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Legendary Manchester United football manager Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his regret over not standing up to the Rangers directors who questioned him about his late wife’s Catholic faith when he signed for the club in 1967.
Lady Cathy Ferguson, Sir Alex’s ‘tower of strength,’ recently passed away at the age of 84.
Sir Alex, a Protestant, and Lady Cathy, a devout Catholic, had been married for nearly 60 years. The couple met in 1964, were married two years later and raised three children and 12 grandchildren.
In the 2021 documentary ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In’ – directed by their son Jason – the legendary manager said he felt he was ‘bombed out’ of Rangers because of his wife’s religion.
Ferguson said he should have told the Rangers directors to “**** off” (go away) when they asked him about Cathy being a Catholic.
Despite the religious divide in Glasgow, Sir Alex’s determination to play for his childhood club prevailed over his reservations about the line of questioning regarding his wife’s faith.
Unfortunately, his time at Rangers was marred by disappointment, leading him to feel like a ‘scapegoat’ after Celtic’s 1969 Scottish Cup final defeat.
Ferguson said: “I was completely bombed out, training on my own. I can only assume it was because of Cathy being a Catholic.
“I’m sure of it.”
Glasgow’s religious divide
The documentary highlighted the religious rivalry that permeated Glasgow, with Sir Alex explaining, “Glasgow is a city where there is a divide. It’s Protestant and Catholic, Rangers and Celtic.”
Reflecting on that moment when the Rangers director asked about Cathy’s religion, Sir Alex admitted, “I let myself down there, and I let my wife down – that was the most important thing – because she was a devout Catholic.”
However, the Fergusons moved past this challenging period and Sir Alex achieved remarkable success. He became the most successful manager in English football, winning 49 trophies across 26 years at Manchester United.
Lady Cathy was essential in convincing him not to retire in 2002, extending his managerial career by another 11 years.
Sir Alex spoke about their relationship and of his debt to Cathy upon his retirement as manager of Manchester United in 2013 after 27 years in the job.
“My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement” Sir Alex Ferguson said. “Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.”
Sources
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