PaGes 58–59
said Sir Alex. “We felt it was the right time. I had to think about my own control of the club.”
But during his press conference yesterday to publicise the book, Sir Alex also said that the seeds of Beckham’s downfall had already been sown when he met his future wife, then-Spice girl Victoria.
Sir Alex said that “everything changed” for the footballer once he met the star and was drawn into the worlds of fashion and celebrity.
Sir Alex brought his career as Manchester united boss to a close in May this year, ending one of the most successful managerial reigns in British history.
During his 26 years in charge at old Trafford, the team won 38 trophies and he managed some of the biggest names in football. During his press conference Sir Alex also took the opportunity to deny a claim previously made by Tony Blair that the former football manager advised the then-prime minister to sack gordon Brown.
Mr Blair had previously written in his memoirs that he sought advice from Sir Alex . He had asked him what he would do “if you had a really difficult but brilliant player causing you problems”. “get rid of them,” Sir Alex told him.
But Sir Alex has now offered a slightly different version of events. He wrote: “My recollection is that Tony wasn’t specific about gordon. His question was about superstars and how I dealt with them. My answer was, ‘The most important thing in my job is control. The minute they threaten your control, you have to get rid of them’.”
Elsewhere, Sir Alex said his “political convictions have remained largely unchanged from my time as a shop steward in the shipyards of govan”, and he describes himself as a supporter of the Labour Party.
“you wouldn’t see me sitting beside David Cameron, would you?” he writes. “you would see me alongside a Labour MP. That would be my impact.” Alfa-Bank and Cultural Vistas are pleased to announce a call for applications for the Alfa Fellowship Program. Now celebrating its tenth year, the program is an initiative designed to create a new generation of British American leaders with meaningful professional experience in Russia.
and The program begins with in the U.K. or U.S., followed by a language course in Moscow starting in mid-June. Throughout the summer, Alfa Fellows attend a with key public and private sector officials to discuss current facing Russia. Fellows then
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outlets, think tanks, and foundations. Eligible candidates must have a graduate degree and professional experience in business, economics, journalism, law, public policy, or a related field. Russian language proficiency is preferred. The Fellowship includes a