A Manchester United legend has moved on as the club has confirmed that much-loved receptionist Kath Phipps has unfortunately passed away at the age of 85.
Simply known as ‘Kath on Reception’ not only by those in and around the club but, believe it or not, millions of fans around the world, the long-serving member of the Man United family died this week.
Confirming the news on Thursday, 5 December, United said they were “heartbroken” to share the news with supporters.
Phipps, who first joined the club way back in 1968 when Sir Matt Busby was still manager, has been at the club longer than any current members of staff and will be sorely missed by not just many but countless individuals she came across in more than five decades at the club.
Writing in an official statement, the club said: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved colleague Kath Phipps at the age of 85. An omnipresent figure at Manchester United since the late 1960s, Kath worked for the club for over 55 years in a variety of roles, but her contribution went beyond any particular job title.
In loving memory of Kath Phipps: friend, confidant and treasured colleague.
“A childhood United fan from Irlam, Kath became the Reds’ switchboard operator in September 1968, shortly after the Reds’ first European Cup success, and was soon forging friendships with Sir Matt Busby, Jimmy Murphy and United’s star-studded squad, spending countless hours with Ballon d’Or winners George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law as they signed autographs to send to their fans.”
Phipps – a pillar of the club for more than half a century – was there throughout Sir Alex Ferguson‘s 26-year tenure and every manager since; the legendary coach even brought the entire squad along to the funeral of her late husband, Richard, and many players visited her during lockdown.
For most people who have ever visited the Carrington training complex, ‘Kath on Reception’ is the very first face they see and was always famed for its incredibly friendly manner and warm embrace.
Players both past and present, as well as countless other figures attached to the club, have been paying tribute to the United veteran who epitomised their values and was revered by all.
David Beckham shared: “Forever in our hearts… The first and last face I would always see was Kath sat at reception at Old Trafford waiting to give me my tickets for the game , she was the heartbeat of Manchester United , everyone knew who Kath was and everyone adored her…
“I moved up to Manchester at 15 and Kath made a promise to my mum and dad ‘I’ll look after your boy for you don’t you worry’ and from that first day till the last day I spent with her that’s exactly what she did.
“Old Trafford will never be the same without your smile as we walk through those doors… We love you”
Wayne Rooney pays an emotional tribute to long-standing #mufc employee Kath Phipps on his Instagram page.
Sorry to hear about Kath on reception passing away. Lovely, modest, loyal, lady. 55 years at MUFC. I tweeted a pic of her in May ‘22 and showed her the huge reaction. She was well chuffed and showed her family. Then said: “thank you so much. I’m only doing my job.” RIP. pic.twitter.com/6DPQ1wwhPG
Current defender Diogo Dalot shared a touching message on social media which read: “You’ve seen it all… You truly represented everything [that] Man United is about. Thank you for taking care of us. Rest in peace, Kath, we love you.”
The Athletic football writer Laurie Whitwell hailed her as “always so welcoming”, while the BBC’s Simon Stone wrote: “Absolutely devastated by this news. Kath was such a lovely lady, always smiling and laughing and totally devoted to Manchester United.
“A constant presence during my 20+ years covering the club. Last saw her earlier this year. Very frail but still positive. A trip to Carrington was always better after a hug from Kath. RIP.”
Speaking on her 55th anniversary in 2023, she told the club: “I don’t think I’ve had one cross word with anybody in all the years I’ve been here. I look forward to coming in and having a smile on my face every day, wishing people ‘good morning’. I just enjoy being here. Not everybody can say they enjoy going to work but I do. Football has been my life.”
Paying tribute to her in the best way they know how, they shared another quote in which she simply said: “I can’t imagine doing anything else” – to which they simply added, “Well, we can’t imagine the place without her.”
Rest in peace, Kath on Reception, a loyal servant famous for her hugs. We see no better way to sum her up than with this heartwarming clip. Our thoughts go out to her friends, family and all those at Manchester United whose lives she touched.
Featured Images – Manchester United/TNT Sports (screenshot)
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Pep Guardiola hints at when Manchester City fans can expect to see their latest arrival
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given supporters a rough timeline as to when they can expect to see their new signing, or at least their latest arrival, make his first appearance.
The Blues wrapped up the January transfer window with four major signings: their new attacking number seven, Omar Marmoush (who has already bagged a hattrick on his home debut) promising defensive duo, Abdukodir Khusanov and Brazilian Vitor Reis, as well as their ‘mini-Rodri’, Nico Gonzalez.
However, the club has had another late arrival who was technically signed back at the start of last year but who has spent for the last 12 months or so loaned back to his previous parent club, River Plate in Argentina, waiting to make the move over to the Etihad Stadium – and now he’s here in Manchester.
