SNOOKER legend Ken Doherty had an embarrassingly awkward conversation with Manchester United’s iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson after winning the World Championship.
Doherty, 55, won his only world title in 1997 by defeating Stephen Hendry at the Crucible and became the toast of Ireland as he returned home for an open-top bus parade in Dublin.
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The Darlin’ of Dublin’s triumph also caught many other esteemed figures’ attention and was thus invited to showcase his trophy in another momentous occasion.
Crafty Ken received an unexpected phone call from snooker fan Ferguson, 83, who offered him the opportunity to present his title at Old Trafford on the last match of the 1996-97 Premier League season.
However, the phone call went completely south as the Irishman suspected it was a prank from one of his mates and proceeded to drop an F bomb to one of the greatest managers of all time.
Doherty told The Daily Star: “I got a phone call a week later. I didn’t recognise the number, the voice went [does an impression of Ferguson], ‘Kenny, do you fancy coming and parading that trophy around Old Trafford?‘
“I told him to f*** off! I thought it was one of my mates winding me up.”
Ferguson, who is known for not suffering fools, issued a stern response that forced the snooker great to immediately back track and apologise.
Doherty continued: “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.”
Thankfully, the Old Trafford visit went much better than the phone call as Doherty showcased his trophy to a beaming Man Utd crowd, who were celebrating their own Premier League triumph.
And the snooker great received the star treatment from Ferguson, who introduced him to the likes of Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.
Doherty added: “He [Ferguson] showed me around the place. It was the last match of the season and they were picking up the Premiership trophy.
“Walking out on the pitch with the trophy, my legs were like jelly. I met all the players.
“Cantona came up to me, shook my hand and said, ‘Congratulations Mr Doherty, welcome to Old Trafford’.
“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.”