Two European Cups, more Premier League trophies than he has doors in which to use them as stops, a knighthood - he'd probably be elected prime-minister if he ever ran for government.
After a 35-year career - that is still in the ascendancy, by the way - it seems redundant to merely debate if Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager football has ever seen.
Such is his enduring success at the highest level, powers of reinvention to enable him to stay there and his contribution to matters that transcend the boundaries of the football pitch, Ferguson's status must be measured within the context of more than just the sport in which he operates.
Next week Manny Pacquiao seeks to cement his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. But on a year by year basis, Ferguson delivers yet more evidence that he is the pound-for-pound greatest sportsman of all time.
Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Dennis Compton, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan - the 67-year-old could stand toe to toe with any of them in a "show us your medals" contest.
Of course, any cross-sport comparison has its difficulties and there are those who would say it is impossible to measure the relative successes of different athletes.
Is Woods a better golfer than Pele was a footballer? If Ali was around today would he ever have lost a fight?
And how can you compare a manager or coach to an athlete like Federer or Jordan?
Let's try. Ferguson has won 34 major trophies in his managerial career, compared to 15 for Federer and 14 for Woods.
Medalist
Ali was a three-time world heavyweight champion and also an Olympic gold medallist. Of his 61 fights he won 56 times - notably three of his defeats came at the end of his career in his last four bouts. In all he won 31 title fights.
Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and was voted Most Valuable Player on five occasions.
Compton was a Test cricketer for 20 years with 123 first-class centuries. He won a league title and an FA Cup with Arsenal in his spare time as a footballer and also managed to fight during World War Two.
True, Ferguson's success has come over a longer period of time than those he is being compared with - but it is his powers of longevity that are so remarkable.
That he doesn't have to physically compete with opponents is an obvious advantage over the likes of Ali and Federer - but the fact that he has managed to stay in control of one club for 23 years is an anomaly of the modern game.
Critics will point Bob Paisley's achievements at Liverpool over a much shorter space of time as an argument that he was the greater manager. But it is Ferguson's continued success, year upon year, that is the truest measure of his greatness.
His ability to adapt to the changing face of football in a manner that we simply do not know if Paisley could have, is exactly what makes him the greatest manager of all time.
Just as Ali's legendary status was confirmed by his ability to overcome adversity and his epic battles with Joe Frazier and George Foreman, Ferguson's finest moments have come in response to his greatest challenges.
When faced with Jack Walker's millions at Blackburn, Ferguson went the other way. Rather than go pound-for-pound in the transfer market with Ewood Park's free-spending benefactor, the United manager put his faith in youth.
The result? Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. A truck load of trophies, the birth of arguably the most famous footballer of all time - and unfortunately his wife - and the nucleus of United and England teams for years to come.
Reports of his demise were premature once again when Arsene Wenger introduced an expansive style of football the Premier League had never witnessed before in 1998.
Treble
Again it prompted reinvention and Ferguson responded with a team that stormed through Europe to become the first club from a major league to win the Treble.
Then came Roman Abramovich's billions and a cocky gunslinger who was a younger, better looking and more arrogant version of Ferguson. And with back-to-back titles in his first two years at Chelsea, Ferguson looked to have met his match in Jose Mourinho.
Written off and mentally put out to pasture by his fiercest critics, the Scot made fools of his detractors with a hat-trick of titles and back-to-back Champions League finals.
Less than two months away from his 68th birthday there are signs that he is getting stronger.
The last three seasons have been the most successful of his managerial career. Who of any profession - let alone sport - could say that after 35 years?
Ferguson's success does not end at trinkets and trophies either. The Premier League owes him a huge debt of gratitude.
As uncomfortable as it will be for rival fans to admit, the popularity of the national game on a global status has come on the back of United's domination.
Before he won his first trophy at Old Trafford the club was worth £10m. By 2000 it became the first £1billion club.
How would Ferguson's figures stack up against the money Woods and Jordan have made for sponsors Nike? Incidentally the US sports clothing manufacturer is another firm that has capitalised on the success of United's global appeal.
For all his success there will be those who will still refuse to acknowledge him as the greatest ever manager, let alone sportsman, which is the beauty of sport - its differing opinions.
But no-one deny his place as at least one of the greatest figures in sport, whose enduring success is almost taken for granted.
An innovator, artist, street fighter, psychological pugilist, bully boy and father figure - love him or loathe him, his continued presence is one that must be celebrated.
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Is Ferguson sport's greatest?
Yes.
This is a silly supposition and I don't think the 'pound-for-pound' issue is relevant. Much as I applaud the great managerial achievements of SAF, comparing a manager (any manager in any sphere of activity) to a 'performer' is a nonsense. SAF versus Tiger Woods? Even comparing the greatest individual sportsmen and women is near impossible: was Ali a better boxer than Don Bradman was a batsman? Was Taibi a better goalkeeper than...no, better forget that one!
