Manchester United pay tribute to to Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife Cathy after her death at the age of 84… as the club hail her as a ‘tower of strength’ for their former manager

Manchester United have issued an emotional tribute following the death of Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife Lady Cathy.

The Ferguson family confirmed in a statement on Friday afternoon that Lady Cathy passed away on Thursday at the age of 84.

Man United offered their heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex and his family.  

‘Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family on the passing of Lady Cathy,’ a Man United statement read.

‘Lady Cathy was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career.’

Lady Cathy Ferguson, wife of Sir Alex Ferguson, has died, the family has announced

Lady Cathy had been married to Sir Alex since 1966, who described her as his bedrock

Manchester United issued an emotional tribute on social media following Lady Cathy’s death

Flags will be lowered to half-mast at Old Trafford in tribute to Lady Cathy.

Man United’s men’s team will wear black armbands during their Premier League match with Brentford on Saturday.

The women’s team will wear black armbands for Friday evening’s WSL match against Arsenal.

Lady Cathy had been by her husband’s side as he became one of the greatest manager’s in football history, winning 49 trophies. 

At Manchester United alone he won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and lifted the Champions League on two occasions.

In 2002, Lady Cathy had been instrumental in convincing Ferguson to reverse his decision to retire at that point.

He went on to manage the club for a further 11 years before eventually calling time after the death of Cathy’s sister.

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When he announced his retirement as United manager in 2013 after an unprecedented period of success for the Red Devils, Sir Alex said: ‘My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement.

‘Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.’

Man United will lower flags to half-mast at Old Trafford in tribute to Lady Cathy

Sir Alex with Lady Cathy in a black and white family photo with their twins, Jason and Darren

The couple in the kitchen of their home in Glasgow when Sir Alex was still playing for Rangers 

Sir Alex also described her as the only person in the world he did not answer back to.

Lady Cathy had been married to Sir Alex since 1966, with the couple having met while they were both working at a typewriter factory in Glasgow.

At the time the city was divided by sectarianism – Lady Cathy was a Catholic while Sir Alex was Protestant – but the then footballer was following the example of his father, who himself had ‘broken a taboo’ by marrying a Catholic woman.

Interviewed in a documentary called Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In released in 2021 Cathy revealed Sir Alex had taken her to the cinema on their first date.

‘He bought me a box of liquorice allsorts at the movies, of which he ate all of them, and a local paper when we came out. That was my romantic day.

‘We got married in Glasgow registry office in 1966 and that was the start. I went to my work and he went to his football.’

Within the documentary about Sir Alex, Ferguson dedicated his career to Cathy.

Jason Ferguson said in the film that his mother had been his father’s ‘rock’, adding: ‘She has allowed him to indulge in his obsession.

‘She more or less brought me and my brothers up on her own and made sacrifices to allow him to do what he did.’

Cathy joined Ferguson at Buckingham Palace when he was knighted by the Queen in 1999

The couple before the unveiling of a statue of Sir Alex at Old Trafford in 2012 (left) and at an event in 1996

The Fergusons watching a football game together from the stands on September 8, 2022