Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has already picked up a Knighthood, along with the Freedom of Aberdeen and Glasgow and countless other individual honours during his career, however he has now also been given a unique tribute by the Glasgow club where his career began over 50 years ago.
Ferguson was recently invited to become a Life Member of Queen’s Park and it is the first time in the amateur club’s near 150 year history that the Award has been bestowed on a former player who has moved onto play football professionally.
The Hampden side, who were formed in 1867, have never allowed ex-Spiders to become Life Members if they had moved on to the paid ranks before, however Ferguson’s achievements since his debut for Queen’s aged just 15 against Stranraer in November 1958 have seen them move to honour their former striker.
Spiders’ Committee member Malky Mackay has confirmed that Sir Alex was delighted to accept the club’s invitation saying, “Alex left us a player just as I was joining but I have known him for 50 years and he always remembers his time with us fondly.”
“After everything he has achieved in football, and as we approach our one hundredth and fiftieth birthday, we felt it was the right time to ask him to join us. He was delighted to accept our offer and is very proud that he is the first person to be asked to be a Life Member in this manner.”
Mackay, father of Cardiff boss Malky Junior, “In the dim and distant past Queen’s were never that keen on players leaving to play professionally but now of course we are one of the leading clubs when it comes to producing players that move on to full time sides.”
“Asking Sir Alex to join us recognises that change.”
It is not just a figurehead role either with Mackay adding, "Now that he is a member we can ask him for advice and he can vote on club affairs as well. We may look to have other Life Members who have moved on to the professional game but Sir Alex had to be the first to be asked based on what he has done in the game."
