COULD THIS BE THE REASON WHY SIR ALEX FERGUSON WENT BACK ON HIS WORD AND RETIRED? The death of Jock Stein, Wales v Scotland, 1985

DEATH ON THE TOUCHLINE: Jock Stein collapses in Cardiff, 1985... a
young Alex Ferguson can be clearly seen behind him

SIR ALEX FERGUSON is 71. Next month he is due for a hip operation, delayed until the end of Manchester United’s 20^th title-winning season.

Unless you live on Uranus, you’ll know Sir Alex Ferguson retired today, giving an eloquent statement and suggesting “the time was right” just days after insisting he had "no plans to walk away".

Curious. Why would Sir Alex change his mind so abruptly? What sparked his decision?

I think I may have the answer. On 10 September 1985, Scotland drew 1–1 with Wales at Ninian Park in Cardiff, securing a play-off against Australia which would lead to qualification for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

On that fateful day 28 years ago, the legendary Scottish football manager Jock Stein suffered a heart attack at the end of the game and died shortly afterwards in the stadium's medical room.

He was 62 years old, nearly a decade younger than Sir Alex, who considered big Jock a hero and his mentor.

Sir Alex was there that day. Right next to the man he considered a father figure. He was Scotland’s assistant manager, in recognition of his phenomenal achievements at Aberdeen. Ferguson went on to lead the team in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, without great success, months before moving to Manchester United.

Here’s how Sir Alex remembers that day: “When Davie (Cooper) put the penalty in, Jock didn’t say a word. Shortly afterwards the big man rose to move towards Mike England (the Wales coach).

"But as he did, he stumbled. I grabbed for him as he started to fall. The medics came out of the tunnel. I held him until he was helped inside.

“When I left to speak to the press I saw Graeme Souness (suspended that day and on the bench) and he was crying. “I think he’s gone,” Graeme said. I couldn’t believe it.

“When we filed on to the bus there were thousands standing outside and the quiet sadness of the atmosphere was unforgettable. The abiding memory is of a solemn silence.

"It was as if the king had died.”

Stein was later found to have suffered a massive heart attack. Professor Stewart Hillis, the Scotland doctor that night, was also Big Jock's general practitioner. Years later he recalled: “Near the end of the game, all the photographers were cramming around the Welsh bench at 1-0.

"Everything changed though when Cooper's penalty went in. The focus changed to our bench.

"Jock ushered at least one photographer away. He looked his normal self, strong and vital.

Close: Jock and Alex on the Scotland bench

"But with around two minutes to go, the referee's whistle sounded and Jock thought the match was over. He got up and then collapsed to his knees.

"We had a full medical team in the stadium's medical room. We were trying to revive him.

"His last words were, 'I'm feeling much better now, doc'. But I knew there was nothing more that could possibly have been done. We had all the available equipment.

"I stayed with Jock after he was gone. He had heart muscle disease and was supposed to be taking tablets to help remove fluid from his body. It was later revealed he had been skipping the tablets."

Sir Alex will never forget that night. Is it possible that, during preparations for his hip operation, the world’s greatest manager was told he had blood pressure problems? He often looks red-faced, as most do at his age. A “dodgy ticker” as they might say in England?

Pure speculation of course, from 5,000 miles away. We may never know the truth. There may not be one. But I’d suggest Sir Alex’s abrupt turnaround and decision to quit won’t have been made without images of that night in Cardiff clear in his mind. Death on the touchline tends to linger in the memory of a football coach.

After all, today was quite a shock for United fans and shareholders. Just last Sunday, in his programme notes before the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea at Old Trafford, Ferguson responded to questions about his future by saying: “I certainly don’t have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special.

“This team of champions is not going away - we are here for the long ride.

“We will get better and if we apply ourselves in our normal fashion, I see our 20th league title as nothing but the start of another decade of success.

“Whether I will be here to oversee another decade of success remains to be seen, but I certainly don’t have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special and worth being around to see.”

Working on in to your 70's is hardly unusual these days. But managing a football team? Particularly Manchester United? Such pressure would tax a man half his age. As Sir Alex said today: “I am looking forward to the future now."

It's England v Wales tonight, and John Terry's lecturing Andy Carroll on drinking!

You know you’ve got a drinking problem when John Terry tells you to go easy on the bottle. And that’s just what happened yesterday, as England prepared for their Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales at Wembley tonight.

Yes, Terry, the bloke you may think uses “Troubled” as his first name, has told Liverpool’s pony-tailed striker Andy Carroll to lay off the booze.

Chelsea and England defender is famous for his boozy nights and rash affairs – not to mention having an alleged drug dealer as a father and a convicted shop-lifter as a mother.

No better man to give Carroll a word of advice is there? Carroll, remember, had to move in with his former Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan as part of his bail conditions after an assault charge last year. After having his car burnt out in the driveway, Mrs Nolan and the two kids had to decamp to Liverpool when Nolan and Carroll started throwing wild parties in the family home.

And then there was the time he broke a team-mates jaw after a row over a girlfriend at training. Nice guy, Andy Carroll.

Hence the need for Terry to warn him: “I've made my mistakes, maybe drank a little bit too much when I was younger and gone out a little bit too much.

"But, having gone through that, at 26 or 27 you maybe look back and are glad that you did it then because you don't want to do it now."

Ah. Carroll is only 22, still wet behind the ears after his £35m/R350m move from hometown Newcastle to resurgent Liverpool, where he has managed just one goal this season. Does that mean he has four more years of drinking to come?

Apparently not. Terry tells the Sun how young Master Carroll should try a more healthy style, adding: "Andy is a young player who's at a very big club with a really good future. He has still got to enjoy his time away from football. I'm sure he will. He's a really good pro on the pitch and good around the camp”

As England go into tonight’s key qualifier, Wales boss Gary Speed, fresh from his side’s 2-1 win over mighty Montenegro, are concentrating on another reformed bad boy, Wayne Rooney.

The United star scored twice in the 3-0 win over Bulgaria on Friday night and Speed admits: "We have looked at ways of minimising Rooney’s effectiveness but it's going to be difficult because of his quality.

“I wouldn't like to be a centre-half playing against him. Rooney is an amazing player and, from a pro's point of view, great to watch. People talk about his goalscoring but his movement off the ball is fantastic as well and causes teams so many problems.

"We haven't done that much in training because of the time but we do a lot of work off the pitch in the video room."

Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey will have the armband tonight. He admits: "We know the task ahead of us and we will all be ready for him.

"He's proved this season that he is back to his best. But, hopefully, we can keep him quiet."

Speed has no injury worries but is without the suspended Craig Bellamy and David Vaughan after their bookings in the 2-1 win over Montenegro on Friday.