Liverpool v Manchester United: Kenny Dalglish recalls his long-standing feud with Sir Alex Ferguson
Old foes: Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson go head to head
By Henry Winter
Last Updated: 6:53AM GMT 04/03/2011
Alex Ferguson was already feared for the sharpness of his tongue and robustness of his playing style when Kenny Dalglish, then a teenaged right-half, was first told to mark him. "You'll need a doctor after this," Ferguson growled.
The year was 1969, the fixture an Old Firm reserves' confrontation, the setting Celtic Park and the fuse was lit on one of football's most significant rivalries, one burning vividly this weekend.
Since then, the hands on the great clock of life have turned many times. Dalglish himself turns 60 on Friday, with Ferguson turning 70 at the end of the year.
Yet the traits witnessed in 1969 will be seen again in Sunday's meeting at Anfield: a passion to win, a love of the game.
Back in that reserve match, Dalglish was undaunted by the reputation or physicality of his opponent and, according to Ferguson, "got stuck in".
He still does. Invited to take a stroll down memory lane, Dalglish thought back to that defensive job he did on Ferguson. "He'd better come out of here!" laughed Dalglish, opening his pocket.
"I have to say he never gave me a problem. I read somewhere that he said he'd scored, but I thought we won 2-0. We definitely beat them though.
"I was only 18 and in defence because of my height and aggression! I was a big bruising centre-back! No, it was for educational purposes, that's all."
Dalglish was being taught to understand defenders' thinking, enhancing his own awareness of how to destroy them.
This was a phenomenal aptitude he showed throughout 836 games and 339 goals for Celtic and Liverpool and 102 internationals for Scotland spiced with 30 goals.
"His extraordinary talent was matched by unbreakable courage," Ferguson remarked later of Dalglish, an improvement on his initial verdict of "that wee fat boy won't make a player".
As he worked hard to shed his puppy-fat, the schoolboy Rangers supporter was very aware of Ferguson.
"We stayed across the road from Ibrox and were friendly with a lot of the young Rangers lads, one of whom was Alex Miller, who used to be here at Liverpool," recalled Dalglish.
"That's why I knew Fergie cost a big fee [£65,000 from Dunfermline]. He had such a big car. He used to give us a lift into town."
By late 1969, Ferguson was falling out of favour at Rangers, hence the reserves duty. "He might have been on the way out at Ibrox at the time," continued Dalglish. "It was 40 years ago, and I've got a lot of memories of him since."
Scrapbooks full. They have fought over titles, over players like Glenn Hysen and Alan Shearer. Their relationship has often been depicted as a feud but too much respect flows between them.
When Ferguson was struggling in his early years at Old Trafford, Dalglish stood up at a Football Writers' Association dinner in Manchester and castigated the assembled scribes.
"I want to beat him but I don't have a problem with him," said Dalglish. "And another wee thing. You are presumptuous in your critical thinking about him as a manager. Fergie's a good manager."
Dalglish has always admired Ferguson's "work ethic, toughness, ability and knowledge". And support in adversity. United's manager was the first on the phone to Dalglish after Hillsborough, offering help.
Speaking before training at Melwood, Dalglish modestly stressed that "there are a lot of great football people apart from myself and Fergie" but he acknowledged the importance of their shared roots on the banks of the Clyde.
"Somebody told me that there are more managers in the Premier League from Glasgow than from England. It has never done me any harm, growing up in Glasgow.
"You must have a passion for football and a drive to be successful. You can blame the water if you want! Irn Bru maybe!" A far more introverted individual, Dalglish has never possessed Ferguson's bullishness. Manchester United's manager seems to know everybody.
"Kenny only has a few true friends but there's nothing wrong with that because, at the end of the day, you only need six people to carry your coffin," observed Ferguson in the foreword to Dalglish's 1996 autobiography.
A year earlier, Ferguson sent a typically eloquent letter of congratulations to Dalglish for Blackburn Rovers' title success.
"Please pass on my good wishes to all your lads, it was a thrilling season right up to the final whistle," wrote Ferguson.
