Manchester United is a place which traditionally set the highest of standards on and off the pitch under Sir Alex Ferguson, and a pair of former Red Devils stars found out the hard way
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Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United Football Manager after teeing off the 8th during the JP McManus Invitational Pro Am being played at Limerick Golf Club
Sir Alex Ferguson was a huge fan of playing golf(Image: Press Association)
Teddy Sheringham revealed how he and Dwight Yorke were fined a week's wages for playing golf three days before a Manchester United match.
Sheringham and Yorke were part of the iconic 1999 Treble-winning side that dominated world football under Sir Alex Ferguson. As well as quality on the pitch, Ferguson's winning machine was instilled with a no-nonsense approach, with discipline, accountability and sacrifice as his main pillars.
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While the players knew the legendary Scot did not tolerate players going on nights out, Sheringham and Yorke evidently believed they may be able to squeeze a game of golf in on a Thursday afternoon. When they thought they had got away with it, Ferguson let them know in brutal fashion that nothing evades his all-knowing gaze.
Speaking on the Golf Life podcast, Sheringham said: "Sven Goran Eriksson always said, 'you want to go and play golf, no problem', even on the day before a game. Sir Alex Ferguson, not a chance, even three days beforehand. He loved golf, but he didn’t like his players playing golf.
"He actually fined me and Yorkey (Yorke) a week’s wages for playing golf on a Thursday afternoon, the weekend before we played Aston Villa. He knew everything that was going on in Manchester, don’t worry about that. If the boys were out in a nightclub, he knew.
"If the boys were going back down to London, he knew. We were playing golf, bit silly of us on a Thursday afternoon after training. He came in after the game, we both played, we beat Aston Villa 2-0, Yorkie scored, we both played well.
Manchester United's Dwight Yorke (top) congratulates team mate Teddy Sheringham after he equalized against Arsenal during their FA Premiership clash at Old Trafford
Yorke and Sheringham starred but were still fined a week's wages regardless
"He came straight over to me and he went ‘well played son!’ I replied ‘cheers gaffer’. And he said 'did you play golf on Thursday?’ So he knows. I’ve gone 'yeah’, and he said 'you’re fined a week’s wages.’
"I was like, 'oh leave it out gaffer, we’ve just won’, and he went 'you’re fined a week’s wages son, you’re not playing golf here on a Thursday afternoon’.
"He walked across the dressing room to Yorkey and says to him, 'well played son, good goal. Did you play golf on Thursday afternoon?’ Yorkey looked across to me and I’ve gone 'I’ve said yes’. He said 'I did gaffer’, and he (Ferguson) went, 'you’re fined a week’s wages as well’ and he was like, 'oh gaffer, come on, don’t be silly, I just scored’.
Footballer Teddy Sheringham in action watched by TV personality Dan Walker prior to the Legends Tour Trophy hosted by Simon Khan at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club on August 11, 2023 in Ware, England
Sheringham can now play as much golf as he likes
"He was like 'you ain’t doing that son, you’re here to play football’. And that was it. We did not play golf on a Thursday afternoon anymore.”
The United duo may have lost a week's wages, but they did go on to win every club trophy that was available to win with the Red Devils. Yorke won the FA Cup, three Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time at Old Trafford.