As Sir Alex Ferguson rose unsteadily to his feet, having turned 83 on New Year’s Eve, he scanned the room for Ruben Amorim and his players in Manchester Cathedral, offering them a slight nod.
“Good result yesterday, by the way,” Ferguson smiled, clearly impressed by the 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday. “Kath would be happy.”
Even on this poignant day, the funeral of Kathleen Evelyn Phipps, Manchester United remained a priority. She devoted her life to the club, so it was only fitting that Monday was no different.
Ferguson’s voice resonated throughout the magnificent gothic cathedral. This was the venue where United honored legends like George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton, highlighting the high regard in which Kath Phipps is held.
Reflecting on his arrival in November 1986, Ferguson remarked, “You realized then that Manchester United was run by one girl.”
To understand the affection for the 85-year-old, who passed away in early December after 56 years with the club, one only needed to look around the cathedral yesterday.
Ferguson was accompanied by his former kit man, Albert Morgan. David Beckham, who had flown in to spend precious moments with Kath during her final days and shared a touching photo of their hands together, arrived with his mother, Sandra.
Members of the Class of 92—Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Ryan Giggs—sat together, while other Treble winners like Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were also present. Solskjaer fondly remembered bringing Kath chocolates from Norway.
The gathering spanned generations, with Brian Kidd from the Sixties, Lou Macari from the Seventies, Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes from the Eighties, and Gary Pallister, Paul Parker, and Denis Irwin from the Nineties. Only Eric Cantona was absent, tied up with filming commitments.
Alongside the current squad, who arrived on the team bus, were academy members—the latest to grow up under Kath’s nurturing presence at United.
Sir Dave Brailsford, representing co-owners Ineos, arrived with chief operating officer Collette Roche, mingling with former club doctor Steve McNally, chef Mike Donnelly, and club executives from various eras.
Staff members, including some who had recently lost their jobs, came out in full force to honor Kath. Many had supported her during the pandemic and were there when she fell terminally ill, organizing a schedule for round-the-clock visits and care. Ferguson’s chauffeur, Steve Webb, even brought her cherished West Highland terrier, Maisie, to visit and has since adopted the dog.
While Manchester United might be one of the largest sports brands globally, it has always been, at its core, a family club. A large family, yes, but a family nonetheless, as was evident yesterday.
Unfortunately, in the past year, that sense of unity has felt threatened as Ineos has meticulously—some might say ruthlessly—worked to stabilize a club that has struggled in the wake of the Glazer years marked by overspending and underachievement. Job cuts, reduced charity donations, compliance battles with profit and sustainability rules, on-pitch struggles, and a stadium in disrepair have all contributed to a challenging landscape.