It is 40 years to the day since Ferguson departed Pittodrie to succeed Ron Atkinson at Manchester United and we've had a look in the archives to see how the news was broken to the Dons support.
A photo of Alex Ferguson taken on November 7 - a day after he left Aberdeen to become Manchester United manager. Image: PA.
A photo of Alex Ferguson taken on November 7 - a day after he left Aberdeen to become Manchester United manager. Image: PA.
Forty years have passed since Aberdeen’s greatest manager left the Dons to join Manchester United.
Alex Ferguson departed Pittodrie having added three Scottish Premier Division titles, four Scottish Cups, a League Cup, a European Cup Winners’ Cup and a European Super Cup to the trophy cabinet.
The Evening Express coverage of this pivotal period in Aberdeen’s history highlights what a hammer blow this was for the club.
It also shows Ferguson’s departure came somewhat out of the blue.
The Aberdeen trophy cupboard was kept well stocked while Alex Ferguson was at Pittodrie. Image: DC Thomson.
He had been repeatedly been linked with moves away from the Dons, which was no surprise given his remarkable success at Pittodrie.
But an exit didn’t appear to be on the horizon when Ferguson took charge of the Dons for the last time.
His final game in the dugout was a 2-0 win in Dundee on November 1 and the coverage in the Evening Express’ Green Final focused on how the result showed the Dons could challenge for the title this season.
Indeed, Alastair Guthrie’s intro for his match report began: “Don’t dare discount the Dons for the championship!”
Aberdeen’s title chances were being talked up after the win at Dundee – but proved to be Alex Ferguson’s final match in charge. Image: DC Thomson.
There was no hint that the man at the helm was about to head for pastures new and had taken charge of Aberdeen for the very last time.
The Monday edition of the Evening Express focused on Aberdeen’s odds for the title tumbling from 7-1 to 11-2, although they were still behind 13-8 favourites Celtic, the defending champions, who the Dons trailed by six points.
A quick-moving story as Man United identify their chosen man
There was nothing in the editions of November 4 and 5 to suggest change was afoot at Pittodrie but the story suddenly explodes into life on the back page of the November 6 edition.
The page layout of the November 6 edition of the Evening Express is fascinating.
This was the day Ferguson’s departure was confirmed but the news clearly broke too late to make the paper.
Instead the splash is dominated by the news of Ron Atkinson’s sacking with an unnervingly large headshot of the sacked United boss.
The Evening Express splash on November 6 1986 – the day Ferguson would leave the Dons to join Manchester United. Image: DC Thomson.
The more interesting story for Aberdeen supporters is contained in a sidebar running down the right of the page.
The Evening Express’ Dons reporter Guthrie reports that Manchester United have made no approach for Ferguson but confirms he is “the top contender” for the job.
His report even includes an exclusive quote from Ferguson, who told the Evening Express: “Manchester United have not been in touch with me. And they have not asked our directors for permission to speak to me.”
Ferguson, who was an Aberdeen director and co-manager with Archie Knox at the time, still had two full years of his five-year contract at Pittodrie left to run.
The report states the other contenders for the United job were Barcelona’s Terry Venables, Watford’s Graham Taylor, Sheffield Wednesday’s Howard Wilkinson and Swindon’s Lou Macari.
This report, however, is contradicted on the front page of the paper.
This must have been quite a day in the Evening Express newsroom because the news of Ferguson’s imminent departure is barely mentioned on the front page of the paper.
Understandably so with the tragic news that 45 were feared dead in a helicopter crash off Shetland, which remains the UK’s worst helicopter accident, given due prominence.
There is the briefest of mentions on the front page: “UNITED TALK TO FERGUSON – Man Utd chairman travelling to meet Alex Ferguson. Dons chairman Dick Donald insisted no permission given.”
The Evening Express front page on 6 November 1986 on the day Alex Ferguson left the Dons. Image: DC Thomson.
This shows the nature of how breaking news was handled in the 1980s as this small snippet on the front supersedes what is reported on the back page. The front page would have been the last page to be updated before the papers were sent to be printed and the sidebar could be used to add in short breaking stories to the right of the splash.
Anger at sudden departure
A follow-up interview about the helicopter tragedy remains the main story on the front of the Evening Express the following day (November 7) but there is a picture of Alex Ferguson as well as an image of Willie Miller who was the “favourite” to succeed him in the hotseat.
The anger and upset at Pittodrie that was felt at the time is reflected in the back page of the Evening.
‘A WASTE OF TIME’ is the back page headline with Aberdeen chairman Dick Donald taking a swipe at Ferguson for breaking his contract with the Dons.
Donald, interestingly, described the loss of co-manager Knox rather than Ferguson as “the biggest blow of them all” saying they felt he was the “ready-made substitute” when the time came for Ferguson to leave.
