Sir Alex Ferguson's 'sacking' as Manchester United's global ambassador was never going to get in the way of a good time.
The legendary gaffer was spotted publicly for the first time on Tuesday evening after United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe ruthlessly axed him from his £2.16million-per-year role.
Ferguson will no longer be allowed in the Old Trafford dressing room in a stinging blow amid Ratcliffe's root-and-branch restructuring of the club.
But decked in an all-grey suit outfit, he looked a mighty fine advertisement for Cibo restaurant in Hale, a village southwest of Manchester, where he got stuck into the menu.
The 82-year-old was accompanied by Albert Morgan, United's old iconic kitman who served for 20 years and retired in 2013, for a meal at the chic diner where a bottle of Sassicaia red wine can merrymakers back £425.
Ratcliffe informed Ferguson that he would be losing his role in a face-to-face meeting, bringing to an end his 38 years as a paid employee at United after this season.
Lifelong United fan Ratcliffe, 71, told the Glaswegian that, given swingeing cuts, the club was no longer willing to pay him his previous salary. Ferguson will remain as a non-executive director and will retain his place in the director’s box and table for eight which he hosts at home matches.
Mail Sport's sources insist the meeting was entirely amicable and that 82-year-old Ferguson, who will keep his title as a non-executive director, remains a close friend of the club who will always be welcome at Old Trafford.
United deny that they have directly banned Ferguson from the changing room but say there is now a ‘collective understanding’ over who goes inside - and Mail Sport has reported that he has been barred from the inner sanctum in a change in post-match policy.
Visits to the dressing room have been part of the club’s culture for decades. Ferguson and fellow football board members David Gill and Mike Edelson were always welcome, as were Sir Bobby Charlton and former director Maurice Watkins, before they passed away.
Ferguson, who won 38 trophies in 26 years, signed a deal following his retirement in 2013 to continue as a global club ambassador and director. In 2014 accounts United said Ferguson, 82, was paid £2.16m for his services.
For the last 11-and-a-half years, Ferguson’s duties have included representing United all over the world, as well as match-day hospitality with the club’s partners and sponsors at Old Trafford, and appearing on promotional videos.
The Scot has been a regular spectator at home and away games, apart the period after he suffered a life-threatening brain haemorrhage in 2018 and following the death of his wife, Lady Cathy, a year ago.
He has often been seen sitting next to Ratcliffe in the directors’ box and chatting with the Ineos owner since he paid £1.3billion to acquire 27.7 per cent of the club.
The Glazer family were happy to let Ferguson continue in his well-paid role, partly as an acknowledgement that his success on the pitch brought huge financial benefit to the club.
Ineos have launched a series of brutal cuts since they took a quarter share in the club earlier this year.
As Mail Sport revealed, they recently made 250 redundancies across departments - around a quarter of their workforce.