Still master of all he surveys: Sir Alex showing no sign of easing up even at 67

Published: 17 May 2009 - 10:06:07

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Still master of all he surveys: Sir Alex showing no sign of easing up even at 67

The rockets flared, the anthems blared and the red-shirted players capered across a pitch awash with shimmering streamers. And as the Theatre of Dreams enactedits traditional Rite of Spring, the old chap looked on with an approving beam. Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson CBE is not a man for extravagant celebration, but the breadth of the beam told us that he valued his 11th Premier League title just as highly as his first. It is the prize he covets above all others, the reward for his enduring obsession, thesign that, at 67, he remains at the top of his game. And, in truth, it is a considerable game. At a time when the prizes for success have never been so lavish, nor the penalties for failure so drastic, Ferguson simply thrives on the pressures of his position. He seems to draw his strength from ceaseless confrontation, pitting his wits and pulling his tricks with a rascality uncommon in one of his years.