The parallels between a royal family and a football team are not
exact—footballers tend to be more disciplined and better trained than
royals—but monarchs and football managers are both in charge of small groups of
unusual individuals who are constantly in the public eye. Missteps by one mean
disaster for all. So it is not surprising that similarities are emerging
between the Queen and English football’s most successful manager, Manchester
United’s Sir Alex Ferguson.
Both royal and football teams
have to be refreshed to keep the fans happy, and Ferguson and Windsor have both
shown this ability. But new hires do not always work out, and great
managers have to be willing to sacrifice talented individuals in the interests
of the team. Just as Ferguson sacked Beckham when his ego and his endorsements
got in the way of his football, so the Queen has dealt ruthlessly with Harry
and Meghan. They wanted to be able to stay half in the family, doing some royal
work while exploiting their titles for their private interest; and, as the most
popular of the royals, they might reasonably have expected Windsor to give in to their demands. Instead, they have been put on the transfer list, and
will lose their royal titles. Like Beckham, they will be relegated to North
America.
Although Windsor, with 68
years in the job, has surpassed Ferguson, his 27 in post made him the
longest-serving manager at the top of British football. Windsor has taken the title of
Britain’s longest reigning monarch of all time. Their organisations have benefited from the degree of stability both managers’ long reigns have conferred.
Monarchies, like football
clubs, outlive their incumbents. Since Ferguson stepped down, United has
struggled. Manager after manager has failed in his shadow. Windsor’s many fans
must hope the similarities do not extend that far.
From The Economist (edited)
