Schumacher Meets Sir Alex
Argyle's rising managerial star Steven Schumacher enjoyed the opportunity to pick the brains of football royalty last weekend, crossing paths with living legend Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferguson was a guest of Trevor East, a personal friend of 'Fergie' and a member of the Argyle Board of Directors, for the 0-0 draw at the University of Bolton Stadium - and took time out of his schedule to visit the hotel Argyle were staying at to meet Schumacher, his staff, and some of his players.
"It was brilliant. Neil Dewsnip [Director of Football] asked me on Friday night would I mind if Sir Alex came to the hotel before the game as he’s a good friend of Trevor's," Schumacher explained. "Trevor wanted to bring him along introduce him and give us an opportunity to speak to him, so as soon as Neil asked me, I said yeah, definitely, because it's not every day you get to meet a legend in the game - the most successful British manager. If I had an opportunity to meet him for five minutes then I was gonna take it."
It was not the first time Sir Alex, who won an incredible 49 trophies during his legendary managerial career, has been spotted taking in an Argyle game near his home in Cheshire. In 2020, Ferguson joined East and Argyle officials at Macclesfield Town for a 1-1 Sky Bet League Two draw, a month before football was curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Schumacher's family were also with him at the hotel ahead of the clash with fellow promotion-chasers Bolton, and Sir Alex took the time to give some tips to his son, Vincent, who is an aspiring striker.
"To just sit and have a chat with him was great. What really impressed me about him was his knowledge and memory. He had a story for everything, and showed a real keen interest in everybody who was around him. There were a few people who went to see him and meet him and have a photograph with him, he showed an interest in everybody - and that's the sign of a real top manager, it's why he's the best."
Sir Alex wasn't the only former Premier League manager in the Directors' Box last weekend, though, with former Argyle boss and Bolton and England midfielder Peter Reid also taking in the game between two of his former clubs.
Reid marshalled the Trotters' midfield over 200 times at the beginning of his playing career, later managing Argyle during the turbulent 2010/11 season. While off-field troubles often left Reid in a compromised position, he is fondly remembered at Home Park for his generosity behind the scenes, including paying a fuel bill and auctioning off an FA Cup runners-up medal to raise money for the club.
