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Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Bumper sum Man Utd great Sir Alex Ferguson paid for plush Glasgow pad months after selling £3.25m mansion revealed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR ALEX FERGUSON paid £500,000 for his luxury flat in home city Glasgow, records show. The football great, 83, snapped up the apartment in leafy Hyndland months after selling his mansion down south. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 4 Sir Alex has snapped up a flat in Glasgow 4 The legend posed with staff at a plush Glasgow restaurant 4 Ferguson as at Ibrox to watch Rangers face Panathinaikos Credit: Reuters 4 Hyndland is an area in the West End of Glasgow The ex-Rangers player was spotted at the Ibrox club's training ground earlier this month and has been snapped at a plush restaurant in the city. And we can reveal he appears to have made moves to spend even more time in the home of his birth. Property records show he bought a flat in the city's leafy Hyndland area last September. The purchase came five months after he sold the luxury £3.25million home in Cheshire he shared with late wife Lady Cathy, who died aged 84 in October 2023. A source said: "It's good to see him back in a city he calls home. 'People in Glasgow have loved seeing him.' Earlier this week the footie icon paid a visit to Rangers' Auchenhowie training centre and caught up with some of the club's current staff and players. Rangers Women captain Nicola Docherty shared a picture of herself alongside the managerial great in the training centre as she beamed on social media: 'Met a legend today, Sir Alex!' Ferguson has also been spotted in Glasgow's West End as he headed to popular restaurant Ox and Finch in Sauchiehall Street. A description of the property hails its balcony and "wonderful, peaceful position" Eric Black on the Gothenburg Greats, Sir Alex Ferguson & remembering Neale Cooper Sir Alex was born in Govan and his father worked in the shipbuilding industry. He began his football career as an amateur with Queen's Park aged 16. He played for Rangers for two seasons from 1967 to 1969 and won the European Cup Winners Cup with Aberdeen as a manager in 1983. New Ibrox boss Russell Martin has said the support from the legend has been 'incredible'. Martin played under Sir Alex's son Darren Ferguson at Peterborough United. And the Rangers manager said Darren put him in touch with his dad. After the great's recent visit, Martin said: 'He's been great. He's been so supportive of me personally, which is incredible. It's the first time he's been here and it was just brilliant for everyone to see him,' Last month we told how his family firm boosted its value last year to almost £27million. ACF Sports Promotions, founded by the former Aberdeen and Manchester United boss had £28.1million in assets last June. Revenue is said to be derived from the Glasgow-born dad of three's 'appearances, image rights and royalties'. But Sir Alex, 83, stepped down as a director of the company last year and gave control to his oldest son Mark, 56. He called Lady Cathy his 'bedrock'.
Glasgow Times
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Rangers legend spotted in popular Glasgow city centre bar
Alex MacDonald, affectionately known as Doddie, was photographed at the iconic Oswald's Bar—a favourite spot for Rangers fans. The club hero stopped by to see the bar's display of the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup trophy, celebrating one of the greatest nights in the club's history. READ MORE: Rangers reportedly in advanced talks to sign former England international The bar shared the moment on Facebook, writing: "What an honour to have Barcelona Bear Alex 'Doddie' MacDonald in to see our new 1972 European Cup Winners Cup proudly in its display. "Part of the team that famous night legends were made and gave our Club its finest hour." Fans quickly flooded the comments after seeing the post. One fan wrote: "A true blue if ever there was one." Another commented: "My favourite Rangers player." A third stated: "One of my all-time favourites had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago, also a genuinely nice man, very humble." READ MORE: Former Rangers chairman 'do not screw it up' warning after US takeover A fourth wrote: "Legend fantastic player Rangers through and through." With another fan simply stated: "Legend." The Rangers icon grew up in the Kinning Park area of Glasgow, and started as a passionate Rangers supporter and went on to live every fan's dream. As a midfielder, he became an integral part of the team's success during the 1970s, helping Rangers to lift the European trophy in 1972 and playing a key role in two domestic trebles within three seasons.
