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Manchester United receptionist Kath Phipps honoured with award after 54 years of service
Kath was honoured by the likes of Sir Alex and Phil Neville
Manchester United’s long-served receptionist Kath Phipps has been honoured at the League Managers Association awards.
The eighty-one-year-old, who joined the football club under legendary manager Sir Matt Busby back in 1968, received her ‘Service to Football’ award at the prestigious ceremony in London.
Kath said it was ‘a great honour’ to be recognised by the League Managers Association on Tuesday, with her telling the Manchester United website: “In September 1968, I just applied for the job to Les Olive and got it within a couple of days.
“Sir Alex was my longest-serving manager. He’s always been there for me, every time. He’s absolutely brilliant to work for.”
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a cross word all these years I’ve known him. Even on match days. We’re like brother and sister – he talks to me like that.
“I just get up every morning as a happy person. I come here and I just love seeing them all. I’ll miss them one day, when I’m not here, but I don’t want to give it up just yet.”
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Kath was joined on the stage by club legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Michael Carrick, who led the tributes to her contribution and service to Manchester United.
Sir Alex said Kath was ‘and continues to be a great servant to the club’, adding that the award was ‘thoroughly deserved’.
Phil Neville added that Kath ‘epitomises everything that is special about Manchester United’, while former United footballer David Beckham said in a video message that the ‘amazing’ receptionist ‘really deserved’ the accolade ‘for her services to football, but more importantly for services to the club I love and you love’.
He said she used to be ‘the first person I would see when I walked into the training ground reception’ and he would be ‘forever grateful to her’ for dealing with letters from his fans, as there ‘was a lot!’.
Former United player Gary Neville also paid his own tribute to Kath, sharing a selfie onto Instagram and writing: “Amazing to see this special person yesterday.
“Kath has been at United 55 years and every time I see her It makes me feel more proud to have played for the club.”