There was a pleasant surprise for Manchester United’s employees when our all-staff meeting this week featured a special interview with Sir Alex Ferguson.
It wasn’t quite the way a seven-year-old me would have hoped to represent the Reds. That particular dream died a long time ago but this is clearly the next-best thing, something Sir Bobby Charlton once said to me. He felt if he did not make it as a footballer (as if that would ever be the case!) then he would have liked to report on it instead.
Yet this feeling of being part of the club has been more difficult at a time when most of us are being forced to work remotely. I am sure that is the case for everybody in all professions where the camaraderie of office life has been lost and those Zoom calls and Teams chats are just not quite the same.What Sir Alex managed to do was remind us all that we are part of a great worldwide institution. That we should be proud to work for United, which is undoubtedly the case. That when you tell anybody, maybe someone you bump into at a bar (when they’re back open) who you work for, their response is almost always one of awe and admiration.
So enjoy your job, was his message. Always enjoy it. For our team in particular, how can you not enjoy talking about football all day every day? Writing about it. Speaking to the coaches and players. Expressing your opinion. Best of all, watching the Reds play, even a select few of us still get to share that privilege due to work, despite the games being behind closed doors and desperately missing the supporters as much as they miss attending.
It galvanised me and provided encouragement that better days are ahead, when we are all together and feeling even closer to this great club again. I await Sir Alex’s upcoming documentary ‘Never Give In’ with relish, knowing watching it will provide further inspiration and respect for somebody whose personality and presence transcends sport.
The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.