Ferguson’s text thrills Sir Kenny
SIR KENNY DALGLISH has shown how friendships outlast rivalries after revealing Sir Alex Ferguson was one of the first people to text him congratulations. The Scots had many battles down the years from opposing dugouts when Dalglish was Liverpool manager across two stints and Ferguson was in charge of Manchester United. But Ferguson was quick to fire a message of congratulations to Liverpool’s non-executive director on Thursday night after Liverpool’s title was confirmed when Manchester City lost to Chelsea. ‘He has contacted us to say congratulations by the modern medium!’ said Dalglish yesterday. ‘You go through the older generation, Fergie at Man Utd, Brian Kidd, Mike Summerbee, all the old foes who went through football at the same time as us, maybe a wee bit ahead of us, and at the end of the year you sent a letter of congratulations and to say well done. That continues through. It’s a great compliment. ‘You are in competition and you are rivals but to have the intelligence so that you are magnanimous enough to send in a letter saying congratulations. Everyone is in the same game, aren’t they? ‘These days it has gone more technical, you get your texts or emails off the people who you have been competing with all your life in football. They would wish it was themselves who won it but they are proud to pay homage to other people as well. ‘It has always happened. You just congratulate each other and at the same time hope it is you next year. It was just congratulations. You are not at war. People shake hands before every game and after every game. You are in competition, obviously, but it is manners to say congratulations and well done.’ Dalglish said he was relieved that the club had finally ended the wait for the title after 30 years without one, during which time Manchester United — and Fergsuon — won the league 13 times. ‘We went close a few times, but it is still a long time,’ said Dalglish, who was manager last time Liverpool won the league back in 1990. ‘You would never have said that it would take 30 years. People were laughing at Man U when they went 26 years and we have improved that to 30! Nobody would have ever anticipated that and the simple reason we didn’t win was because we hadn’t been good enough. ‘They didn’t need to win the league to show their success. They are world Club champions and Champions league winners. It is not about individuals but the club as a whole. They went very close last year and thoroughly deserved it this year.’