FA Cup

On this day: News leaks of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Beckham boot altercation

By Liam Apicella, Features Editor | 16 February 2014

Eleven years ago today, news started to break that a stray boot kicked by Sir Alex Ferguson struck David Beckham just above his left eye.

On February 15, 2003, Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup by rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford.

It was an afternoon to forget for Sir Alex Ferguson, who saw Ryan Giggs miss an open goal in the 30th minute, before strikes from Edu and Sylvain Wiltord sealed the North London club's spot in the quarter-finals of the competition.

However, while the outcome of the tie was expected to dominate Sunday morning's headlines, news of an incident involving Ferguson and United winger David Beckham in the dressing room became the major talking point when it broke 11 years ago today.

Although there are various versions of the tale, what is agreed upon is that as a heated discussion about the match took place between manager and player, Ferguson kicked a heap of kit on the floor, unbeknown to him that a boot was in among the pile. It flew into the air, striking Beckham just above the left eye.

Taking up the story in his recently released autobiography, Ferguson wrote: "He was around 12 feet from me. David swore. I moved towards him and, as I approached, I kicked a boot. It hit him right above the eye. Of course, he rose to have a go at me and the players stopped him. 'Sit down,' I said. 'You've let your team down. You can argue as much as you like.'

"I called him in the next day to go through the video and he still would not accept his mistake. The next day the story was in the press. It was in those days that I told the board David had to go."

As for Beckham, in 'My Side', which hit the shelves in 2004, he hinted that he felt, initially at least, that it was a deliberate action from his boss: "I felt I was being bullied, in public, and being backed into a corner, for no reason other than spite. I was trapped. I swore at him. Something no player, certainly no United player, should ever do to the manager."

Then, discussing the incident itself: "At me? At the wall? It could have been anywhere, he was that angry now. I felt a sting over my left eye, where the boot hit me. I put one hand up to it and found myself wiping blood away off my eyebrow. Suddenly it was like some mad scene out of a gangster movie, with them holding me back as I tried to get to the gaffer."

In the days that followed, Beckham certainly let the world know that he felt wronged by wearing his hair in a headband, which showed off his two stitches to the waiting photographers.

As the season drew to a close, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was often preferred to Beckham wide on the right as United went on to win the title. During that summer, the then England captain was sold to Real Madrid for a reported £24.5m.