The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Fergie: I wanted us to ‘knife’ Rangers
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted his infamous rant after the 1983 Scottish Cup Final was motivated by personal revenge on rivals Rangers.
Ferguson had heavily criticised his Aberdeen stars after their 1-0 win over Rangers at Hampden to secure Scottish Cup success.
He told a TV crew he was deeply disappointed in his team’s performance despite them lifting silverware.
The Manchester United legend praised Willie Miller and Alex McLeish but said the rest of the squad’s below-par performance was unacceptable.
But Ferguson has now admitted his angry outburst was inspired by wanting to ‘knife’ Glasgow giants Rangers.
He told his upcoming film Never Give In: “I can’t understand why I did it. The only thing I can think of is I wanted this to be the moment when we set ourselves as the best team Scotland ever had.”
He then admitted it was linked to wanting to ‘hammer’ the Ibrox side. He added: “I think it was probably about beating Rangers.
“This is my moment to say ‘right, you’re going to get it’, I wanted to put the knife in them.”
Ferguson supported Rangers as a boy and played for the Light Blues for two years between 1967 and 1969.
But his links with the club soured over claims an Ibrox director had quizzed him over his marriage.
He earlier told how he wished he had told the official to “f*** off” when quizzed about his wife Cathy being a Catholic and if the couple married in a chapel.
Ferguson’s documentary, directed by his son Jason, documents his recovery from a brain haemorrhage he suffered in May 2018.
He tells how he feared he would never speak again and lose his memory after waking up from emergency surgery following the near-death experience.
Ferguson retired from the Old Trafford hot seat in May 2013 after 27 years at the helm during which he won 38 trophies, including two Champions League titles.
Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In will be in cinemas from May 27 and on Amazon Prime from May 29.