Speaking on his touchdown in 0161, Pep said Claudio Echeverri won’t be thrown into first-team action straight away but did give a rough estimate as to when City fans could expect him to get involved. You can see him discussing the integration plan in his post-match press conference following the Spurs win.
The mention was only brief but there’s still plenty of reason for Man City fans to be excited by the late January signing.
“Yeah, he [Claudio Echeverri] is going to start to train and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the [Club] World Cup and as soon as possible [that] he arrives he can adapt quick for the future.”
As mentioned, the 19-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder from Resistencia officially put pen to paper with CFG back in January 2024 and was quickly dubbed ‘the next Messi’.
Now, although the football world is often quick to jump the gun with these things and he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be last to be slapped with this premature title, he’s done more to back up these claims since then than he has rubbish them.
Starring at the 2025 Under-20 South American Championships, netting six goals in nine games to finish the tournament as the second highest scorer thanks to notable braces against Brazil and Uruguay as the young Argentine’s finished as runners up.
He also notched 48 senior appearances for River Plate thus far, netting four goals and grabbing eight assists in that time, not to mention having already captained his national team at the 2023 Under 17s World Cup, where he scored another five.
Safe to say there’s plenty of talent to be tapped in this lad.
Once again, Echeverri won’t go straight into the senior set-up for a little while yet, barring a major injury crisis, but he’ll be a more than exciting addition to the City Football Academy and for future first-team lineups for years to come.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be included in an FA Cup matchday squad? Nevertheless, you can expect him to not just come of the bench but hopefully show what he can do at the Club World Cup this summer.
City‘s first fixture as reigning champions of the competition will be against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June 2025.
You can watch Echeverri’s first full interview as a Man City player down below:
The new Man City signing is excited to be finally be part of the club 13 months on from agreeing his contract.
‘Nothing is eternal’: Is Pep Guardiola hinting at the end of Manchester City’s supremacy?
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola looks to have suggested that more than a decade of Manchester City’s supremacy and Premier League dominance at the very least might be coming to an end.
Speaking in his post-match press interviews after City were knocked out of the Champions League by serial European Cup winners Real Madrid, Guardiola cut a somewhat more deflated figure than usual following the 3-1 defeat.
A Kylian Mbappe hattrick which was closed out within an hour of play was enough to stretch the aggregate score to 6-3 over the two legs and Madrid doubling their lead across the tie proved yet again why, not unlike City domestically over the last decade, they’re the kings of the continental competition.
In contrast, however, Pep seemed to accept the loss much more easily than perhaps we’ve seen in the past and rather than appearing familiarly frustrated or defiant in the press conference; instead, he seemed rather reflective, responding to one reporter: “Nothing is eternal”.
🗣️ "Nothing is eternal" – Pep Guardiola.
🔵 Subscribe to our Manchester City page on BBC Sounds for the latest interviews. #MCFC#bbcfootball
Insisting that they have to decide whether a significant rebuild is needed to keep competing at the very top level consistently as they have done since the 54-year-old arrived back in 2016, he argued that it is only with that they’ll be able to determine what comes next.
As for the result itself, he made no bones about Carlo Ancelotti’s side having “deserved it”, stating simply that “the best team won” and that fans and players alike have to “accept the reality: they were better.”
Having been a familiar foe for Pep long before he arrived in Manchester, both at Barcelona and Bayern Munich – not to mention City having faced Los Blancos a dozen times before Tuesday night since 2012 – there have been less surprising outcomes for supporters to come to terms with.
“With time, the club and everyone is going to accept what it is but for now we have 30/40 games for the Premier League next season to try and be here [in the Champions League] and to improve. Nothing is eternal”, said the Catalan coaching genius.
On the other hand, he also went on to add that it was merely a reflection on the night itself and not what his team have achieved in recent years.
He went on to remark that “when we were playing outstanding it hurt more” to be knocked out of the UCL when he felt they deserved to stay in it, but still insisted: “We have been unbelievable and we have to try step by step to get better from today.” Tonight just wasn’t the night.
Who knows? Perhaps it was just some more melodrama from a manager with an undeniable flare for pageantry and playing into/in the face of narratives when he doesn’t come out on top – which hasn’t happened all that often until their dip in form this season.
Plus, there’s certainly still plenty for him and the fans to be positive about; not only has the arrival of their ‘Egyptian Prince’ and the media’s Mo Salah successor, Omar Marmoush, got plenty of people excited – especially after that first-half hattrick against Newcastle – but so too have the other January signings.
In fact, for all of his downplaying in this particular presser (which you can hear in full HERE), it felt like there were only upsides after their victory over Newcastle, even going so far as to dub new signing Nico Gonzalez a ‘mini-Rodri‘.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Pep is right, nothing is eternal – but sometimes you just come up against talents like Mbappe and there’s very little anyone can do about it.
Danny Jones -
5th December 2024 
