An Analysis of Sir Alex Ferguson's Professional Behaviour in Football

This report delves into the professional behaviour and leadership qualities of Sir Alex Ferguson, the renowned former manager of Manchester United. It examines his career from his early playing days to his highly successful managerial period, highlighting key aspects of professionalism such as preparation, respect for opponents, handling losses, adherence to rules, team efforts, and dedication. The report explores how Ferguson exemplified ethical leadership, providing insights into his strategies and the impact of his approach on his team's success. It also references social learning theory to explain how individuals learn and adapt in sports environments. The analysis incorporates references to his career highlights, including numerous trophies and his long tenure with Manchester United, illustrating the application of his professional behaviours and leadership principles.

Sports Professional Behaviour
- Sir Alex Ferguson

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Professional behaviour required for a future career in sport management.................................1
Ethical leadership in sports environment....................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson is a former Scottie football manager and player who
managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. On 31st December’ 1941, Alex was born at his
grandmother’s home at Shield-hall road in Govan. He lived with his parents and one younger
brother. He did his schooling from Govan high school. With harmony row boys club in Govan,
he began his career of football. As an amateur, with Queen's park, Ferguson's playing career
began where he made his debut as a striker at the age of 16 years. During this time, he realized
that he wants to be a football player and started working towards his goals (Cruickshank and
Collins, 2016). By the players, managers and the analyst, he is being considered as one of the
greatest and most successful managers of all time.
For several Scottish clubs such as Dunfermline athletic and rangers, he has played as a
forward. In Scottish league that was held in the year 1965-66, he was at the top goals scorers
while playing for Dunfermline. He also worked as a coach towards the end of his career and he
also started his managerial career with East Stirling-shire and St Mirren. As a manager of
Aberdeen Ferguson, he also enjoyed a highly successful period. He has won around three
Scottish league championship and four Scottish cups in the year 1983. In the November 1986, he
was also appointed as a manager of Manchester United. He won around 38 trophies during his
career with Manchester United. In these trophies, premier league titles, FA cups, etc. were
included. He is one of the longest serving manager of Manchester United (Jarvie, 2017).
In this report, the professional behaviour of this football player will be demonstrated. The
skills of Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson will also be evaluated in order to find out the reason
behind his success in his career. The ethical leadership theories will also be used in this report.
Professional behaviour required for a future career in sport management
The notion of professionalism is being elevated with the rise of professional athletics
with competitors who earn a living participating in sports. The professional behaviour was
followed by Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson in his career and this is one of the reasons that has
given him so much success and harmony. Some professional behaviours that needs to be there in
the game of sports are as follows-:
Preparation – A basic tenet of professionalism in sports is being formed by the
preparation. The efforts need to be put by the sportsman on the field.. During the practice, the
1

efforts are needed to be put in by the players for that they need to study the play-book and stay
in shape etc. In order to gain an idea of how to play, they need to look in the footsteps of
opponents. The key to good performance is preparation and if the preparation is not being done
for long hours beforehand then athletes will not be able to do his best in field. Sir Alexander
Chapman Ferguson has invested a lot of time in order to prepare himself for the game of football.
Before the football match he used to practice for long hours and also the football rule book was
also being studied by him in order to aware himself about the rules and regulation of the game.
In order to perform well on the field, this practice before the match was done by him (Ferguson
and Girardi, 2018).
Opponents – With honour and respect, sports professionals need to treat their opponents.
. As enemies the opponents need not to be treated by the sports man. If with respect they are
being treated then this means that sportsmen is adhering the rules of sportsmanship. And after the
game the hand shake can be offered by the sports man to the rival person for their good
performance. Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson used to treat all the rival players with respect
and honour. In his long career, there was no such news that he has treated any rival payer with
disrespect. And if a match he used to lose he would go to winning player and congratulate him
for his win. This shows up his professional behaviour that is required for the game of football
(Mulhall, 2015).
Losses- No person is perfect neither in the game nor in the real life. Every athlete will
lose a game sooner or later. So, if sport's person loses any game then this should not be taken in
the negative way. They should try to take the failure with grace and dignity as well as
understand it is all part of the game. In order to behave in the professional manner, the sports
man need to identify what went wrong and work harder towards it so that similar mistake will
not be repeated next time. Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson never used to take his loses in the
negative way instead of that he used to learn from his mistakes and try that the similar mistake is
not repeated by him in the game. He always thought that winning and losing are the two sides of
game sometime you win and sometimes you learn. With dignity and grace, he used to take up his
defeats and also he used to work hard towards his goals. (File, 2018).
Rules and regulation - All the rules and regulations that is related to the game need to be
followed and practised by sports' person. If any of the rule is not followed by them then this
would not be considered as a professional behaviour. This will not be good for their career also
2

