[themaclad]

VENUE



OPPOSITION MANAGER

In 2001, 29-year-old Ferguson was linked with the management post at Wrexham, following the departure of Brian Flynn.[citation needed] At the time, he assisted caretaker manager Joey Jones.[7] After manager Denis Smith was sacked in January 2007, Ferguson was again touted as a candidate, having by now played well over 300 games for the club, but coach Brian Carey was appointed instead.[8]

There were suggestions that Ferguson and Carey had clashed, as Ferguson had expected to be appointed.[citation needed] Carey, who had left Ferguson on the substitutes bench for his first game, denied this.[9] The pair had argued a year previously, following a defeat to Leyton Orient.[10] Ferguson later stated he was disappointed not to be considered for the management position, and stated the club would have done better under him than they did under Carey.[11]

Peterborough United
Shortly after his father celebrated 20 years as manager of Manchester United, Ferguson followed him into football management. In January 2007 he left Wrexham to become player-manager of fellow League Two side Peterborough United. Previous manager Keith Alexander had been sacked after a run of six straight defeats.[12] He led the club to a 10th-placed finish in his first season of management.[citation needed] In his first full season of management, he took Peterborough to second place in League Two, gaining promotion.[13] He was named League Two manager of the month for March 2008, after Peterborough won six games out of eight in the month.[citation needed]

In his second full season, 2008–09, he led Peterborough to second place and automatic promotion to the Championship.[citation needed] He also won the League One Manager of the Month award for March 2009, following six straight wins.[citation needed] Ferguson left Peterborough in November 2009, by mutual consent, with Posh bottom of the table.[14]

Preston North End
In January 2010, Ferguson signed as manager of Preston North End.[15] His first game at home as a manager was an FA Cup match against Chelsea on 23 January 2010 which his side lost 2–0.[citation needed] On 14 September 2010, Ferguson was charged with misconduct by the FA after his behaviour in the tunnel towards the referee after a 4–3 Championship defeat by Burnley.[16] After 49 games in charge, winning 13, drawing 12 and losing 24 games, he was sacked as manager on 29 December 2010, with Preston North End bottom of the Championship.[17]

Following his sacking by Preston, his father Sir Alex Ferguson immediately recalled all three Manchester United players on loan at Preston; Joshua King, Ritchie De Laet, and Matty James.[18] In addition, the Stoke City manager Tony Pulis recalled the two Stoke players on loan at Preston; Danny Pugh and Michael Tonge. This meant that in a single week, Preston had lost five key first-team players, effectively sealing the team's relegation.[19][20]

During a disappointing period as manager of Preston, in a spell which lasted less than a year, Ferguson had a comeback win in September 2010 when his Preston side beat Leeds United 6–4 after being 4–1 down at Elland Road. After the match Ferguson said: "I have never been involved in such an amazing game."[21]

Return to Peterborough United
In January 2011, Gary Johnson left his job as manager at Peterborough United, with the club several points adrift of the playoff places.[citation needed] On 12 January 2011, Ferguson was re-appointed as manager at Peterborough on a four-and-a-half-year contract.[22] His first match ended up in a defeat away to league leaders Brighton & Hove Albion, but the following week, in his first game at London Road since his return, Peterborough beat Hartlepool United 4–0.[citation needed] Peterborough United's promotion hopes was given a boost with a 5–3 win over promotion rivals Sheffield Wednesday.[citation needed] A 0–5 away thumping of Oldham Athletic kept Ferguson's men within touching distance of the automatic promotion places.[citation needed]

The club ultimately finished fourth in League One, and after beating Milton Keynes 4–3 on aggregate, reached the play-off Final at Old Trafford against Huddersfield Town.[citation needed] Peterborough went on to defeat Huddersfield 3–0 to clinch a return to the Championship, just one year after they had been relegated.[23] By the end of the season, Peterborough had become the top-scoring side in the whole country, with 106 goals in total; their 46 league games generated a total of 181 goals, or 3.93 per game.[citation needed]

Peterborough spent two seasons in the Championship after winning promotion, before being relegated back to League One after losing to Crystal Palace 3–2 on the final day of the season. Peterborough had led the match with seven minutes remaining, but went on to lose in the final minute; a draw would have been enough to keep Peterborough in the Championship. Their total of 54 points during that season is to date the highest amount accrued by a relegated side in Championship history.[24] On 21 February 2015, following a 3–0 away defeat at Milton Keynes Dons which left the team 15th in the League One table, Ferguson left Peterborough United by mutual consent.[25]

Doncaster Rovers
Ferguson was appointed manager of League One club Doncaster Rovers on 16 October 2015.[26] They were relegated at the end of the 2015–16 season, but a third place finish in their only season in League Two saw the club win promotion back to League One in May 2017. Ferguson resigned from his role as manager on 4 June 2018, after guiding Rovers to 15th placed finish in their first season back in Sky Bet League One.[27]

Second return to Peterborough United
Ferguson was re-appointed as manager of League One club Peterborough United on 26 January 2019 for the third time with a deal agreed until the end of season after the dismissal of Steve Evans, with Gavin Strachan as his assistant.[28] [29] In May 2021, after missing out on the previous season's play-offs due to the season being curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ferguson successfully guided Peterborough to promotion to the Championship.

LAST TIME OUT



LAST TIME AT DEEPDALE



They have not been many times do remember the 6-2 win Barrie Mitchell with a hat trick absolutely hammmered down that night