Sir Alex Ferguson has been named the League Managers’ Association Manager of the Year after guiding Manchester United to a record 20th title.
After guiding Cardiff City to 2012/13 Championship title, Malky Mackay was recognised as the top Championship manager, while Yeovil Town’s Gary Johnson was honoured as League One Manager of the Year.
Gillingham’s Martin Allen won the League Two Manager of the Year award.
Sir Alex, responding at the ceremony said: “It has been overwhelming. The club has been fantastic and congratulations to West Brom with the way they handled yesterday (Sunday).
“I think Steve Clark should get an award because anyone who scores five against United deserves it.”
Manchester United drew 5-5 with West Brom in Ferguson’s 1,500th and final game in charge of the ‘Red Devils.’
Ferguson have won 38 trophies in his 26- year reign at Old Trafford and will be succeeded by Everton’s David Moyes, who was seen at the club’s Carrington facility yesterday, more than a month before he is due to take over the rein.
“In a way I am glad it is all over now because it has been hard work,” said the retiree.
LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson said: “There is no doubt that the LMA Annual Awards are perceived as the most accurate measure of a manager’s ability because there are no better judges of your performance than your peers.
“Finding words to adequately describe the monumental levels of achievement and the indelible legacy Sir Alex Ferguson leaves in the game is nigh on impossible. This evening’s award adds yet another record to that list, making him the only person to secure the much- coveted LMA Manager of the Year Award for a fourth time.
“David Moyes, his choice of successor to the Old Trafford throne, has won it three times and I know that Sir Alex will hope and believe that David goes on to equal and surpass the new record.”
In April, Mackay’s Cardiff secured promotion to the Premier League and went on to win the Championship by eight points at the expense of Hull City.
Wilkinson said: “I am just very proud of the whole club- a lot of people in the last two years have put hard work into building this.”
Another manager of note at the award ceremony was Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson, whose side were defeated by Swansea in the finals of the Carling Cup. Bradford has also won promotion from League Two to the Championship via the play- offs this season.
Former Chelsea boss Roberto Di Mateo also collected a Merit Award in recognition of the Blues’ Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich in 2012.
Di Mateo was sacked after a poor run of form both in the Champions and Premier League, which resulted to their elimination from the knock- out stage of Europe’s elite competition as defending champions.
England boss Roy Hodgson was elected into the LMA’s 1,000 club for managers who had been in charge of 1,000 games after the body agreed to take overseas and international matches into account. Ex- Southampton and Northern Ireland coach Lawrie McMenemy was also elected into the club.
Hodgson who has a vast knowledge and expertise in management, after coaching in eight different countries, opined that the job of a manager was becoming tougher.
“You have to be very lucky to survive the ups and downs and that’s getting harder and harder,” Hodgson said.
“I have been lucky and done it in some quite easy places compared to what Sir Alex Ferguson has done at Manchester United and Aberdeen, that’s for sure,”
