Beckham and Ferguson: Divided They Stand

On 17 June 2003 it was finally over: England's superstar footballer was leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid. The Becks and Fergie era was at an end. This is the story behind one of the greatest bust-ups in sport. After more than a decade together David Beckham and Alex Ferguson went their separate ways, but how and why did football's most famous relationship fall apart? From before his 14th birthday David Beckham was destined to play for the club he idolised. Alex Ferguson was the man who recognized what his talent meant for United, gave Beckham the opportunity to develop, put him in the first team and backed him after the notorious sending off against Argentina. The old man and the new man seemed made for each other. But by the time the notorious boot went flying across the Man Utd dressing-room, everything had changed. Jason Tomas looks behind the headlines at the relationship between Ferguson and Beckham, what brought them close together and what pulled them apart. And as fans across the world swap red shirts for white, he asks how they will get on without each other.