Sir Alex Ferguson's poetic side

It has been revealed that ex-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has a rare poetic side.

Source: Getty Images

Ferguson, the most successful manager of all-time, penned an eloquent poem to let his former Aberdeen players know they had been fined.

During his eight year tenure at the club from 1978-86, the poem is thought to be from the early 1980s.

The Scotsman informs his players that they've been fined the princely sum of £3 each for bouncing a ball in the hotel.

The poem initially surfaced on Reddit where former Aberdeen midfielder Neil Simpson commented on the poem saying: "We were in Benidorm pre-season with Aberdeen, and inevitably the boys get a bit bored on occasion.

"Neale Cooper and John Hewitt were sharing a bedroom on the fifth floor, and decided to drop a football from the window to see how high it would bounce back up again.

"So they hung out, and let it go, the ball caught the edge of the swimming pool and rebounded over the perimeter fence never to be seen again.

"When we got our pay-slips in at the end of the week all the boys had been docked three pounds each without warning.

'It turned out Alex Ferguson and Archie Knox had been sitting by the pool and had seen the whole thing unfold, and we each got a copy of this poem, written by the boss, to remind us of our responsibilities."

Alex Ferguson honours

ST MIRREN

Scottish First Division (1): 1976-77.

ABERDEEN

Scottish Premier Division (3): 1979-80, 1983-84, 1984-85.

Scottish Cup (4): 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86.

Scottish League Cup (1): 1985-86.

European Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1982-83.

European Super Cup (1): 1983.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Premier League (13): 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13.

FA Cup (5): 1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04.

League Cup (4): 1991-92, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10.

Charity/Community Shield (10): 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.

Champions League (2): 1998-99, 2007-08.

European Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1990-91.

European Super Cup (1): 1991.

Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999.

FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008.