Sir Alex Ferguson ignored Liverpool legend for more than 20 years after taking offence to rude joke he made

Sir Alex Ferguson walked past Liverpool legend Gary McAllister in airports and hotels for more than two decades after the former Manchester United manager overheard a rude joke made at his expense.

The awkward incident happened towards the end of the 1991/92 season, when then-Leeds United midfielder McAllister went over to Lee Chapman's house to watch a game between Liverpool and Manchester United.

At the time, Leeds were on the verge of clinching the First Division title after beating Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United, but needed United to drop points against Liverpool to make it happen.

McAllister joined teammates Eric Cantona and David Batty – as well as a big TV crew ahead of potential celebrations – at Chapman's home ahead of the big event.

And soon after, Manchester United lost the game 2-0 but as McAllister later revealed in a 2017 interview with Sport & Fitness Middle East, the post-match celebrations would soon turn awkward.

"We all went back to Chappy’s house after the game in Sheffield to watch Manchester United play Liverpool at Anfield," McAllister began.

"Because I’d done some TV work, I was tuned in to the director at Anfield so I could hear the director and all his comments. He was talking to the presenter, talking to the cameramen. I could hear everything which was going on in the studio.

"Liverpool win 2-0 and Leeds United win the league, we’re p****d. After the game, we’re watching the pictures coming across, the interviews after the game and I can hear in my ear the director saying, 'Get to the tunnel, we’ve got Fergie.'

"Milliseconds later he’s up on the TV and Fergie comes on. His face is bright red. His first comments, as you can expect, were, 'I want to make it clear, Leeds haven’t won the league. Manchester United have lost the league! I’m making it clear!'

"Nose very red, he says, 'Make no mistake, Leeds have not won the league! Manchester United have lost the league! We’ve thrown the league away.'

"So flippantly in Lee Chapman’s living room, I say, 'Big red-face as gracious as ever in defeat.'

"Then Dennis Law came back in my ear and said, 'Gary, Fergie can hear you.'

"Alex Ferguson has walked past me in Lithuanian airports and Albanian hotels for 20 years and never looked in my direction!"

Ferguson didn't speak to McAllister for more than 20 years. Image credit: Getty

Back in 2006, that feud was squashed when Ferguson got in touch with McAllister after his wife, Denise, sadly passed away.

McAllister said: "This is the measure of the man. When you’re competing against him, you’re the enemy, but when I went through this tragic experience with cancer, who was the first person to call me? Alex Ferguson.

"He was the first person to make a phone call. He invited me to the training ground at Carrington. He said, “You can come to training any day. You can come to Old Trafford to any game.”

"The first mass card I got through the post was from his wife. You see this figure, when you’re competing against him, he’ll do anything to beat you.

"But there’s a gentle side to Alex Ferguson and that’s something I learned down the line. For 20 years, I did not exist!"