In May of last year, Sir Alex Ferguson publically announced that he intended to retire as Manchester United’s manager, explaining that he would instead serve only as the club’s ambassador and director. His final match at Old Trafford took place just five days later, and resulted in the Red Devils defeating Swansea with a final tally of 2-1. As it was Ferguson’s last game on home turf, a huge number of Man United fans attended, one of whom was Tunde Folawiyo.

Prior to kick-off, the team members of both Man United and Swansea formed a guard of honour, which Ferguson then walked through to reach the arena; his arrival was greeted with applause and cheers by everyone in the stadium. The match got off to a lively start, with the two teams defending themselves well; but a few minutes before the interval, the Red Devils took the lead, after Javier Hernandez deftly kicked the ball just beyond the keeper’s reach.

United did not maintain this advantage for long however, with Swansea’s Michu levelling the score moments after half-time ended. This was an expertly executed play, with Williams heading the ball to the feet of Dyer, who then passed to Michu. The Spaniard was quick to react, immediately volleying the ball into the net.

This equaliser probably came as quite a blow to many fans, including Tunde Folawiyo. Given the significance of this match for Ferguson and his supporters, anything less than a total victory would have been heartbreaking. At this point, Ferguson recognised a need for some changes on the pitch; in the 66th minute, Anderson replaced Scholes, whilst Welbeck replaced Valencia.

Ferguson’s decision almost instantly improved United’s performance, and the fans’ spirits were raised once again when, just 12 minutes before the match drew to a close, Robin Van Persie initiated the winning goal, taking a free kick which was volleyed home by Rio Ferdinand.

Throughout the match, Ferguson remained stationary in his technical area, only making his way towards the pitch after the referee blew the final whistle. With a microphone in hand, he expressed his gratitude to all of the players and the fans, who had supported him even during the difficult early years of his time with the club. He also paid tribute to David Moyes, the team’s new manager.