A giant screen had been installed in the stadium bowl of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand – where else? – and a few hundred guests were seated across the lower tier. As you may have guessed, this week’s inclement Manchester weather could have been better, yet that didn’t matter one bit to anybody in attendance and you can’t exactly shelter from the storm while watching a film called Never Give In.
There was a strong first-team presence in the front rows, with Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and others keen to soak up the story. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Mike Phelan, Darren Fletcher, Kieran McKenna and more members of staff were also in attendance, as well as the Fergusons themselves.
This was clearly a proud night for the family and particularly because the documentary is directed by Sir Alex’s son Jason. To describe that decision as shrewd is unjust, as their relationship extracts a level of honesty and introspection that nobody else could have gained. It’s a genuine masterstroke, because this is not a film about football. This is a film about life and a man’s desire to succeed.
