The fiery Scotsman is renowned in football circles for his
verbal outbursts.
Many former ex-United players have recounted his infamous
'hairdryer treatment' in which he launches into a tirade just
inches from the face of his `victim'.
Beckham has fallen foul of Ferguson on several occasions.
The first came in 1999 when Beckham was fined for appearing at a
party in London with his Posh Spice wife Victoria before a
Champions League game against Sturm Graz in Austria.
Then just a couple of months later in December 1999 Victoria's
relationship with her husband's boss worsened when she said Beckham
would eventually move abroad to play.
But this was just the prelude to a furious full-scale bust-up in
February 2000.
Rumours of the row began circulating when Beckham failed to turn up
for a Friday morning training session ahead of a crucial game
against Leeds.
Beckham turned up on Saturday and told his boss he was absent
because his son Brooklyn, then still a baby, was unwell.
But Ferguson deemed this not to be 'a satisfactory reason for being
absent' and the two had a training ground shouting match.
'There was no way I could consider including Beckham in the team to
meet Leeds,' Ferguson later wrote in his autobiography.
'That much was crystal clear in my mind before David worsened the
problems between us when we met on the Saturday by making me lose
my temper badly, something I hadn't done in years.
'At first he simply refused to accept that he had anything to
answer for and that made me blow up.'
Ferguson dropped Beckham from the squad.
The manager revealed in his book: 'It doesn't matter to me how high
a player's profile is. If he is in the wrong, he is disciplined.
And David was definitely in the wrong.'
It was alleged Ferguson was unhappy because Victoria was not there
to look after Brooklyn - she was in London at the British Fashion
Awards.
Beckham later reassured Ferguson of his commitment to the cause and
that he did not want to leave the club.
A couple of weeks later Sir Alex was 'snubbed' when the Spice Girl
chose to rehearse for the Brit Awards instead of attend a banquet
in honour of Sir Alex being given the keys to the city of
Manchester.
At the time it was felt that Ferguson saw the incident as a symptom
of the celebrity lifestyle Beckham was leading.
The conflict underlined Ferguson's concern over the distractions of
his star player having his main family home at `Beckingham Palace'
in Hertfordshire, 200 miles from United's ground.
In September 2001 came the publication of Victoria Beckham's
autobiography Learning to Fly.
In it she described Sir Alex as 'vindictive' and he had never said
more than 'hello' to her.
She also revealed Ferguson 'went berserk' when the England captain
asked for two extra days off following their wedding.
Ferguson instead told Beckham he had better report on time for
training - with the reserves.
But even after these rows she insisted she told her husband to stay
at United.
Ferguson has never hidden his desire to keep his superstars under a
tight rein.
In his autobiography, Ferguson wrote: 'If footballers think they
are above the manager's control ... there is only one word to say
to them - goodbye.'
Ferguson is arguably the last of the great, old-fashioned football
managers in the mould of Jock Stein, Bill Shankly and Bill Paisley;
a gruff, tough workaholic Glaswegian and former shipyard worker
turned millionaire.
The Beckhams on the other hand are a stylish showbiz couple with a
love for the latest fashion and fast cars.
