Title: Football - Bloody Hell!There exists a litany of books about Sir Alex Ferguson – from Michael Crick’s The Boss to This Is The One by Daniel Taylor and Frank Worrall’s Walking in A Fergie Wonderland as well as several more including his own autobiography which was published in 1999 following his triumph in Barcelona over Bayern Munich. Does Patrick Barclay’s book bring about any sensational revelations or scandals? No, but it presents an even-handed and well crafted look at arguably the game’s greatest boss.
Football – Bloody Hell! tells the story of Ferguson’s life from his humble beginnings in Govan to his long tenure at Old Trafford via a steady if unspectacular playing career and managerial stints at East Stirlingshire, St Mirren, Aberdeen and Scotland (the latter in only a caretaker role). The recently released paperback edition includes chapters charting the tumultuous 2010-11 season which saw Manchester United clinch a record-breaking 19th league title and a Champions League runners-up berth but also the rise of the ‘noisy neighbours’ in the newly minted Manchester City and the strange case of Wayne Rooney’s poor performances, transfer request and subsequent return to form.
Barclay is an elegant writer which allows Football – Bloody Hell! to flow, making it a very easy read. Barclay is also helped by spending many of his years in the company of Ferguson (the book contains a photo of Barclay along with the European Cup Winners Cup and a svelte looking Gerry McNee on the plane home from triumph over Real Madrid in Gothenburg). Barclay is clearly an admirer of Ferguson’s talents but is also keenly aware of the more unpleasant sides of Ferguson’s character. Barclay regales us with a tale of the torrent of abuse he received from Ferguson after Barclay hinted that Ferguson may have been losing control at Old Trafford. Another feature is what Sir Alex may call taking a stand but others may regard as pettiness: his boycott of the BBC after a Panorama investigation questioning the role of his son Jason in some of Manchester United’s transfer dealings as well as recalling several players who were on loan to Preston North End days after another of his sons, Darren, was sacked by the club.
Barclay has obviously a good book of contacts and many of these men offer key insights into Ferguson’s psyche. Those thinking footballers, Mark McGhee and Gordon Strachan reveal a great deal and give good assessments about what makes him tick despite both of their relationships with Ferguson breaking down. Aside from a detour chapter detailing McGhee’s management record which is unnecessary the book keeps a good pace, however it is noticeable that the chapters from 2008 onwards feel rushed and lack the same detail as those that preceded it. Perhaps this is not surprising as they ultimately suffer from a lack of insight from those closest to Sir Alex Ferguson. Unlike previous chapters, many of those who have stories to tell are no doubt still receiving the benefits of Sir Alex’s patronage – and as Jaap Stam discovered – speaking publically about the boss is akin to signing your own death warrant at Old Trafford.
Ultimately a man who has managed to achieve greatness and continued success as Ferguson deserves a fitting biography and Football – Bloody Hell! delivers that – though nothing is certain in football, it’ll be more than likely that Barclay will be making further additions to future editions of this book.
Buy Football - Bloody Hell! here.
