Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken candidly about the profound impact of losing his wife, Lady Cathy, describing how he found himself struggling to leave the house following her passing.
Lady Cathy, who died peacefully on October 5, 2023, at the age of 84, was married to the former Manchester United manager for nearly six decades.
Known as the “bedrock” of his life, she supported Ferguson through the highs of his footballing career and nursed him back to health after his life-threatening brain haemorrhage in 2018.
Speaking in a heartfelt interview with the BBC, Ferguson admitted that the months following her death were some of the most challenging of his life.
“After my wife passed, I was stuck in the house a lot,” the Manchester United icon said.
“I moved house, into the country, next door to my son.
“But it’s not good enough just to sit watching TV, so I decided to travel. I went to Saudi [Arabia], Hong Kong and Bahrain.
“Occupy yourself. Dealing with the dementia group has been good for me. It’s something that I enjoy.”
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Sir Alex Ferguson pictured with wife Lady Cathy back in 2012
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Ferguson sold his £3.25million Cheshire mansion in April last year, moving into a £1.2m home next door to his son Darren.
The relocation has allowed him to remain close to family as he adjusts to life without Cathy.
The couple first met in the 1960s while working in a Glasgow typewriter factory and married in 1966.
Despite Glasgow’s sectarian tensions at the time — Lady Cathy was Catholic, Ferguson Protestant — they married in a registry office before Ferguson pursued his football career.
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In the 2021 documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, directed by their son Jason, Lady Cathy recalled their first date with typical humour:
“I just saw him walking through and I thought he was a thug," she joked.
"Then I found out he was a footballer and that didn’t make him any different to me.
"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.”
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Sir Alex Ferguson pictured attending the Manchester derby last weekend
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Over the course of 57 years together, Lady Cathy became an anchor in Ferguson’s life.
When he announced his retirement in 2013, Ferguson famously credited her as the key figure behind his decision.
“My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement," he said at the time.
"Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.”
Today, Ferguson is channelling his energy into dementia awareness, a cause close to his heart due to his brother’s battle with the condition.
“It’s not easy,” he said.
“I have to be in touch with him a lot.
"He recognises me, but the memory’s not great.
Sir Alex Ferguson won his 13th and final Premier League title with Manchester United back in 2013
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"When you get to my age, you do worry about whether your memory is going to stand up.
"Now I do a lot of crosswords, I sing a lot and read.”
Despite his grief, Ferguson is determined to stay busy — travelling, working with charities and staying connected to football — as he continues to honour Lady Cathy’s memory.