The Herald Scotland
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Lisbon Lion John Clark - from when football was about more than money
Mr Clark's death and the memories it evokes from that era also recall a period when Scotland could reasonably lay claim to being one of the top five leagues in world football for the quality of its players and their success in European competition. Read More: While Celtic were becoming the first British club to win the European Champions Cup, their great city rivals, Rangers were being narrowly defeated by Bayern Munich in the final of the European Cup Winners Cup. Bayern would provide the nucleus of the mighty West Germany squad who would win the European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974. Until 2018 when Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid lifted Europe's two main trophies, Glasgow in 1967 had come closest. In an 18-year period until 1974, Rangers also contested the first-ever European Cup Winners Cup; Dunfermline would reach the semi-finals of the old Fairs Cup (forerunner of the Europa League) and both Hibs and Dundee would reach the last four of the European Cup. Rangers would eventually lift the Cup Winners Cup in 1972 while Celtic would reach another European Cup final and four European semi-finals. Mr Clark's death has occurred while 32 cub sides are currently competing for the newly-expanded World Club Cup in the US. This sprawling, swollen excuse for a competition exists solely to squeeze every last ounce of earning potential from groups of young men who seem to exist these days for little more than the opportunities their televised appearances provide for corporate predators. No matter that the demands on their skills have been bled dry in a football season when a third European club competition has been added and when they're expected to make inter-continental dashes between weekends for the expanded international programme. In return for becoming very rich, these young working-class men are expected to be slaves to global capitalism in which their God-given skills will be exposed to a higher risk of serious injury or premature burn-out. Once, the best players in the world such as Josef Masopust, Lev Yashin, Alfredo di Stefano, Eusebio, and Franz Beckenbauer – all former Ballon d'Or winners – could be playing at the pinnacle of their careers well into their 30s. If we keep demanding that brilliant young players like Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Warren Zaire-Emery perform at this level of intensity so often then it's doubtful we'll be seeing them much beyond their late 20s. Read More: And I'm not having any nonsense about the shed-loads of money we give them by way of compensation. The FIFA executives and their global sponsors will earn much more money over a longer period and with no discernible skill, long after these young men get discarded. The legend of John Clark and his fellow Lisbon Lions is known wherever the game is played, but it can never be re-told too often: that 11 modestly-paid, young working-class men born within a few miles of each other in the West of Scotland came together to dominate the richest and most powerful sporting franchises on the planet. It will never be done again, and more's the pity. In their era, local football clubs represented communities often hard-pressed by economic disadvantage. Quite literally, they gave entire towns and villages a reason to feel good about themselves. Celtic provided hope and a sense of identity to people whom the British state wanted to deprive of their faith, dignity and nationhood. As a Celtic supporter, I'm still smarting from our defeat by Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final. But my God: look at what it meant to the entire population of that city. The waves of joy caused by Aberdeen's triumph haven't yet receded and won't for a while yet. The game retains its power to lift a community. And yet, despite the annexation of top-level football by Big Business, it remains mainly a working-class sport. By that I mean that it's one of the few areas of human endeavour where young working-class people can improve their lives and that of their families and their communities. However, it's being menaced by the forces of capitalism to an extent never previously seen. And ironically, it exposes all the weaknesses and errors of that dehumanising system. The most ruthless proponents of the free market claim to thrive on fair competition. In truth though, they despise the very notion of it. They will use all means necessary: political influence, birth, money (no matter how dishonestly acquired) and violence to retain power and wealth in the hands of as few people as possible. Fair and free competition would threaten their hegemony. In European football, capitalism has destroyed the Champions League. Only a few clubs from five countries can ever hope to win this now. The element of risk and hard work bringing its own rewards have been lost. Several clubs, including the current Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain and the 2023 winners, Manchester City, are owned by brutal regimes which suppress basic human rights. Chelsea, who won it in 2021, did so with money stolen from the Russian people following the fall of communism. I only met John Clark a few times, but I formed an impression of him. That he was a humble man who wore his great achievements lightly. And that the pride he derived from being a Lisbon Lion was rooted in how much he knew it meant to others less fortunate than he. God rest John Clark. Kevin McKenna is a Herald writer and columnist. He is Features Writer of the Year and writes regularly about the working-class people and communities of Scotland.
