Manchester United pulled out a shock victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley on a gloriously sunny afternoon.
The weather reflected the mood of United’s fans as they had gone into the match with low expectations but were blown away by their side’s response.
The first half was a world-class performance where they limited City to very few chances and were lethal on the counter, scoring two goals and having a third from Marcus Rashford chalked off for offside.
One man who has seen more Manchester United victories than most is the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Scot won five FA Cups during his time at United, the final one being a 4-0 triumph over Millwall in 2004.
Despite retiring 11 years ago, the Glaswegian is still regularly seen attending United games and his reactions to his former side’s struggles have been widely captured by the world’s media.
Sitting behind new part-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and beside board member, Sir Dave Brailsford, Ferguson took in the action at the famous old stadium.
Where his reactions have been somewhat stony-faced to what he has had to endure this season, there was an incredibly heart-warming moment that any United fan would find hard not to become emotional at.
When the final whistle blew, Sir Alex, like any United fan around the world, was ecstatic with what he had just witnessed and joined in the wild celebrations.
Whilst United’s famous anthem, “Glory Glory Man United” was ringing out around Wembley Stadium, the camera focused its attention on the former manager, who was singing his heart out, beaming at his club’s success.
Sir Alex Ferguson singing ‘Glory Glory, Man United’pic.twitter.com/rnhXn30HmW
— Manchester United Die Hard Fans (@DieHardUtdFans) May 25, 2024
The team’s fall from grace must be particularly galling for the man who took them from the depths in the eighties and turned them into the juggernaut of the 1990s and 2000s that so many fell in love with across the globe.
The moment was therefore a beacon of hope for Sir Alex and fans around the world that it is always darkest before the dawn.
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