Sir Alex Ferguson paid a touching tribute to the late Kath Phipps during the re-opening of Manchester United‘s Carrington training complex, as the club honoured her legacy with a plaque in the newly refurbished facility.
The £50million revamp of United’s training base was officially unveiled on Friday, as an important stepping stone to rebuilding a winning culture at the club. Ferguson joined United executives, including Sir Jim Ratcliffe, at the re-opening.
United haven’t won the Premier League since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, finished 15th in the table last season and failed to qualify for Europe after losing to Tottenham in the Europa League final.
Phipps, who passed away late last year, served United for more than five decades, becoming a constant presence at Carrington as a receptionist. Known as the friendly face greeting players, staff and visitors alike, she was regarded as the heartbeat of the training ground.
Phipps joined United in 1968 and worked through eras under managers from Sir Matt Busby to Ruben Amorim.
Unveiling a plaque in her honour, Ferguson shared heartfelt stories of their time together.
Sir Alex Ferguson shared some heartfelt words for the late Kath Phipps on Friday afternoon
The Red Devils’ much-loved former receptionist passed away last December aged 85
Ferguson joined United chiefs to officially unveil the club’s £50million training ground revamp
‘I’m going to unveil this plaque for Kath Phipps, this was her desk here,’ Sir Alex said.
‘She was a sweetheart, an absolute sweetheart. This was her life. When she lost her husband 20 years ago, this was her life. Every day. She was a real sweetheart, loved by everyone. An exceptional person.
‘So my desk was a mess, an awful mess, and she decided to tidy it up. I’d come back in and I had one pile of abusive letters, a second one from kids in hospital, the next one players’ fathers. Hundreds of letters.
‘She’d say the poor kids, you need to write to this kid, to this father. I said Kath, there’s hundreds there but she said I had to do it because that’s your job. Fantastic.
‘Every day, my desk was a mess and I depended on Kath to sort it out. She was a fantastic person – 55 years at Manchester United, it’s a record. No-one has been at this club 55 years. I was honoured to be here for 27 years. Imagine being here for 55 years.
‘Such a devoted person doing it and a real miss. A real loss to this club. I’m going to unveil this plaque and thank her for the wonderful person she was and for Manchester United.’
The plaque itself reads: ‘In memory of Kath Phipps. The welcoming heart of Manchester United for 56 years.
‘”Work hard and smile, you’re at Manchester United”.’
Ferguson described Phipps, who worked at the club for 56 years, as an ‘absolute sweet heart’
Pictured: Phipps with David Beckham, who labelled her the ‘heartbeat of Manchester United’
Special focus has been placed on upgrading equipment and technology at Carrington
Sir Jim Ratcliffe believes the state-of-the-art complex will help build a winning culture at the club
Pictured: replicas of some of the club’s trophies adorn one of the staircases at the facility
The project has been worked on for 12 months headed by architect Lord Norman Foster
Redevelopment of the men’s team building follows the construction of a new £10 million building for the women’s first team and men’s Academy in 2024, bringing the total investment in Carrington to more than £60m over the past three years, and unifying all the club’s teams in a single, modernised campus.
The latest project has been worked on for 12 months headed by renowned Mancunian architect Lord Norman Foster.
It has been financed by a slice of the £250m invested into United by Sir Jim last year and the club have stressed the facility has been completed on time and within budget.
Special focus has been placed on upgrading equipment and technology with a focus on fitness, nutrition, recovery and team unity.
Amorim’s squad spent last season in temporary facilities. Now they are able to prepare for next weekend’s big league kick off against Arsenal in the new build. Other staff who were previously based at Old Trafford will also now work at Carrington.