as in case of any rule which is broken by them, they have to bear the consequences of it. Sir
Alexander Chapman Ferguson who was the former football player, all rules and regulation of
playing football were followed by him and he also ensured that none of rules of game should be
broken by him. This shows his dedication towards the game of football. A good- sports person is
one by whom all the rules and regulation of game are followed and in wrong practices such as
match fixing, they are not indulged (Kelly, 2017).
Team efforts- However, on the other hand, some sports such as cricket, football, etc.
depend on team efforts. In order to win matches, the team efforts of coaches, trainers and other
team members are essential. The professional should understand that team members more than
the individual understand himself. So, they need to take the entire team together to win the
match. Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson used to believe in team efforts and also that no single
individual can make the team win it is team efforts that can makes the team win. So, he used to
communicate with team members about the game so that he can consider their viewpoints also
while developing strategies for the game.
Dedication - The sports-person need to be passionate and dedicated towards the game
they play as through their game, they will represent their passion and dedication for the game.
For longer hours, they need to practice for the game and also, attempts are needed to be put in by
them in order to develop their skills better each day. They need to work on their weaker areas so
that they can make those fields as their strength and no one can beat them in that particular sport.
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson was very dedicated and passionate about the football. Since,
childhood he wanted to pursue his career in football and he worked immensely hard towards it.
This also shows his professional behaviour towards the game he used to play. He wanted to
represent his country all across the globe which is one of the reasons why he started playing
football. And he was much in love with game of football that even after his football career he
became the coach of the football team for which he played and then manager of the same team..
This shows his passion for the game, football (Mulhall, 2015).
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson was one of the famous football players of his time. He
used to practice for long hours with the coaches and trainers as well as healthy lifestyle was also
being followed by him in order to stay healthy and fit. Since childhood, this football player was
passionate about football and he also got the support of his family for same. He joined academy
at an early age in order to become a successful football player in the future. The professional
3

behaviour was followed by him in the game by learning from the losses of matches and his
ability to never give up have given so much name and fame in the game of football Olson,
2018.).
The skills such as excellent communication, organizational and plain skills, flexibility to
adapt teaching methods for different ages and abilities, etc. are required to be the manager of the
football and all these skills were there in Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson. Also, coaching from
the football association(FA) is also required to be the manager. So, in the college, this FA
qualification was achieved by Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson. The training to young talent
was given by him in order to help them to become a good football player in future (Butler and
Butler, 2017). About 4m was earned by Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson during his first year
out of football management. At east Stirling shire in 1974 the 32 year old Fergusonbegan his
managerial career. He was the manager of Manchester United and also various title such as
premiere leagues, FA cup etc has being won by his team under his guidance.. This shows up that
his managerial skills are also excellent.
An example that shows his professional behaviour is that when he was starting again as a
manager of Manchester United then the preparation was being done in order to focus on the
player's attitude during training sessions. He was an inspiration for team and the right decision
was being made by him. He always told his players that this was their chance to make their
names.
Social learning theory helps people to learn things as they see or experience it.. This
behavior modeling is being used by most of the sports man for daily work tasks. With this
theory, sportsmen will be able to learn about the sports that they play. They will sit with coaches,
trainers, etc. who will help them to develop the strategies for the game that can be used by them
during the play (Cruickshank and Collins, 2015). The guidance from the trainers, experienced
player, etc. will be given to them. It will also allow the players to raise questions and gain insight
knowledge about game. The trainers and coaches will make the sportsman aware about all the
rules and regulations about the game that is what is not accepted in the game, when it is foul,
what type of behavior is not accepted in the game etc. Then this theory will also help the
sportsman how to communicate with rival opponents. They need not to use any harsh language
during the game and also they should not try to hurt them while playing if it happens by mistakes
4

