Sir Alex Ferguson pays touching tribute to Kath Phipps at Manchester United receptionist’s funeral
Sir Alex Ferguson pays touching tribute to Kath Phipps at Manchester United receptionist’s funeral
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Sir Alex Ferguson paid an emotional tribute to Kath Phipps at the beloved Manchester United receptionist’s funeral today, saying she will ‘without question’ be remembered as a club legend. Kath worked for United for over 55 years, having joined the Red Devils in 1968, initially as a switchboard operator.
In that time, Kath worked in various roles but became a familiar face to United’s playing and coaching staff as a receptionist at the team’s training base, where she built a strong bond with some of the greats of the game, including David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and Ferguson.
Last month, an official club statement announced that Kath had died at the age of 85 and messages of love and support poured in for her loved ones, as well as those who knew her from her incredible service with the Old Trafford giants. United players past and present this afternoon joined in saying goodbye at a service held at Manchester Cathedral. The likes of Beckham, Roy Keane, and Bryan Robson were among the congregation, as well as Ruben Amorim, women’s and academy representatives and the entire men’s first-team squad.
‘She was a special person, she loved people,’ Ferguson – United’s most successful ever manager – told BBC Sport shortly after the funeral, which was described as a ‘service of thanksgiving for the life of Kath Phipps’. ‘The thing that comes out of that is you look at her life and you can’t think of a moment when you can say she didn’t enjoy her life. She was a real United person.’.
