The Manchester United community is mourning the loss of Lady Cathy Ferguson, the beloved wife of legendary soccer manager Sir Alex Ferguson. She was the one who persuaded the Scotsman to not retire in 2002. Sir Alex continued managing the club for eleven more years and what a decision that turned out to be! The soccer universe wouldn’t have witnessed the lethal player-manager duo of Ferguson and Cristiano Ronaldo had Lady Cathy not stopped her man from retiring!

Married since 1966, Lady Cathy and her husband shared a remarkable love story that began when they met at a typewriter factory. Upon their first meeting, she thought Ferguson was a gangster!

Manchester United mourns their legendary manager’s huge loss

Fifty-seven years of marriage have come to a sorrowful end as Lady Cathy passes away at the age of 84. The Ferguson family confirmed this news through a statement on Friday. She is survived by her three sons, twelve grandchildren, and Sir Alex.

Manchester United, a club that Sir Alex guided to unprecedented success, expressed their deep condolences through a tweet posted on X. The tweet read, “Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family on the passing of Lady Cathy.”

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The tweet continued, “Lady Cathy was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career.”

It is important to acknowledge the instrumental role Lady Cathy played in her husband’s illustrious career. In 2002, when Sir Alex decided to retire, it was she who convinced him to reverse his decision. Years later, the Scotsman described the scenario in his autobiography. He explained how his wife said, “One, your health is good. Two, I’m not having you in the house. And three, you’re too young anyway.”

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Lady Cathy’s insistence allowed Ferguson to continue managing Manchester United and go on to win an additional six Premier League titles, having already won seven, and a Champions League trophy. Most importantly, he got to mentor a young Cristiano Ronaldo. Many know how ‘CR7’ went to United in 2003 from Sporting Lisbon. In those years, Ferguson protected the young player. He helped Ronaldo hone his craft.

Soccer world pays respect to the woman behind Sir Alex Ferguson’s success

Soccer fans around the world shared their condolences on social media platforms. ‘X’ became a platform for fans to express their grief and reflect on the impact Lady Cathy had on the sport and those who admired her husband.

One fan even acknowledged the role she played in his life. In fact, when he suffered a stroke following his retirement in 2013, he nursed him back to health. She even supported her husband in 2018, after he survived a life-threatening brain haemorrhage.

Ferguson equally cared for her. In 2013, Lady Cathy’s twin sister, Bridget Roberson, passed away. Cathy was lonely and isolated at that time. She had already talked Ferguson out of retiring once, but this time, she needed him. She did not object to his retirement in 2013.

Rival side Manchester City also joined in to pay their condolences.

In relation to Lady Cathy, one fan even mentioned how there’s always a woman behind a successful man. Ferguson wouldn’t deny this. In the documentary titled ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never give in’, he dedicated his career to his wife.

He first met Cathy at the factory where they worked. He was only 22 and a common friend had introduced them. At that time, Ferguson had a plaster on his face due to a soccer injury. A young Cathy thought Ferguson was a gangster or a boxer!

The couple got married in 1966. She used to go to work and Ferguson would go for soccer practice. His playing career ended in 1974 and he turned to become a manager.

Flags at Old Trafford have been lowered to half-mast as a sign of respect. The men’s and women’s teams will wear black armbands in their fixtures this weekend.

As the soccer world mourns the loss of Lady Cathy, she will forever be remembered. Her unwavering belief in Sir Alex and her profound influence on his career will be etched into the annals of soccer history.

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