Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson knows he needed a strong chairman to survive his early years at Old Trafford.
As Ferguson surveys the way managers tend to be treated by trigger-happy boards these days, he must feel thankful that Martin Edwards had the strength of character to stand by him during those difficult early days.
Ferguson also benefited from the presence of Busby, plus Sir Bobby Charlton, who remains such a familiar figure at Old Trafford and always ready with a bit of advice.
"You don't have that in a lot of boardrooms," Ferguson told the Daily Telegraph.
"You only need to look at Bayern Munich as a great example of how to run clubs.
"Bayern is filled with former players, who understand what Bayern Munich are like and they understand the history of the club and what it takes to remain consistent.
"When I came to United, I had Sir Matt at the club and Bobby Charlton there also. They were a comforting part for me in the sense that I knew they could understand what I was looking to do and achieve.
"That was because their philosophy was exactly the same as mine in what I was trying to achieve. They knew that I was embracing the philosophy of bringing back youth into the club and working the youth system.
"I think that is what great clubs should be about. They should have people who understand the history of the club and we are fortunate that way."
