Lady Cathy Ferguson, wife of former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, has died at the age of 84. The couple met while working at a typewriter factory in Glasgow in 1964 and married two years later, raising three sons and 12 grandchildren over a relationship that spanned more than half a century.
The Ferguson family confirmed the news in a statement on Friday, asking for privacy. Sir Alex, now 81, is said to be housebound and deeply affected by the loss of the woman he called his 'bedrock'. In his 2013 retirement speech, he credited Cathy with providing 'stability and encouragement' throughout his 27-year tenure at Manchester United.
Lady Cathy once recalled their first date, a trip to the cinema where Sir Alex ate all the liquorice allsorts he had bought her. She described him as a 'thug' when they first met due to a plaster on his face from a football injury. The couple married at Glasgow registry office in 1966.
Their son Darren Ferguson is manager of Peterborough United, while eldest son Mark works as an investment banker. Manchester United released a statement expressing condolences, describing Lady Cathy as a 'tower of strength' for Sir Alex throughout his career.