Irish Examiner
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Kieran Shannon: Penalty shootouts do no suit football and hurling. Here's a better idea
There is a reason why the biggest sport in the world has chosen penalties as a tiebreaker: it's one guaranteed way that someone scores the decisive goal. Any goal. The first shootout I can remember watching was the 1980 European Cup Winners Cup final. Two glamorous teams – Arsenal and Valencia – featuring glamorous big-name players – Kempes and Brady. The game was dreadful, so much so the mediocrity extended to the penalty shootout and Kempes and Brady. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Subscribe to access all of the Irish Examiner. Annual €120€60 Best value Monthly €10€4 / month Unlimited access. Subscriber content. Daily ePaper. Additional benefits.
Daily Record
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
'I still always visit Sir Alex Ferguson's house – even though he branded me a Big Time Charlie'
Sir Alex Ferguson made many comments throughout his football career, but there was one particular quip the Govan-born manager made which is still repeated today Sir Alex Ferguson was a master of verbal warfare, who was never shy of airing his fierce opinions - but few of his comments were as sharp as his description of former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince. Back in April 1998, ahead of a Premier League showdown with Liverpool, Ferguson was dishing out his tactical wisdom. His focus sharpened on his former United player Ince, who had made the switch from Inter Milan to Merseyside the summer before. Ferguson's voice rose, not quite to the decibel-shattering heights of his infamous hairdryer rants, but with enough volume to command the undivided attention of anyone donning a United kit. It was during this moment, captured by cameras for the Granada documentary 'The Alex Ferguson Story', he unleashed one of his most memorable put-downs. "If he tries to bully you he will f***ing enjoy it. Don't ever let him bully you. Right," Ferguson, who also won the European Cup Winners Cup, three Scottish Championships and four Scottish Cups as manager of Aberdeen between 1978 and 1986, was recorded saying. "You just make sure you are ready for him. That's all you need to worry about. He's a f***ing big-time Charlie." Those last words encapsulated Ferguson's disdain for oversized egos within the squad. In 2008, the legendary manager expressed regret over those remarks, labelling them a "mistake" and vowing to keep future team talks off camera. Indeed, the one person who concurred with Ferguson's assessment was none other than Ince himself. While speaking to the Manchester Evening News and representing bet365, the 'Guv'nor' said: "Am I a big time Charlie? Probably, yeah. I played for the biggest clubs in the world. You've got to have that kind of arrogance, not to the extent people don't like you. "But you've got to have some kind of big-time mindset to play for the biggest clubs in the world. In a way, he was right, but it's nothing that was ever going to affect me because I know how close we were." Ince was able to shake off his comments with barely a shrug. While Ferguson's stinging quip would go on to be latched to Ince, the ex-midfielder was not concerned or offended. They are still good friends today, who compete on a different green surface. Ince added: "I will always go to his house and play snooker, and kick his a***, and I will always pick my phone up to ring him." A decade on from Ferguson's infamous comment, which had been broadcasted widely, the legendary manager faced Ince, then at the helm of Blackburn Rovers. Prior to their encounter, Ferguson said: "I regret saying that. That was a mistake. "We let a camera into our dressing room, which we had never done before, and it won't happen again. It wasn't a personality issue with Paul. With Paul you could not have a honeymoon all the time, because he was such a volatile character, but he never let us down." Reflecting on Ferguson's rare admission of regret, Ince made it clear that he felt nothing - as the comment never had an effect in the first place. "Listen, people seem to have the impression that me and Sir Alex Ferguson never got on," Ince said. "I used to speak to him all the time and when I was managing Blackburn Rovers, I was on the phone to him all the time. When he said it, I was playing for Liverpool and, really, I think he was trying to wind up the likes of Roy Keane and say, 'Oh Ince, he's just a big time Charlie,' and all this type of stuff. "Things like that didn't affect me. Maybe it would with players from today, but not Paul Ince back in my time. The fact that he regretted saying it was neither here nor there. The comment did not affect our friendship."