then they should go and apologize for their mistake. But if it is done intentionally then it will not
be considered as the professional behavior as rule of the game is being broken by them.
Ethical leadership in sports environment
As per Cruickshank and Collins, (2015), ethical leadership is a leadership that is directed
by the respect for ethical beliefs and values and for the dignity and right of others. To the
concept of trust, honesty, fairness, etc. this is related. In the sports' industry, the fair decision
needs to be made by the decision-maker in the game as this will have an effect on the players
who are playing. About the relationship among people and how the leader influence other the
ethical leadership deal with this mainly. Based on the core values and establish and uphold
ethical standards in the organization, the ethical leaders make ethically sound decisions. In the
sports' environment this the ethical leadership will help the leader to make the correct decision
on the behalf of the team. They will not promote anything wrong within the team and if there is
anything that is happening in the game which is against the ethics, they will take up
responsibility and correct it. In the team, if there is any dispute then that dispute will be solved
by the leader by taking the right decisions.
According to Cruickshank and Collins, (2015), the ethical leadership theory will be used
in the sport's environment. In context of the situation, the right action is dependent. All the rule -
based ethics need to be followed by the sportsman in game. No sports man should be indulged
in the wrong activities such as match fixing, bullying other players, harsh language, etc. This is
not considered as an ethical behaviour in the game. The sports man like Sir Alexander Chapman
Ferguson did not get into fight with other players just because they have lost a game. He knew
that it is not a right thing to fight with others players just because you haven't won the match.
Also, the sports man should also not intentionally hurt other players. This is not considered as an
ethical behaviour as per Chelladurai, (2016).
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson did not nag the board for the funds to buy players like
the modern day managers he built club on the academy players and young talent rather than
investing on top player for a massive amount of money. This shows that he believed in the talent
of players and hard work. Sir Alex Ferguson has been using the charismatic leadership style. As
motivational methods, he has been using encouragement and enthusiasm. In the modern football
by times he had being known as greatest motivator. From his team players, he always expected
100% and also, he told that only hard-work can lead them to success (Butler and Butler, 2017)).
5

The ethical leadership was followed by this Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson. The
younger talents were spotted by him and he made them the world stars by giving them training.
This communication was also effective with the players and the club. He had an ability to
measure the quality of his players. He was an innovator as he changed his training regime that
was inspired by Eric Cantona's extra work at the end of sessions in mid of 1990s. One example
of his leadership skill is that he wanted to know everything about his players so that he can stand
by them in every situation. As a leader, he was very demanding and always expected 100% from
their platters as he believes that hard work is the key to success.
Throughout his career, the right atmosphere was being created by Sir Alexander
Chapman Ferguson for his team players in order to put them in the right frame of mind by
making use of all the motivational and psychological approaches. To his team, he was very loyal
and also defend his team player's actions. By his action, he cemented the team spirit around him,
created mutual respect and as a result team, reciprocated his loyalty over time. The example of
ethical leadership was followed by him when Alex decided to insert the brilliant MU junior
players in the senior team. This advisory told him that you will never win anything with kids.
Then, in this case, instead of responding to the comment, he carried out his plan and proved that
he is the man of the vision when his junior players were ranked as the best quality players.
In the sport's environment, the helpful behaviour will be there due to ethical leadership.
All the team members will be playing together as a team and the disputes and conflict among
them will be less due to ethical leadership theory. Also, the sports man like Sir Alexander
Chapman Ferguson will also not indulged in wrong practices such as match fixing, bullying of
other players etc as they will be able to know the rule book of the game and all the things will be
done according to the rules of the game that is given in the rule-book. However, on the other
hand, as per Butler and Butler, (2017), upholding high ethical leadership standards at all times
can be extremely complicated. The more attention is being paid by the sports man such as Sir
Alexander Chapman Ferguson to the policies rather than on game. So, this will some-how cause
distraction in their game. In a way, it can be said that there are both positives and negatives of
ethical leadership in sports environment. Authentic leadership will be followed in the sports'
environment as the sports man such Sir Alex Ferguson believe in themselves. In the sport's
environment also, the leader of the team will also face ethical decisions.
6

