Alex Ferguson's unfortunate health problems led to numerous stories about the great man emerging from the woodwork over recent days.
The former Manchester United manager underwent emergency surgery after suffering a brain haemorrhage over the weekend. It was reported on Monday night that the 76-year-old is recovering well and was sitting up, talking to family members.
The Sun reported on Wednesday that his first words to family after the surgery were to ask, "How did Doncaster get on?" Ferguson's son Darren is manager of the League One side.
On Monday, former Leicester Mercury reporter Jeremy Clay tweeted details of a touching tale about Ferguson. While working with the newspaper in the 1990s, an elderly woman named Alice called to the office to berate him - he wasn't writing enough stories about Manchester United.
It turned out that Alice - who was in her 90s - was the club's oldest season ticket holder and Ferguson facilitated her fandom.
Every game. All the way to the East Midlands. All the way back. Repeat every other Saturday/Sunday/whatever day Sky demanded.
We did write about that. That was about her. Although in hindsight, it was more about him.— Jeremy Clay (@Ludicrousscenes) May 7, 2018
The Scot's kindness towards Alice did not stop there. Her eyesight weakening and too old to be eligible for NHS cover, Ferguson offered to pay.
She was too old for corrective surgery on the NHS, she said. And then she told me Alex Ferguson had offered to pay for her to have the operation.
— Jeremy Clay (@Ludicrousscenes) May 7, 2018
Clay wanted to write about Ferguson's generosity at the time but Alice didn't want it in the papers. She said he wasn't doing it for the publicity.
Picture: Shutterstock.com
