Aston Villa had a big opportunity to hire Alex Ferguson as their manager back in 1986, but they missed out because the chairman at the time, Doug Ellis, had his sights set on someone else. Ferguson, who was looking to leave Aberdeen for an English club, had an impressive track record with 10 trophies under his belt. However, Ellis decided to go with former Aberdeen boss Billy McNeill instead. This decision turned out to be a huge mistake as both Villa and Manchester City, where McNeill was poached from, were relegated just eight months later.
Ellis admitted that he never even considered hiring Ferguson, despite being aware of his success at Aberdeen. Ferguson went on to join Manchester United, where he had an incredibly successful career and turned the club into one of the biggest in the world. At the time Ferguson took over at United, both Villa and United had similar records in terms of European Cup wins and league titles. However, Villa had a better record in terms of FA Cup and League Cup wins.
Ellis also reflected on the time when Tommy Docherty was the manager at Villa and how he was able to boost attendance numbers significantly due to his clever media tactics. Docherty was eventually sacked, but he went on to lead Manchester United to success in the Second Division. Ellis, who served as Villa chairman for many years, oversaw the appointment and sacking of many managers during his time at the club.
In hindsight, it is clear that Aston Villa missed a golden opportunity by not hiring Alex Ferguson when they had the chance. His success at Manchester United speaks for itself, and Villa could have potentially seen similar success if they had made a different decision back in 1986. It just goes to show how one decision can have a huge impact on the future of a club.