According to Burdsey, (2014), in order to deal with them, they can make use of ethical
leadership approaches. With this approach, they can first recognize the problem and the potential
issues involved. Sir Alex Ferguson was very loyal towards the team for which he played at the
age of 32 years and after that, he stayed loyal and committed to the team by serving as manager
of that team. He was against the disloyalty towards the team for which he played and was
manager . The ethical leadership will be useful for the players such as Sir Alexander Chapman
Ferguson as right decisions will be made in the field and also it will make sure that no rules is
broken by the players (Ethical Leadership Guide: Definition, Qualities, Pros & Cons, Examples,
2017).
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above report that Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson was one
of the former football players. His passion and dedication towards the football has given him
high fame and popularity. It has been assessed that the professional behaviour such as working
hard for the game that they play, respect for the opponents and not getting disheartened by
losses are some traits of the professional behaviour of sports man. . Also, the ethical leadership
theory is being followed in the game. This means that players are not allowed to break any rules
in the game and they should not get indulged in wrong practices like match fixing. The
suggestion to sports -man is to follow all the rules and regulations of the game and also, to
remain calm and compose on the field with focusing on the game rather than indulging in fights
with opponents.
Also, they should not treat the opponents with disrespect or harsh language. In a proper
and appropriate way, they need to treat the opponents and if the performance of rival is good
then they can also congratulate them for the win. It is essential that towards the game, a
sportsman needs to be dedicated and should work hard. The pros and cons of each sports man
can differ from each other. The sports man need to work on their weaker areas for that they have
practice regularly and also need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
7

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Burdsey, D., 2014. One week in October: Luis Suárez, John Terry and the turn to racial
neoliberalism in English men’s professional football. Identities, 21(5), pp.429-447.
Butler, R. and Butler, D., 2017. Fergie Time and the Allocation of Additional Time: Evidence
from the English Premier League 2009 to 2013. International Journal of Sport Finance,
12(3), pp.185-203.
Chelladurai, P., 2016. Leadership in Sport Management. The SAGE Handbook of Sport
Management, p.85.
Cruickshank, A. and Collins, D., 2015. Illuminating and applying “the dark side”: Insights from
elite team leaders. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 27(3), pp.249-267.
Cruickshank, A. and Collins, D., 2015. The sport coach. Leadership in sport, pp.155-172.
Cruickshank, A. and Collins, D., 2016. Advancing leadership in sport: time to take off the
blinkers?. Sports Medicine, 46(9), pp.1199-1204.
Ferguson, A. and Girardi, J., 2018. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership Lessons from Sports
(featuring interviews with Sir Alex Ferguson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Andre Agassi).
Harvard Business Press.
File, K., 2018. “You're Manchester United manager, you can't say things like that”: Impression
management and identity performance by professional football managers in the media.
Journal of Pragmatics, 127, pp.56-70.
Jarvie, G., 2017. Sport, the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Scottish referendum (pp. 209-
221). London: Routledge.
Kelly, S., 2017. Pedagogy, game intelligence & critical thinking: the future of Irish soccer?.
Soccer & Society, 18(5-6), pp.746-767.
Mulhall, S., 2015. Measures for contextual models. Human Resource Development: A Concise
Introduction, p.184.
Olson, E.L., 2018. Are rival team fans a curse for home team sponsors? The moderating effects
of fit, oppositional loyalty, and league sponsoring. Marketing Letters, 29(1), pp.115-122.
Online
Ethical Leadership Guide: Definition, Qualities, Pros & Cons, Examples. 2017. [Online]
<https://www.cleverism.com/ethical-leadership-guide-definition-qualities-pros-cons-
examples/>.
8

9