Lady Cathy Ferguson, the wife of the renowned Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, has passed away.

The Ferguson family confirmed the death of the 84-year-old through a statement released to the PA news agency on Friday afternoon.

Sir Alex first encountered Lady Cathy in 1964 when he was just 23 years old.

They tied the knot shortly after in 1966, and together they have three sons: Mark, born in 1968, and twin boys Darren, who is currently managing Peterborough, and Jason, both born in 1972.

United issued a statement on Friday which read: “Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family on the passing of Lady Cathy, a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career.”

During his tenure at Manchester United, Sir Alex accomplished an impressive record, earning 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, two UEFA Champions League titles, one European Cup Winners’ Cup (now defunct), one Intercontinental Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup.

Before his time at United, Sir Alex had already proven his worth by winning the Scottish league with St Mirren in 1976/77 and with Aberdeen in 1979–80, 1983–84, and 1984–85. Notably, in 1983, he guided Aberdeen to a victory against Real Madrid in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, with a final score of 2-1.