Cathy Ferguson, the wife of former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, has died at the age of 84, the family has confirmed.
The Ferguson family confirmed the news in a statement released on Friday. “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 statement read, adding: “The family asks for privacy at this time.”
Cathy had been married to Sir Alex since 1966, with the couple having met while they were both working at a typewriter factory. When he announced his retirement as United manager in 2013 after an unprecedented period of success for the Red Devils, Ferguson 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.”
In 2002, Cathy had been instrumental in convincing Ferguson to reverse his decision to retire at that point, going on to manage the club for a further 11 years before eventually calling time after the death of Cathy’s sister.