The master of mind games, Ferguson had attempted to mess with Blackburn's thinking in the run-in by talking about their "doing a Devon Loch", the horse that jumped an imaginary fence and threw away imminent victory in the 1956 Grand National.
Dalglish claimed at the time he hadn't a clue about the equine legend, so ruining Ferguson's little ploy.
"Devon Loch is a horse!" Ferguson added in a PS to his letter of congratulations. "I'm sure your Dad must have backed it....mine did!" Even now, Dalglish shrugged off the Devon Loch tale.
"I wasn't a fisherman so I didn't know where that was. Fergie has used psychology before in the pre-amble to matches, but he will only get sparring practice if he tries to use it on ourselves.
"We've both been a long time out of short trousers. It will have to be a good one to catch us out."
He understands Ferguson. "Dermot Gallagher said there was one time when Fergie annihilated him after a game and they had a meeting in Leeds to get a better relationship between managers and referees a couple of weeks later.
"Dermot was sitting next to Fergie and thought 'oh no'. Fergie asked him what the problem was. Dermot told him he'd annihilated him two weeks earlier and Fergie just said 'yes, but that's just the game'."
Make your point, vent your spleen, move on.
Sunday resonates with meaning. For the Kop, the romance of the King's return is lent urgency by the desire to prevent United advancing past Liverpool's record of 18 titles (half of which Dalglish helped bring to Anfield).
Dalglish is up for the challenge, placing on record his "respect" for United while quietly mentioning that Liverpool have "five European Cups". He has already faced Ferguson since returning, losing at Old Trafford in the FA Cup in January.
"We had a drink after the game, we were in a room with company. It was just a normal conversation.
"It is fantastic for me to be back and Manchester United is one of the fixtures you look forward to playing against. We know the importance of the game for everyone connected with the football club and we will do our best to put a smile on the faces of everyone at the club.
"I don't know whether Fergie is happy I'm back or not. I am just happy I'm back. If he is unhappy about it, that's not my problem."
?
Old foes: Kenny Dalglish and Sir Alex Ferguson go head to head
By Henry Winter
Last Updated: 6:53AM GMT 04/03/2011
Alex Ferguson was already feared for the sharpness of his tongue and robustness of his playing style when Kenny Dalglish, then a teenaged right-half, was first told to mark him. "You'll need a doctor after this," Ferguson growled.
The year was 1969, the fixture an Old Firm reserves' confrontation, the setting Celtic Park and the fuse was lit on one of football's most significant rivalries, one burning vividly this weekend.
Since then, the hands on the great clock of life have turned many times. Dalglish himself turns 60 on Friday, with Ferguson turning 70 at the end of the year.
Yet the traits witnessed in 1969 will be seen again in Sunday's meeting at Anfield: a passion to win, a love of the game.
Back in that reserve match, Dalglish was undaunted by the reputation or physicality of his opponent and, according to Ferguson, "got stuck in".
He still does. Invited to take a stroll down memory lane, Dalglish thought back to that defensive job he did on Ferguson. "He'd better come out of here!" laughed Dalglish, opening his pocket.
"I have to say he never gave me a problem. I read somewhere that he said he'd scored, but I thought we won 2-0. We definitely beat them though.
"I was only 18 and in defence because of my height and aggression! I was a big bruising centre-back! No, it was for educational purposes, that's all."
Dalglish was being taught to understand defenders' thinking, enhancing his own awareness of how to destroy them.
This was a phenomenal aptitude he showed throughout 836 games and 339 goals for Celtic and Liverpool and 102 internationals for Scotland spiced with 30 goals.
"His extraordinary talent was matched by unbreakable courage," Ferguson remarked later of Dalglish, an improvement on his initial verdict of "that wee fat boy won't make a player".
As he worked hard to shed his puppy-fat, the schoolboy Rangers supporter was very aware of Ferguson.
"We stayed across the road from Ibrox and were friendly with a lot of the young Rangers lads, one of whom was Alex Miller, who used to be here at Liverpool," recalled Dalglish.
