Fergie: Kenyon's Move To Chelsea Wasn't A Loss

Peter Kenyon, the man all United fans love to hate (and even some of the Chelsea fans!). If ever there was true example of the mercenary nature that modern football has brought about, Kenyon fits the bill. A supposedly dyed-in-the-wool United fan, Kenyon jumped ship the moment Roman Abramovich showed up at Chelsea with more money than the small minded weasel could comprehend.

The decline of United was in process and it appeared as though Kenyon had made the right decision to forsake his boyhood club for the rent boys.

Until the tide turned.

The title was won by eight points when Chelsea failed to beat Arsenal, meaning the following weekend’s game when United travelled to Stamford Bridge was for nothing. Chelsea gave our players a heroes welcome, applauding them on to the pitch. Kieran Lee, Kieran Richardson, Tomasz Kuszczak, Chris Eagles and Dong were amongst the players John Terry gave a Guard of Honour too. Classic.

Whilst this was a victory over Chelsea and two fingers up at Kenyon, the climax of the Kenyon affair was delivered in Moscow. Forty years after Kenyon was at Wembley with his father, watching United lift the European Cup for the first time, he watched his boyhood club, the one he ran out on, claiming victory against his current employees. What a moment.

Sir Alex Ferguson has reflected on this, comparing the actions of Kenyon that night with Sir Bobby Charlton.

I imagine the moment was incredibly moving for Charlton, seeing the current United stars winning the European Cup forty years after he did the same, and fifty years after his pals and team mates died in Munich, chasing the same goal.

It was fitting then that Charlton was the one to lead our team up to collect their winners medals. However, when a medal was offered to him, he declined.

“Charlton was saying: look, this is not my night,” Ferguson said. “This is the players’ night. There would have been a lot of understanding if he had worn the medal because, 50 years on from the Busby Babes, he had every right. But he was thinking of the players and the football club. And that is Bobby Charlton.”

In contrast, Kenyon was straight up there, collecting his runners’ up medal, an embarrassed grin on his face.

Ferguson certainly doesn’t think much of him though, even claiming to be happy he left, as it meant David Gill was able to take his place. When asked whether Kenyon’s move to Chelsea was a blow, he was quick and firm to answer.

“No,” he said. “Definitely not. Peter Kenyon? He wasn’t a loss. The best thing that has happened recently has been David Gill.”

Peter Kenyon, you’re a wanker! You’re a wanker!