“Those who make history don’t dwell on it, they look forward instead of looking back” - SAF
Few people know of the old Manchester United. The pre-Ferguson era, when Premier League trophies were nowhere on the horizon of potential aspirations. Fast forward to 2011? United fans can talk the talk, and maybe - maaaybe - sometimes we go overboard. But it's only because over the past 25 years, we've had a man at the helm who walks the walk. Never failing to raise the bar, he has allowed United fans all over to settle for nothing less than being the best.
People are often amazed to find out that I blog about football. More precisely, they struggle to comprehend WHAT I could possibly go on about. What they fail to see is ironically what I cherish the most. It's not about Player X scoring that breathtaking free-kick, or much else that goes on in the 90 minutes during which my eyes are glued to the pitch. Blogging about football means so much more. It's what happens when the TV is turned off. It's about the passion and loyalty you succumb to once you declare yourself a fan, and the inevitable moment you begin to identify with a club as if molded from the same pot of clay. And every year I have a simple reminder of what passion and loyalty truly is: a timely birthday reminder of sorts. Because for every year Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates his tenure as manager of one of the greatest clubs in the world, two months later I celebrate that exact many years of life.
So here's to you, Alex Ferguson - because on this day 25 years ago, you would change not only your life but a club's history. So yes, I blog about football. About a man described by football's greatest legends as nothing less than extraordinary, a fatherly-figure, and ruthless. A man whose ambition I can only dream to match. You needn't know me for long to know I view success as a measure of one's worth. But it's not the Bentleys or an endless array of Prada purses that epitomizes success in my eyes. That's just icing on a cake. 25 years inspiring others, remaining true to your values, and continuously reinventing your approach to match your competitors - ultimately surpassing them? That's a success story most of us can only dream of.
I've said before Zinedine Zidane and Ryan Giggs made me fall in love with football.
Understand Sir Alex Ferguson... and you'll understand why I fell in love with Manchester United.
