Sir Alex Ferguson’s immeasurable impact on football has gone down in history and will never be forgotten.
But the great man has now made an official impact in an area he may not have expected during his brilliant career: the English language.
As reported in The Mirror, the phrase ‘squeaky bum time’ coined by Sir Alex, has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Sir Alex first uttered the phrase when he pushed the end of Arsenal’s 2003 season, suggesting that Arsene Wenger’s side would have to overcome high-pressure games and moments if they were to end up winning the Premier League title.
The Oxford English Dictionary announced that the phrase is now officially recognized in its quarterly update.
The official definition says; Noun. screeching tramp time. Primarily an exciting part of a sporting event, particularly the closing moments of a close game or season.
Before the next World Cup in Qatar, the squeaky-bum time is one of fifteen football phrases added to the OED.
Sir Alex’s rival and former United manager José Mourinho’s famous ‘park the bus’ statement has also been officially recognized and defined as; “Playing in a very defensive manner, typically having most of the outfield players close to their own goal and showing little attacking intent.”
The other 13 phrases associated with football that have been included are: Cruyff turn, Rabona, Panenka, total football, Gegenpressing, tiki-taka, false nine, row Z, scorer, outfield, over the top, Trequartista and zonal marking.
Sir Alex’s teams were famous for their performances in the Screaming Tramp’s time period, keeping his nerves in games and title runs to make Fergie the most decorated manager in English football history.
Erik Ten Hag is now in charge of the ship that Ferguson shaped and the Dutch manager is hoping to go through many spells in his time at Old Trafford.
The Dutch manager will be desperate to bring back the success the club has lost since Sir Alex’s retirement and after five wins from his last six domestic games, there are signs he is beginning to make his mark on the club.
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