Manchester United‘s teams will wear black armbands for their respective Premier League and Women’s Super League fixtures this weekend in honour of Lady Cathy Ferguson, the late wife of former Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
United’s women sported the armbands in their Friday night WSL match against Arsenal, while the men’s side are set to do the same against Brentford on Saturday. Flags at Old Trafford have also been lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect.
Lady Cathy died aged 84 on Thursday morning at the couple’s home in Cheshire after 57 years of marriage to Sir Alex, 81.
Her passing was confirmed in a statement by the Ferguson family, which said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing yesterday of Lady Cathy Ferguson, survived by her husband, three sons, two sisters, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.”
“The family asks for privacy at this time,” they added.
United sent their “heartfelt condolences” to the Ferguson family via a post on X/Twitter. The club said Lady Cathy was a “tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career”.
Sir Alex has spoken often about how his wife supported his career with United, including that she helped convince him to reverse plans to retire in 2002. He went on to manage the club for 11 more years before eventually leaving after Lady Cathy’s sister died.
When announcing his retirement in 2013, 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.”
The pair had been married since 1966, having met while they were both working at a typewriter factory. They welcomed their first son, Mark, two years later, followed by twins, Darren and Jason, in 1972.
“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,” Lady Cathy said in a 2021 documentary called Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In.
In that documentary, Sir Alex dedicated his career to his wife. Their son Jason said 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.”
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