Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary former Manchester United manager, has revealed he was arrested and jailed following a drunken fight during his playing days at St Johnstone. The 79-year-old opened up about the incident in the new documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In.
Ferguson recalled going off the rails in the early 1960s as his football career faltered, leading to a rift with his father that lasted two years. He became despondent, started going out on Friday nights before matches, and one night ended up in a fight while drunk.
'I got drunk and I ended up in a fight and ended up in jail,' Ferguson said. 'I went to court and got fined £3. I was a bit of a black sheep.' He expressed regret over that period, saying it has always been in the back of his mind.
Ferguson credited a hat-trick for St Johnstone against Rangers in December 1963 with turning his life around. After the match, he reconciled with his father, who said, 'That's the boy I had.' From then on, Ferguson committed himself entirely to football.
