An omnipresent figure at United since the 1960s, Phipps passed away last December at the age of 85.

She worked for the Red Devils for over 55 years, first as a switchboard operator before later becoming a regular presence at Old Trafford’s directors entrance.

In 2000, Sir Alex Ferguson brought her to Carrington, where she faithfully served as a receptionist, becoming a beloved figure and earning the love and affection of generations of footballers, managers, colleagues and fans.

Tributes from players past and present poured in after the news of Phipps’ death. Wayne Rooney described her as “the heart and soul of Manchester United.”

David Beckham – who visited Phipps in hospital during her final weeks – also labelled her “the heartbeat of Manchester United.”

Earlier today, a damning report by The Telegraph revealed that United called the next kin of Phipps to ask about her season tickets just days after her death.

According to the newspaper, “The nurses who cared for Kath in her final months said they had never witnessed a patient receive so many daily visitors, let alone one with no living blood relatives. Her friends at the club, including several who had been ousted in the cuts, ran a daily rota via WhatsApp to ensure she was never alone.”

“There was disbelief then, when word emerged that Phippss listed next of kin, to his considerable shock, had received a call from the club two working days after her death to enquire about the status of her two season tickets.”

“United say it was a misunderstanding and there has been no request to recall the tickets.”

Despite United’s insistence that it was an error, this embarrassing revelation is only likely to add to the increasing criticism directed at INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe over their running of the club.

Since he became co-owner a year ago, Ratcliffe has embarked on a ruthless campaign to significantly slash operational costs at United and it doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down anytime soon.

It’s understood that the British businessman is considering up to 200 additional redundancies. This adds to other cost-cutting measures including the termination of Sir Alex’s ambassadorial contract, cancelling free travel for staff to attend finals and the cancelling of the popular Christmas party.

Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won''t hear otherwise!

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