Manchester United’s great manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, now retired for 12 years and has spoken openly about losing his beloved wife and brother’s dementia diagnosis
Sir Alex Ferguson acknowledges that concerns about dementia are consistent. My younger brother has experienced symptoms. The legendary Manchester United manager, who has won 13 Premier League titles, two Champion League and countless other trophies, is currently 83 years old and has retired for over a decade.
He currently spends more time involved in dementia charities, and the syndrome affects his only sibling, Martin. Ferguson also lost his beloved wife, Lady Cathy in 2023 after being married for 58 years.
In an interview with BBC Breakfast to recognize National Playlist Day, the former unit boss talked about the situation of his brother and how it will affect him in the future.
“I have a situation with my brother,” he said. “It’s not easy. I have to touch him well. He recognizes me (but) memories are not great.
“But he’s not bad. He’s not getting worse. Let’s do that. This is very encouraging.”
“It’s always deep in my mind. I think you’re thinking, ‘Is he just right now?’ or I think you should give him a phone call (telephone). I try to do that every day.
“I keep telling him: ‘Write things down.’ I think he’s trying to do that, but he’s a bit worried about whether your memory will rise up when he reaches my age.
“I was 84 in December and there are moments when I forget things. I did it 20 years ago, 30 years ago… I’m not blessed with 100% memory. But when it comes to football, when it comes to my manager, memories were always important.
“I tend to get into history – the American Civil War. I went to some of the American battlefields.
Ferguson also revealed that following the loss of his wife, he found himself sitting alone in his home for a long time, before approaching his family and going on more world trips.
He continued: “After my wife passed, I was stuck in the house a lot. I moved to the house, next to my son, but watching TV wasn’t enough so I decided to travel. I went to Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Bahrain.
“Occup yourself. It’s good for me to deal with dementia groups. That’s something I enjoy.”
Ferguson spent 26 years incredible years at Old Trafford, turning them into the most successful team in British football. In total, he earned 38 major honors and is still a regular in today’s United game.
In 2024, Ferguson first revealed his fear of dementia.
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