As Sir Alex Ferguson stood, a little unsteady having turned 83 on New Year's Eve, he sought out Ruben Amorim and his players at Manchester Cathedral and gave them a little nod.
“By the way, good result yesterday,” smiled Ferguson, impressed like the rest of us with the 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday. “Kath would be happy.”
Even on this day of all days, the funeral of Kathleen Evelyn Phipps, Manchester United came first. She dedicated her life to the club, so why would Monday be any different?
As Ferguson spoke, his words echoed throughout this spectacular Gothic cathedral. It was here that United paid tribute to George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton, which gives an idea of the esteem in which Kath Phipps is held.
Recalling her arrival in November 1986, Ferguson said: “Then you realized that Manchester United was run by one girl.”
To appreciate United's love for the 85-year-old who died at the beginning of December after working for the club for 56 years, you only had to look at the cathedral yesterday.
Sir Alex Ferguson attended Kath Phipps' funeral at Manchester Cathedral on Monday.
Phipps pictured with former United manager Ferguson during his tenure at the club.
Manchester United players, including Marcus Rashford (second left), wore club suits on the day.
Ferguson arrived with his former assistant Albert Morgan. David Beckham, who flew to the country to spend a few hours with Kath in her final days and posted a touching photo of his hand tattooed in hers, walked in with his mother Sandra.
Other members of the Class of '92 (Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs) were sitting together. Around him were other members of Ferguson's Treble-winning team, Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who used to bring him chocolate bars from Norway.
Brian Kidd was there from the 1960s, Lou Macari from the 1970s, Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes from the 1980s, Gary Pallister, Paul Parker and Denis Irwin from the 1990s. Only a filming commitment kept Eric Cantona away.
In addition to the current team that traveled to the city on the team bus, there were members of the academy; the last generation to grow up at United under Kath's wing.
Sir Dave Brailsford, representing the co-owners of Ineos, arrived with chief operating officer Collette Roche and rubbed shoulders with former club doctor Steve McNally, chef Mike Donnelly and club executives stretching back decades.
Staff, including some who have lost their jobs recently, came out in force to show their love. Many of them helped Kath during the pandemic and were there again when she became terminally ill, organizing a rotation to regulate visits and 24-hour care. Ferguson chauffeur Steve Webb took his beloved West Highland Terrier, Maisie, to see her and has now adopted the dog.
Manchester United may be one of the biggest sporting brands in the world, but many people don't realize that at heart they have always been a family club. A big family, but a family nonetheless and that was never more evident than yesterday.
Sadly, at times over the past year, the sense of unity has felt threatened as Ineos has worked meticulously (some would say ruthlessly) to stabilize a ship that has been slipping after years of overspending and underachieving. Glazer. Jobs eliminated, charitable donations withdrawn, a battle to comply with profit and sustainability rules, a team struggling on the field, a stadium in disrepair.
Phipps, the much-loved former Manchester United receptionist, died aged 85 in December
David Beckham attended the funeral with his mother Sandra and her family to pay their respects
Paul Scholes (left) and Denis Irwin (right), part of the successful Manchester United team that won the Treble in 1999, attended the service at Manchester Cathedral.
Rubén Amorim led his Manchester United playing team at Monday's ceremony.
Phipps was a mainstay behind the scenes during Ferguson's tenure at Manchester United.
The success and solidarity that Kath enjoyed for much of her life at United after starting to work there after winning the 1968 European Cup seems to belong to a bygone era.
However, at least for a day, all problems were forgotten. The United family came together again to celebrate Kath Phipps and all that is good about this club. Actually, it's the same thing.
The stories told yesterday paid tribute to his big heart, his professionalism for more than half a century and his sense of fun.
Ferguson is known to have been baffled by how the bottles of Bacardi in his office at Old Trafford kept dropping at an alarming rate until he realized it was Kath's favorite drink, and that she had been drinking it while hosting in the box. of directors. on match days.
When he visited her at her home in Irlam in her final days, he found her in bed drinking “what I didn't know at the time was Bacardi and coke”.
—Did you talk to the doctor about that? he asked her. “No, I never asked him,” was the response. “I thought it was fantastic,” Ferguson added. And she was happy. I was happy. She was sitting there enjoying a little Bacardi and coke and everyone was around her.
Recalling how he went to see his wife Cathy in hospital in his spare time, shortly after the Fergusons moved to Manchester from Aberdeen, Sir Alex said: “She was a real sweetheart.” He loved everyone, he loved people.
'When the training ground moved to Carrington, if anyone came to see me as soon as I walked in the door, she would say: “Alex is waiting for you, have a seat and I'll bring you a cup of tea.” She was doing that her whole life. It was extraordinary, amazing.
“What we are seeing here today is a representation and honor of a truly special person.”
Former Red Devils captain Roy Keane (right) paid his respects alongside teammate Nicky Butt (left).
Legendary former United and England captain Bryan Robson was at the funeral on Monday.
United defender Jonny Evans, now in his second spell at his boyhood club, spoke on behalf of the players. The Northern Irishman recalled that he had heard of Kath even before joining United because he read a question and answer session in a football magazine in which Beckham claimed that she was his first kiss.
“We all got a kiss from Kath,” Evans said. “Every match day at Old Trafford, the players who weren't playing would make the short trip to the directors' box and Kath was always there to greet us along the way. No player surpassed Kath. Dressed in a club outfit, with open arms, a loving hug and a kiss on the cheek. As Darren Fletcher reminded me, “That's my son,” she said.
Evans smiled as he remembered Kath giving Jaap Stam advice on how to mark a particular opponent, and how he had offered her a lift home from Carrington shortly after she returned to work last year.
“I took her hand and helped her into the car and I felt like I was driving royalty,” Evans said. 'Calmly and authoritatively, he told me not to stop for autographs as he greeted the fans outside.
'A few months earlier, in the spring, I stopped by reception on my way to the gym to check on him, like most players did. He had been battling an ear infection that was affecting his hearing and the day before we had joked about how he couldn't understand my accent.
“When I asked him if he was okay, he held out his arms to me like he normally would. He wrapped them around me, except this time, instead of kissing me, he rested his head on my chest and tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I asked her what was wrong and she said, 'I can't hear people well, I keep confusing things and I don't want people to think I'm not good at my job.'” I couldn't help but be amazed by the dedication of this incredible woman.
Phipps, who appeared in David Beckham's Netflix documentary last year, began working at Manchester United as the club's first telephone operator back in 1968.
'Wes Brown summed her up when he said she was the best on a good day and the best on a bad day. “We all loved her very much.”
They really did it. When they stepped out of the cathedral yesterday into the cold afternoon air, the snow had melted and there was a blue sky overhead. The great and good of Manchester United gathered to remember one of their own.
Borrowing a quote from Sir Matt Busby which is on the wall of the Salford Suite at Old Trafford, Jason Leach, another long-serving employee who has held a variety of roles, paid his own tribute. “Manchester is people, Salford is people, United is people,” he said.
'Maybe the great man had Kath in mind when he came up with that. “She embodies everything that is good about this football club.”