"That's why I knew Fergie cost a big fee [£65,000 from Dunfermline]. He had such a big car. He used to give us a lift into town."
By late 1969, Ferguson was falling out of favour at Rangers, hence the reserves duty. "He might have been on the way out at Ibrox at the time," continued Dalglish. "It was 40 years ago, and I've got a lot of memories of him since."
Scrapbooks full. They have fought over titles, over players like Glenn Hysen and Alan Shearer. Their relationship has often been depicted as a feud but too much respect flows between them.
When Ferguson was struggling in his early years at Old Trafford, Dalglish stood up at a Football Writers' Association dinner in Manchester and castigated the assembled scribes.
"I want to beat him but I don't have a problem with him," said Dalglish. "And another wee thing. You are presumptuous in your critical thinking about him as a manager. Fergie's a good manager."
Dalglish has always admired Ferguson's "work ethic, toughness, ability and knowledge". And support in adversity. United's manager was the first on the phone to Dalglish after Hillsborough, offering help.
Speaking before training at Melwood, Dalglish modestly stressed that "there are a lot of great football people apart from myself and Fergie" but he acknowledged the importance of their shared roots on the banks of the Clyde.
"Somebody told me that there are more managers in the Premier League from Glasgow than from England. It has never done me any harm, growing up in Glasgow.
"You must have a passion for football and a drive to be successful. You can blame the water if you want! Irn Bru maybe!" A far more introverted individual, Dalglish has never possessed Ferguson's bullishness. Manchester United's manager seems to know everybody.
"Kenny only has a few true friends but there's nothing wrong with that because, at the end of the day, you only need six people to carry your coffin," observed Ferguson in the foreword to Dalglish's 1996 autobiography.
A year earlier, Ferguson sent a typically eloquent letter of congratulations to Dalglish for Blackburn Rovers' title success.
"Please pass on my good wishes to all your lads, it was a thrilling season right up to the final whistle," wrote Ferguson.
The master of mind games, Ferguson had attempted to mess with Blackburn's thinking in the run-in by talking about their "doing a Devon Loch", the horse that jumped an imaginary fence and threw away imminent victory in the 1956 Grand National.
Dalglish claimed at the time he hadn't a clue about the equine legend, so ruining Ferguson's little ploy.
"Devon Loch is a horse!" Ferguson added in a PS to his letter of congratulations. "I'm sure your Dad must have backed it....mine did!" Even now, Dalglish shrugged off the Devon Loch tale.
"I wasn't a fisherman so I didn't know where that was. Fergie has used psychology before in the pre-amble to matches, but he will only get sparring practice if he tries to use it on ourselves.
"We've both been a long time out of short trousers. It will have to be a good one to catch us out."
He understands Ferguson. "Dermot Gallagher said there was one time when Fergie annihilated him after a game and they had a meeting in Leeds to get a better relationship between managers and referees a couple of weeks later.
"Dermot was sitting next to Fergie and thought 'oh no'. Fergie asked him what the problem was. Dermot told him he'd annihilated him two weeks earlier and Fergie just said 'yes, but that's just the game'."
Make your point, vent your spleen, move on.
Sunday resonates with meaning. For the Kop, the romance of the King's return is lent urgency by the desire to prevent United advancing past Liverpool's record of 18 titles (half of which Dalglish helped bring to Anfield).
Dalglish is up for the challenge, placing on record his "respect" for United while quietly mentioning that Liverpool have "five European Cups". He has already faced Ferguson since returning, losing at Old Trafford in the FA Cup in January.
"We had a drink after the game, we were in a room with company. It was just a normal conversation.
"It is fantastic for me to be back and Manchester United is one of the fixtures you look forward to playing against. We know the importance of the game for everyone connected with the football club and we will do our best to put a smile on the faces of everyone at the club.
"I don't know whether Fergie is happy I'm back or not. I am just happy I'm back. If he is unhappy about it, that's not my problem."
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