Alex Ferguson's Real Name: Alexander Chapman Ferguson

Quick answer: Alex Ferguson's documented full name is Alexander Chapman Ferguson. He was born on December 31, 1941, in Glasgow, Scotland. The Scottish football (soccer) player and manager is best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013 (Britannica).

Real name and early life

Britannica lists him as also known as Fergie and Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson, and says he was born on December 31, 1941, in Glasgow. A Library of Congress note records Sir Alex Chapman Ferguson, born 31 December 1941, and identifies him as manager of Manchester United from 1986. The heading is "Ferguson, Alex, 1941-." Another note places the birth in Glasgow's Govan district. At 16, Britannica says, he joined the Scottish second-division club Queen's Park, playing as an amateur while working in a Glasgow shipyard.

Career highlights

His professional playing career began in 1964, when he signed with first-division Dunfermline Athletic. Britannica says he tied for the league lead in scoring with 31 goals in the 1965–66 Scottish League season and was transferred to his hometown club, Rangers, in 1967 for a then-record £65,000 fee. He later played for two other clubs before retiring as a player in 1974. A Library of Congress note lists managerial posts at East Stirlingshire, St Mirren, Aberdeen, and Scotland before Manchester United.

He managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013, the longest tenure in the club's history, Britannica says, and led the team to more than 30 domestic and international titles, including 13 Premier League championships, five F.A. Cup victories (1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, and 2004), and two Champions League titles (1999 and 2008). He was named Premier League Manager of the Year on 11 occasions. He published autobiographies in 1999 and 2013, was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1995, and was knighted in 1999.

Name notes for searchers

Alexander Chapman Ferguson is the documented full name; he is widely known as Alex Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson, or Fergie. Searchers looking for Sir Alex or Fergie in a soccer (association football) context are usually aiming at the same person. This site uses soccer for association football and football for American football; Ferguson, a Scottish manager, belongs in the former. He should not be confused with other public figures named Alex Ferguson.