Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

Fergie’s son admits attacking his wife

16/ 4/2008

THE son of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been fined for attacking his estranged Royton-born wife in a row about their children.

Darren Ferguson was accused of assaulting 28-year-old Nadine in the front drive of Sir Alex’s home in Wilmslow last October.

Nadine, a former pupil of Crompton House, married the footballer in 2003. The couple have two children, Charlie, aged eight, and Grace, five.

Ferguson, manager of Peterborough United, had initially denied a charge of common assault and a trial was due to take place later this month.

But the 36-year-old changed his plea to guilty at a re-arranged hearing before Macclesfield magistrates last week.

The court heard that the relationship between the defendant and Nadine had broken down in 2006 and they had an agreement over childcare arrangements.

But on October 23 last year the pair had a row about this which flared again four hours later.

Nadine, along with a friend and their children, went to the £2m home of Sir Alex where the alleged assault took place.

Ferguson accepted he raised his leg and that this had collided with Nadine’s stomach at the Fletsand Road address.

He admitted this was reckless, but said there was no intent to cause injury or connect with her in any way.

Magistrates ordered Ferguson to pay a £1,500 fine and £200 costs as well as a £15 victim surcharge.

Nadine once worked for the Oldham Advertiser’s telesales team and later for an accountancy firm in Manchester.

She met Darren while he was still playing for United. Among the guests at the wedding were Sir Alex and his wife, Cathy, as well as Nadine’s parents, Les and Jean Metcalfe, who lived in a bungalow at Holly Bank, Royton, before relocating to Portugal two years ago.

Darren Ferguson made 27 first-team appearances under his father at Old Trafford and also earned five Scotland U-21 caps before a move to Wolves in 2004. He was linked with a move to Oldham in 2001 when Andy Ritchie was in charge.

The couple had lived in Goostrey, an upmarket Cheshire village, until last year.