There is also an interview with Willie Miller who also references this, adding: “We all thought Archie would stay.”
Aberdeen chairman Dick Donald shows his anger at the developing situation. Image: DC Thomson.
Miller was, however, understanding of Ferguson’s desire to move to Old Trafford, saying: “He’s going to the best job in the land and that softens the blow.”
The Green Final on Saturday November 8 carried a match report from Aberdeen’s 0-0 draw with St Mirren – their first game in the post-Ferguson era.
Iain Campbell’s report included that caretaker manager Archie Knox “received an astonishingly hostile reception at Pittodrie” before the match and was booed by a section of the Main Stand as he walked to the dugout. It added: “Audible obscenities were hurled, although there was limited applause.”
The intro to the match report said Aberdeen “found it difficult to shake off the depression left by the defection of Alex Ferguson and Archie Knox to Manchester.”
The Dons produced a “lacklustre display” in front of an 11,000-strong crowd “who made their anger clear.”
Skipper Willie Miller – viewed as a leading contender to replace Ferguson – was “cheered practically every time he touched the ball.”
Jardine was tipped to succeed Fergie
A special report from Guthrie in the Saturday edition of the Evening Express claimed it was a two-horse race between Hearts assistant manager Sandy Jardine and Dons captain Willie Miller to replace Ferguson.
Jardine was said to have “a tactical brain on the same wavelength as Ferguson’s” while Miller, despite being only 31, had been “the main man at Pittodrie for the past decade”.
Guthrie, who had travelled to Manchester to see Ferguson unveiled as the new Man United boss, reveals that Fergie had recommended Jardine to the Aberdeen board.
He had also said he was willing to let Aberdeen have Knox as the caretaker for “a month at most” as they searched for his successor.
The Monday November 10 edition of the Evening Express reported on more contenders for the Dons job and claimed there was “a growing feeling Jardine could be a smokescreen for the real target”.
Iain Campbell reported that Stirling Albion’s experienced manager Alex Smith could be brought in to support Willie Miller in a similar set-up to what Rangers had at the time under Graeme Souness and Walter Smith.
Dundee United’s Jim McLean “cannot be ruled out” as he had been vociferous about his lack of support from the United board but it would “an enormous task” to lure him away from Tannadice.
Former Dons heroes Martin Buchan and Joe Harper “have both been mentioned but appear to lack the necessary experience.”
The November 11 edition of the Evening Express contained the news that Jardine was out of the race to become Ferguson’s successor after signing a new contract with Hearts.
A grudge match with the Jambos
Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer added a bit of extra spice ahead of the upcoming Hearts v Aberdeen encounter at Tynecastle on November 15 by describing Aberdeen as a club “on the way down” following Ferguson’s departure and Jardine’s rejection.
Interim Aberdeen boss Archie Knox dismissed the comments and said it may have been something Mercer said “in a moment of panic.”
Back in the glory days: Aberdeen assistant manager Archie Knox (right) and manager Alex Ferguson hold up the European Cup Winners’ Cup after beating Real Madrid in the final in 1983. Image: SNS.
Hearts would have the last laugh, coming from behind to win the Tynecastle showdown 2-1 thanks to a goal from super sub John Robertson.
That Saturday’s edition contains a lovely feature from Guthrie entitled ‘The great guessing game’ as he analyses the candidates for the Aberdeen job.
It is a lengthy list of candidates which includes former Aberdeen and Scotland manager Ally MacLeod, the Dundee management duo of Jocky Scott and Drew Jarvie, Hibernian assistant boss Tommy Craig, Leeds United boss Billy Bremner, Rangers assistant manager Walter Smith, former Rangers manager John Greig, Swindon boss Lou Macari, Stirling Albion boss Alex Smith, Clyde boss Craig Brown, Aston Villa boss Billy McNeill, Dundee United boss Jim McLean and Middlesbrough boss Bruce Rioch.
The top eight in Great Britain
One of the few managers not included was the surprise pick who landed the job – Ian Porterfield.
However it was the Evening Express who broke the news that former Sheffield United boss Porterfield would be the new manager in their November 18 edition.
The Evening Express scoop on Ian Porterfield from November 18 1986.
Iain Campbell’s report admits it is a surprise appointment, saying “Scotland coach Craig Brown, Dundee’s Jocky Scott and Swindon’s Lou Macari were all thought to be further up the list than the former Sheffield manager.”
In one of his first interviews as Aberdeen manager, Porterfield told the Evening Express: “I would place this club among the top eight in Great Britain and I’m delighted to be given the chance to manage it.”
The new Aberdeen manager was excited to join a club he viewed as one of the best in Great Britain. Image: DC Thomson.
Unfortunately Porterfield would find life tough as the man to succeed Ferguson at Pittodrie, stepping down as manager in 1988.