Ferguson, Sir Alex (Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson), 1941–, Scottish soccer player and manager. He entered the full-time professional game in 1964, playing for Dunfermline Athletic; he played (1957–74) for six Scottish teams until he retired in 1974. He began managing that year, having success with several teams in the Scottish Premier Division until Nov., 1986, when he joined Manchester United. During his career there, Ferguson built a powerful team that won more than 30 British and international titles, including 13 Premier League championships, 5 Football Association Challenge Cups, 4 Football League Cups, and 2 UEFA Champions League titles. His finest season came in 1999 when he achieved the first “treble” ever in English football, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. The longest serving Man United manager, Ferguson was considered by many to be the finest manager in the history of English soccer when he retired in 2013.
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