SIR Alex Ferguson has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 HMV Football Extravaganza dinner in London - and then admitted he still had not given up hope of beating Chelsea to the Barclays Premiership title.

The 63-year-old Scot, who earlier this season celebrated his 1,000th game in charge of Manchester United, was presented with the accolade at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane.

Ferguson - who successfully led United to their first domestic Championship title in 26 years back in 1993 - posed for photographers with the three major English trophies he has won and in the company of several of his former players and other football notaries.

He then moved on to the main event, held in support of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, which helps the treatment of disturbed and traumatised children.

"To be recognised for an award such as this is something to be proud of," reflected Ferguson. "But tonight it is more important to talk about the money which will be raised for charity.

"Every year this dinner has got bigger and bigger.

"I think football managers should take great credit for supporting it. Last year we raised over '400,000 and hopefully we will beat that - and that will be a success for the charity."

It has not, though, been the best of campaigns for United this season, either at home or abroad.

Now out of the Champions League and trailing Premiership leaders Chelsea by 11 points with just eight games left, United's best hope of silverware appears to be the FA Cup. They face Newcastle in the semi-finals next month.

Ferguson, though, commented: "We have to still hope that Chelsea will slip up, but they are having a fantastic season, I must say."

The Scot, speaking to Sky Sports News, added: "We are through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and hopefully we can retain it."

Ferguson took over at Old Trafford from Ron Atkinson in November 1986 and since has won all three of the English game's domestic honours, as well as a famous Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in Barcelona six years ago.

Many of the players from those sides were also in London this evening, including legendary keeper Peter Schmeichel, former skippers Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce, as well as current Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, whose goals helped United win the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Before heading to Old Trafford, Ferguson enjoyed a successful spell north of the border with Aberdeen, where he won three championship titles, four Scottish cups and the League Cup during eight seasons. In 1983, Ferguson led his men to victory over Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners Cup final, and ex-Dons Alex McLeish - now manager of Rangers - and Willie Miller joined their old manager on the top table at tonight's dinner.

Ferguson joins a list of other British football legends to have received the HMV Lifetime Achievement Award, such as John Charles, Brian Clough, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Bobby Charlton and last year Kenny Dalglish.

Cantona was set to appear alongside his former manager in the pre-arranged photoshoot, which the Frenchman somehow managed to miss.

However, the 38-year-old soon made an entrance, speeding his way into The Great Room, pausing briefly for the waiting photographers before joining up with the rest of his ex-United team-mates and one-time boss.

Cantona was inspirational in the championship season of 1992/93 following his transfer from Leeds, before then going on to skipper the Red Devils to the double in 1996.

The following summer, after leading United to the title again, Cantona, who had also captained France, announced his retirement.

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