Editing Alex Ferguson (section)

===St Mirren===
In October 1974, Ferguson was invited to manage [[St Mirren F.C.|St Mirren]]. While they were below [[East Stirlingshire F.C.|East Stirlingshire]] in the league, they were a bigger club and although Ferguson felt a degree of loyalty towards East Stirlingshire, he decided to join St Mirren after taking advice from [[Jock Stein]].<ref name="boss117">Crick, p. 117</ref>

Ferguson was manager of St Mirren from 1974 until 1978, producing a remarkable transformation of a team in the lower half of the old [[Scottish Football League Second Division|Second Division]] watched by crowds of just over 1,000, to [[Scottish Football League First Division|First Division]] champions in [[1976–77 in Scottish football|1977]], discovering talent like [[Billy Stark]], [[Tony Fitzpatrick (footballer)|Tony Fitzpatrick]], [[Lex Richardson]], [[Frank McGarvey]], Bobby Reid and [[Peter Weir (footballer)|Peter Weir]] while playing superb attacking football.<ref name="Sunday Herald St Mirren article">{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_19990530/ai_n13939368 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107114145/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_19990530/ai_n13939368 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 January 2008 |title=Sunday Herald St Mirren article |access-date=9 November 2007 |first=Billy |last=Adams |date=30 May 1999 |work=The Sunday Herald }}</ref> The average age of the league winning team was 19 and the captain, Fitzpatrick, was 20.<ref name="FA article">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/Features/Postings/2004/05/GafferTapes_SirAlexFerguson.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20050406154845/http://www.thefa.com/Features/Postings/2004/05/GafferTapes_SirAlexFerguson.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2005|title=Sir Alex lifts the lid|date=4 May 2004|access-date=9 November 2007}}</ref>

St Mirren have the distinction of being the only club ever to sack Ferguson. He claimed wrongful dismissal against the club at an industrial tribunal but lost and was given no leave to appeal. According to a ''[[Sunday Herald]]'' article on 30 May 1999, the official version is that Ferguson was sacked for various breaches of contract, including unauthorised payments to players.<ref name="Sunday Herald St Mirren article"/> He was counter-accused of intimidating behaviour towards his office secretary because he wanted players to get some expenses tax free. He did not speak to her for six weeks, confiscated her keys and communicated only through a 17-year-old assistant. The tribunal concluded that Ferguson was "particularly petty" and "immature".<ref name="Guardian bullying article">{{cite news|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1684473,00.html|title=Guardian bullying article|access-date=11 November 2007|location=London|date=12 January 2006|work=The Guardian|first=Nicky|last=Campbell}}</ref> It was claimed during the tribunal by St Mirren chairman, Willie Todd, that Ferguson had "no managerial ability".<ref>{{cite web |title=Sir Alex Ferguson: dates that defined an icon |url=https://www.fifa.com/news/sir-alex-ferguson-dates-that-defined-icon-2075842 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326001153/https://www.fifa.com/news/sir-alex-ferguson-dates-that-defined-icon-2075842 |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2019 |website=FIFA.com |access-date=26 March 2019 |date=8 May 2013}}</ref>

In 2008, ''[[The Guardian]]'' published an interview with Todd (then aged 87), who had sacked Ferguson many years earlier. Todd said that the fundamental reason for the dismissal was a breach of contract relating to Ferguson having agreed to join Aberdeen. Ferguson told journalist Jim Rodger of the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' that he had asked at least one member of the squad to go to Aberdeen with him. He told the St Mirren staff he was leaving. Todd expressed regret over what happened but blamed Aberdeen for not approaching his club to discuss compensation.<ref>{{cite news|title=31.05.1978: Alex Ferguson is fired by St Mirren|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/may/31/manchesterunited.stmirren|work=The Guardian|location=UK|date=31 May 2008|access-date=29 December 2008}}</ref>

In 1977, Ferguson turned down the manager's job at Aberdeen. The role went to Billy McNeill, who returned to Celtic after only a year, leaving the role available for Ferguson once again.<ref>{{cite news |first=Harry |last=Reid |title=The goal that Alex Ferguson has been chasing all his life |work=Glasgow Herald |page=9 |date=11 April 1983 |access-date=8 January 2014 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19830411&id=GsRAAAAAIBAJ&pg=3291,1799200 }}</ref>