Sir Alex Ferguson donates personal memorabilia as library is renamed in his honour
Glasgow Caledonian University has renamed its Library, based in the Saltire Centre, as the Sir Alex Ferguson Library.
The renaming is an opportunity for the University to thank Sir Alex, and recognise his special relationship with GCU and the city of Glasgow. Sir Alex has been a longstanding supporter of the University’s students in his capacity as an honorary graduate, but most notably in his role as Founding Donor of the GCU Foundation, our charitable foundation, to which he has generously donated £700k to date and takes an active interest in the progress of his beneficiaries.
In return, the former Manchester United manager has granted the University’s archive the indefinite loan of a number of personal items to create a display within the renamed library.
The display, which is named Sir Alex – My Story in Objects, represents key decades of his life to date and includes a worn football shirt, an early coaching notepad and a manager-of-the-year trophy, as well as early childhood photographs, a Queens Park team photo from the 1958/59 season, Sir Alex’s A-licence coaching certificate from 1979 and a diary from 1993 – the season he won his first Premier League title with Manchester United.
These and other items are now on display in the library.
Sir Alex also met a number of beneficiaries at the official library-renaming event and heard first-hand how his support has changed their lives.
Sir Alex said: "I’ve had a brilliant relationship with GCU over many years now, and it is an absolute honour that the University has chosen to name its library after me. The University was keen to give an insight into the person the Library has been named after and I hope that donating personal items from my life will help to do that. I thoroughly enjoy returning to the University and listening to students speak passionately about their experiences. I see great ambition and potential in many of our young people."
Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies CBE, FRSE said: "The University’s library will be renamed the Sir Alex Ferguson Library in recognition of his outstanding generosity and contribution to nurturing the talent of our students at Glasgow Caledonian University. It is also in recognition of the fact that Sir Alex is a local hero who has achieved phenomenal influence as the world’s most successful football manager and as a truly exceptional, inspiring leader.
"We felt the library, the heart of the University would be the most appropriate building to rename. It contributes directly to the University’s key goals to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to achieve academically, to maximise their employability and to contribute to our mission, for the Common Good.
"This aligns very closely to Sir Alex’s motivation for supporting our students, which was driven by his passion for providing young people with precious opportunities that will encourage them to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams."