The Mass 'Virgin Moment'

The Mass 'Virgin Moment' – and the climax is today.

The great momentousness of the occasion that is Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement is that none of the Manchester United supporters of my generation have felt what it is like to have a new manager at the football club you support and admire. The great football clubs of the world have this innate ability to rebuild their teams and produce champion material year after year. At Old Trafford, the benchmark for building and rebuilding teams had long been set before the arrival of Sir Alex.  Sir Matt Busby, the original old school manager, had long set the standard with the Busby Babes and the revival of the team post the Munich air disaster. After the crash in '58, the team was rebuilt around the survivors, Sir Bobby Charlton being one of them. Some known players were brought in from other clubs and others were scouted, George Best was one of those scouted.  Man. United lifted the European Cup ten years later in '68 after nearly having its entire team wiped out on a runway in Munich.

This great blend of organic and inorganic growth, and building of the team, is now a trademark at United, thanks to the long years of Sir Alex’s reign. He is cut from the same mould as Sir Matt, but in many ways he has outdone the older Scot. Sir Matt Busby was the manager at the club for 24 years. Sir Alex has been at Old Trafford for 26 years now and has outdone every benchmark that was set for him and has done it in some style.

 Nobody in this generation has seen and experienced a Manchester United without Sir Alex and that includes the players, the club staff & the coaching staff, the opposition teams, the media and the millions of fans around the world. The premier league itself has not seen a Manchester United without Sir Alex, since its inception in '92. This great ‘inexperience’ is unmatched at any other football club.

 Perhaps the contemporary Arsenal supporters of this generation would experience the departure of Arsene Wenger from the Emirates one day and feel a bit of the same. But in lots of ways it wouldn't really be the same, for my generation has never seen United failing. United have never finished outside the top three in the EPL and have always had a chance to fight for the top prize in Europe, the Champions League. Well, the champion’s league is another reason why it won’t be the same when Arsene leaves.  If Wenger was to leave today, as heartbroken as the truest of Arsenal supporters would be, they would hope that perhaps the new manager will lead them to victory in Europe, a feeling they have never had. No club other than Arsenal can even qualify for this grand experience of having the same manager at the club for more than 16 years, that’s how long Wenger has been in charge. Sir Alex has done ten more.

And in that sense, this is a great 'virgin moment' for all the United Supporters of my generation. Manchester United was in the market for a new manager in more than a quarter of a century. The great climax would come today at Old Trafford, where emotions would pour out like they have not in the longest of times. This would be the last time Sir Alexandar Chapman Ferguson, the great elder of Old Trafford, would hold his castle, this last time against an up and coming Welsh side - Swansea City. It will be his last home game as the manager of Manchester United Football Club. This occasion of collective experience of a moment, that in essence will be unique for everyone, has come around in half a century at the club, and perhaps the only united supporters calm right now are the ones who were around when Sir Matt Busby retired more than 43 years ago.

Like it is with all classic 'virgin moments', this one could have also lasted a little longer  as well and  could indeed have been a little more ‘glorious’, had United made it to the finals of the Champions League. Wembley - his last game in charge and a fight for the trophy that he desired the most. But maybe this is the cue for David and he will take us to a climax next season, to a night of another champion’s league final and eventual glory.  And then that would be a night to remember in Europe!!!