

In the modern game, and in the pre-Premier League days, it is an incredbile achievement to be in charge for 20 years. At such a massive club, too, who are expected to be challenging for the trophy in every competition they enter in every season.

I remember once, back in my days as the Newcastle United reporter for a morning newspaper in the north-east of England, being on the end of a fiery Fergie reaction at Saint James's Park one sunny afternoon.

Newcastle had just beaten Manchester United 2-1, and the incident that everyone was talking about was a terrible tackle by Manchester United's Norman Whiteside on Newcastle's John Anderson.

Whiteside was a big, strong forward from Northern Ireland, well known for his combative style; Anderson was a quick and tough right back or central defender who played for the Republic of Ireland.

It was a shocking foul by Whiteside, which left Anderson in agony on the touchline. Anderson was from the old school, before players feigned injury, and would never have stayed down if he had not been hurt. Whiteside had been in the news a lot at that time for his disciplinary problems, and for his fouling.

Anyway, after the game Fergie came into the lobby of Saint James's Park where the media was waiting nervously.

He stopped in front of a group of us, and one older reporter, clearly quivering in his shoes because Fergie was angry at losing, asked him about the over-enthusiastic nature of Manchester United's tackles. Fergie dismissed the question, and the reporter was silent. Obviously he had wanted to ask Fergie specifically about Whiteside's terrible foul on Anderson, but could not pluck up the courage.

I was standing right next to Fergie. I was young and innocent and naive, so simply said to Fergie: "I think he means what did you think of Whiteside's tackle on Anderson?"

At which point everyone ran for cover to avoid Fergie's fury.

Fergie turned to me and scolded: "Why are you always asking about Whiteside these days? You are jumping on the band wagon and making life very difficult for him. He commits one foul in the match and that's all you talk about. What about all the other fouls? Whiteside is a marked man now by the referees because of you lot."

Well, it was something like that, because it was in 1987, maybe 1988, so I cannot remember the exact details -- and my tape recorder melted at the time under Fergie's blast of hot air.

Fergie's outburst, of course, made all the headlines the next day. "Whiteside victimised!" "Lay off Big Norm!"...things like this.

The media all thanked me for pushing Fergie to get the response, and patted me on the shoulder sympathetically, as if I had just missed a penalty in a cup final shoot-out.

But I didn't think I had pushed him at all. I had just asked him a specific question about a specific challenge, and he had gone ballistic.

Oh yes...life is much more serene in the J.League!