He still has the letter from Sir Alex Ferguson’s time, among the mountains of paperwork and documents, and many other people who were in trouble with the Football Association.
Maybe the FA still has a copy, too, of the letter that Graham Bean, representing Ferguson, sent to “muddy the waters” when the Manchester United manager’s relationship with English football’s governing body was not just low but subterranean.
“Sir Alex has very serious concerns about the manner in which the FA is addressing this issue,” it reads. “In short, he considers himself to be the subject of a campaign of harassment.”
Ferguson was being investigated Angry at referees and what he perceived as fixture scheduling that was weighted in favour of United’s opponents. He was often making disparaging remarks about the game’s officials and other perceived injustices. There were penalties, bans and even an admission that the most successful British manager had been too ambitious. There were also victories for Ferguson and Bean understood better than anyone how to defeat the system.
“It’s the belief of Sir Alex that he has been subjected to an unnecessary and inappropriate inquiry, to the point of harassment,” Bean wrote in further correspondence, upping the ante by going straight to the FA chief executive Brian Barwick. “He (Ferguson) is stopping short of making an official complaint. He requests that you take the time to examine the situation.
