Cathy Ferguson told Sir Alex of mistake after Ferdinand made him look "a fool"

09 October 2023 , 21:26

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Alex Ferguson's wife Cathy was a big influence on the Manchester United boss (Image: Getty Images)

Rio Ferdinand has shared a story of how Sir Alex Ferguson's late wife Cathy changed the manager's mind about his punishment for the Manchester United defender.

Lady Cathy died last week at the age of 84, prompting tributes from many associated with the Premier League club. She was credited with changing her husband's mind over a planned 2002 retirement, paying the way for Ferguson's United to earn the Scot his second Champions League win and several more domestic trophies.

That wasn't the only instance of her influence being felt, though. Speaking about the reaction to the racism incident involving his brother Anton and Chelsea captain John Terry, Ferdinand shed light on Cathy's intervention.

United's players wore a Kick it Out shirt while warming before a game against Stoke City. However, Ferdinand didn't follow suit, much to the anger of his manager.

"It was the racism thing, when I didn't wear the Kick It Out T-shirt because of the stuff that happened with Anton," Ferdinand said on his FIVE YouTube channel. "I said 'I'm not wearing it', they didn't back my brother in the way I thought they should or back the case the way they should have done it.

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"He fined me two weeks' wages straight after the game. Luckily we won, otherwise he would have killed me.

"I went in the next day, I spoke to him and said to him 'Listen...' and he said 'Do you know what, I wish you would have just told me, because I've gone into the press conference on the Friday speaking about it, everyone's going to wear the T-shirt, they're asking me and I'm saying all my team are wearing the Kick It Out T-shirt because that's what we believe in. And you knew then you weren't going to wear it and you never said anything to me'."

Rio Ferdinand declined to wear the Kick it Out shirt (AFP/Getty Images)

Ferdinand continued, saying Ferguson told him: "'You made me look a fool, but I spoke to my missus and she said to me 'You never asked Rio what he was going to do, knowing what he's been through with his family. So therein lies your mistake'.'

"You look at that and you think 'wow, there's someone behind the scenes'," the former centre-back added. "It ain't always the man you see on the screen with the big reputation who's making the decisions... there was influence in other areas."

Terry was cleared of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand in magistrates' court. But the FA found him guilty of "using abusive language" which "included a reference to colour and/or race" The Chelsea player received a four-game ban and a £220,000 fine.

Kick It Out's former head of football Herman Ouseley branded Ferdinand's comments "unfair" in 2014 and insisted the organisation had given Anton "as much support as we could give".

Tom Victor