UTD Unscripted: Former kit man Albert Morgan’s friendship with Sir Alex Ferguson

The same goes for a lot of the players that worked under him too. We’ve been blessed at the club with the players that we’ve had. Fabulous people. The boss used to scrutinise not only how they could play, but also finding out about their characters, their families, their agents, their hangers-on. He went into the background and if there was any doubt at all, he wouldn’t sign them, no matter how good the player was. He wouldn’t take the chance because you don’t want any bad apples. So you end up with the best kind of characters in your club.

If you look at the likes of Gary and Ryan opening their hotel to NHS workers for free, that just shows you the kind of boys they are. They were products of the system that the boss cultivated. I had a fantastic relationship with the Class of ‘92 boys. I wouldn’t have a bad word said against them, any of them. They were all at my wife’s funeral too. It all goes back to that trust that’s been built up over decades. I remember going away to York with those boys when they were kids and I was in my first season at the club. Jim Ryan, me and the A-team and B-team lads had a week in York. At that time I was learning the job and I was so nervous about getting it right.

They could sense that.
I took a set of long-sleeve shirts and a set of short-sleeve shirts on the trip with me. No names or any of that. They were all 1-15, I think. Jim Ryan’s there giving them the instructions, picking the team. They all had their shorts on while he’s talking and I’m going along with these bundles of shirts in a polythene bag.

I said: “Here, Scholesy, what number are you?”

“Eight.”

“Long or short-sleeved?”

“Er, long-sleeve please.”

“Ryan, what number are you?”

“11.”

“Long or short-sleeved?”

“I’ll have a short-sleeved please.”

I’m going along the line like this and suddenly you hear Scholesy…

“Oh, Albert, I think I’ll have a short-sleeved shirt.”

Then Giggsy piped up wanting a long-sleeved shirt.

Then somebody shouted from further down the line, telling me they wanted number four, long-sleeved.

Then they’re all shouting different things.

So I just threw the f***** lot at them and they all p***** themselves laughing.