Fergie is the greatest manager ever in the whole world and he has done it both sides of the boarder,United has always been the team though.
However great people know when to call it a dayand he should now be sitting in the stands,football moves on and he can,t give so much any longer,its time for a new man to take charge.
I am not convinced managing a football team makes someone a 'Sportsman'. SAF is a sporting personality but sportsman!
A sportsman is someone who takes part in any given sport. Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Dennis Compton, Roger Federer and Michael Jordan are good examples of sportsmen who have excelled in their chosen sport, but Fergie manages sportsmen and that is a completely different thing all together. IMO he is a great team manager but he hasn't been a active 'Sportsman' since his playing days.
Silly article which rambles on without real direction. You can't compare a sportsman to a manager of sportsmen, it's 2 entirely different disciplines and isn't a suitable celebration for marking achievements at an anniversary.
What a ridiculous article.
Has this been taken from a 12 year olds school assignment?
but not the best SPORTSMAN me thinks
Greatest Manager Yes, without a doubt, Sportsman by its name would indicate that you actually played a sport at a top level and unfortunately SAF was just a journeyman footballer. And thats from a blue - not biased but just a balanced view.
mohammed ali
This really is a stupid article!!!
Greatest sporting what? - Bully?.
ferguson is a great manager,and a very poor sportsman.
ridiculous article. can you compare ferguson to zidane. of course not. if you're going to do something like this then comparing managers in different codes might be a bit of fun. you could compare them by number of major trophies won, the number of players that developped from decent to superb under their management, quotes from other top managers in their field, things like that. this article on the other hand is a load of tosh - apples and oranges is all I see here!
Wouldn't say the greatest but from the photo in this article he does a great Pob impression!
Fergie greatest manager ever, trophy after trophy , new team after new team i just wish he was 10 years younger, whover comes in will have a task on there hand.....
Would it not be more adepth to compare Fergie with Agelo Dundee, Ali's trainer rather than Ali himself? In terms of Fergie the sportsman compared with Ali, Fergie would be of Bernard Dunne Standards.
Yeh even I will admit it he has been a good manager for United, he has also been an ignorant,blinkered old bully and his time has now come for him to depart before everyone starts laughing to his face like they do behing his back.
I listened to him on Talk Sport the other morning talking about the Fletcher non penalty and quite frankly it was embarassing because the old man couldn't put two words in a sentence together.
He's had a good run but it's now time for the pipe and slippers - Taxi for Fergo and bring on Mike Phelan.
Manchester United- the team despised by most Mancunians and the majority of football fans., Tick tock, not long now.
6/11/2009 at 12:49 Offensive or Inappropriate?
apart from the ref you must be the only person on the Planet who cannot recognise a legitimate penalty.
City have never had a great manager their best ever player was a German and boy did they need him.
When he came to the 'Rags' they were worth £10 Million, by the year two thousand they were worth £1 Billion, by the year 2010 they will be in debt to a lot more than that figure. Fergo you are like that favourite old man who sits in the corner of the pub, we have laughed with you for years but now you (like the old man) have become embarassing nearly every time you open your mouth. We should always remember people the way they were and not what they become. GO NOW!
This James Robson geezer just ain't very good (I'm being polite), I know it's original having a Spurs fan write about City and United but it just don't work.
I know I used to slag Flatcap Brennan for his Ludite and stalinist stance on supporting United but making him write about the bitters is almost as cruel as giving us this Robson geezer. BRING BACK BRENNAN!!
PS. You could always start a section about Spurs for Robson to work on!
Is Ferguson sport's greatest?
Yes.
Mrs Fullaway`s lodger, APOLOGIES for taking your words. Can't be improved upon.
If a great manager is judged by the amount of trophys that his teams have won then Fergo is undoubtedly a great manager.
A great sportsman is however a fair different thing, Bobby Charlton, Stanley Mathews and many more were great sportsmen as well as great footballers.
Ferguson however is a bad sportsman in that any decision that goes against any of his teams results or players is a bad decision (in his eyes)
Whenever any of his players commit wrongdoings (Keane vs Haarland) he conveniently doesn' t see the incident.
He will undoubtedly go down in History as one the greatest (because of the trophys won) but certainly he will also go down as a very bad sportsman.
he has been fantastic but but i agree he is now loseing the plot he has left us bare this season not replacing players he is tinkering to much and he as blinkers on as he thinks this squad is good enough to win the prem and champions league not a chance unless he buys in jan we will win nothing this season chelsea will uncover the cracks fergie as tryed to cover up so far this season we are scraping thro games defending his awful midfield weak and not enough goals being scored, we can play pretty but pretty football is not enough wake up fergie and hang those managerial reins to someone else and retire at the top
"Fergo you are like that favourite old man who sits in the corner of the pub, we have laughed with you for years but now you (like the old man) have become embarassing nearly every time you open your mouth. We should always remember people the way they were and not what they become."
It makes the bitter's failure to overcome United despite their new found riches all the more hilarious.