Sir Alex Ferguson resigned as Manchester United manager on the eve of the 1998-99 season before performing a U-turn, a new book reveals.
The legendary boss had been in charge at Old Trafford for 12 years in the summer of 1998, but wanted to quit after a heated meeting with United's then-chairman Martin Edwards.
1997-98 had been a disappointing campaign for the club as the only trophy they won was the Community Shield and they blew a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League table to lose the title to Arsenal.
As reported by The Times, a book published next week called 1999: Manchester United, the Treble and All That details how Edwards believed that Ferguson was taking his eye off the ball and enjoying his 'celebrity status' too much.
It is reported that when his outside interests were questioned, Ferguson responded: 'Do you want to call it a day?'.
'If you don't recognise that I am the best person to judge which players should be bought by the club, I may as well leave now,' the Scot added when he was asked about United's transfer targets.
Edwards - who is now honorary life president at United - later put his criticisms in writing to Ferguson, which is said to have led to the Scot storming into his office to confirm that he wanted to resign.
'The language Alex used was a little bit more fruity, but that was the basic gist of it,' Edwards says in 1999: Manchester United, the Treble and All That, as per The Times. The then-chairman replied: 'Well, if that's the way you feel, Alex, we'll have to accept it.'
However, Ferguson rang Edwards later that day to withdraw his resignation.
'I think what he'd done is spoken to his solicitor who'd probably said "Well, you won't get a penny on the two years left on your contract",' Edwards says in the new book.
'So, he withdrew his resignation which I was happy to do. All I wanted to do was shake it up a bit and make sure we got back on course. He'd done the Double in 1994 and 1996, won the league in 1997 so it wasn't as if he was a bad manager. It was just purely a case of "let's get back on track".
'In 1998 we had a huge lead of 11 points clear just after Christmas and we blew it. When it came to it, we still supported him with signings. But if we were going to spend that sort of money, we had to be absolutely certain that he was 100 per cent on board. And I think the combination of that letter plus the transfer buys, we did what was needed.'
United went on to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League that season, making them the only English side in history to win the treble.
Ferguson would plan to quit Old Trafford again in 2001 after another falling out with the club's board, stating his intention to retire at the end of his contract.
Yet he once again performed a U-turn and stayed at the club, before eventually leaving in 2013 after a record-breaking 27-year spell as manager in which he won 13 league titles.
hatceimpt
0
that was then what of naun
ManUnited-Red
1
He didn’t and rest is history 💯
Yaealmory
0
We know u won't like to hear such bcos it's about champions league story which u never tasted 😂 😂 😂
Tf 😂😂😂 I bet you don’t know he is a Barca fan
Yaealmory
0
We know u won't like to hear such bcos it's about champions league story which u never tasted 😂 😂 😂
Who are you talking to 😂😂 Re check he is a Barca fans bro
Wacdelnpz
0
We are in trouble this year
Emperor10
0
"a book published next week"?
Nunbknoru
0
How Gary Neville never talk about that
Fidelityguy
1
you guys should tell us something serious about the current situation of the club and not those that are dead and gone.
We know u won't like to hear such bcos it's about champions league story which u never tasted 😂 😂 😂
ejleo
0
sir alex is main problem of Manchester United
Plz explain...
beuaimosz
0
you guys should tell us something serious about the current situation of the club and not those that are dead and gone.
fiwbelotuy
1
but it can not stop ragae
rapb_12
1
But now, Ferguson and the Manchester United board should play all the remaining matches and rest all theirplayers,surely they'll win trophies..
danny7_ida
0
sir alex is main problem of Manchester United
plz explain
jatadkstuy
3
sir alex is main problem of Manchester United
zion888
0
i tell u now they are suffering now bcs of ref not winning game for them
Nonsense even before Fergie..Man United was a bigger club than Chelsea...u think Liverpool went off for 30years bcos they are were aided by referees in their glory days...it's craziness not to acknowledge the glory of others
the_Profe55or
7
Things started going SOUTH for United the moment VAR blocked their signing of referees,.. HOWARD WEBB was their last best signing.. 😂😂😂
zion888
0
winning with support by referee
Nonsense, and he won in 3 European trophies as well ...what about the seasons he lost to the league to other rival teams...in the case of Juventus and AC Milan, u could see AC Milan dominate Europe but Juve only in e domestic league...Chelsea never beat Fergie in a champs league match n u still think he was aided by referees...u will never be great if u fail to recognise greatness of others Man United's issues now tells u there are times n seasons for everything..Liverpool went off for 30years, Chelsea wid no league title for 50years, look at AC Milan, dey are now rising so let's appreciate football for what it is
solomontochi
5
Something that happened 1999 when they were still playing football with pants and you are telling us now, why?
Janikpsz
1
winning with support by referee
He is talking about BARCELONA
Diwcdntuyz
1
winning with support by referee
na kama the follow them
Diwcdntuyz
1
winning with support by referee
i tell u now they are suffering now bcs of ref not winning game for them
kingdao
3
But he is still a Manager 😂😂
football107
2
winning with support by referee
are You TalkingAbout Madrid ?
wecelmno
2
winning with support by referee
common sense is not so common
Josie80
3
winning with support by referee