In a memorable incident from 1997, snooker legend Ken Doherty received an unexpected call from Manchester United’s iconic manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. The call, intended to congratulate Doherty on his World Championship win, took a humorous turn due to a misunderstanding.
Doherty, who had just claimed snooker’s biggest prize, was surprised to hear from Ferguson, an avid snooker fan himself. However, the Irishman mistook the legendary manager for a prankster friend and responded with a less-than-polite expletive.
Ken Doherty said, “I got a phone call a week later. I told him to f*** off! I thought it was one of my mates winding me up. He said again; ‘Kenny, it’s Alex Ferguson here, I’m not going to ask you a second time’. So I had to apologise. Not many people have said that to him and got away with it! But he saw the funny side. He loves snooker.”
The misunderstanding was quickly resolved, and Ferguson invited Doherty to Old Trafford to parade his trophy. The visit turned out to be a cherished memory for Doherty, who was given a tour of the stadium and introduced to Manchester United stars like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and Roy Keane.
Doherty continued, “He showed me around the place. Walking out on the pitch with the trophy, my legs were like jelly. I met all the players. Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Keane, they couldn’t wait to have a look at the trophy and look at the names on it. It was amazing.”
Doherty’s trophy also made an appearance at Celtic Park, where it sparked a humorous exchange with fellow snooker player and Celtic fan, John Higgins.
Doherty added, “So I did the half-time draw at Celtic. He goes; ‘What the f*** are you doing in the middle of the pitch? You’re not even a Celtic fan, I should be out there’!”
Despite losing to Higgins in the following year’s World Championship final, Doherty remains active in the sport at 55, although he did not qualify for this year’s championship. His encounter with Ferguson remains a delightful anecdote in the intersection of sports and humor.
