Sometimes sour faced, Sir Alex Ferguson showed his other side after the death on the East Coast mainline of football mad Stuart Adams, writes Mike Amos.

Stuart was buried on Friday covered in Phil Neville's shirt from the 2004 Community Shield, after Sir Alex became personally involved.

The Manchester United manager, told through a contact at Middlesbrough of the Good Friday deaths of 15-year-old Stuart and his friend Lee Mullis, 14, rang Sue Cadman, Stuart's mother, on the Darlington covered market stall which she runs with her partner, Ian Hunter.

"Both Sir Alex and Jamie Morrison and Steve McClaren at Middlesbrough have been absolutely brilliant," said Sue. "Stuart was a full back, so Sir Alex personally arranged for Phil Neville's shirt to be signed by all the team and delivered to Darlington."

Ian, who marries Sue next month, said the call had been a complete surprise. "It meant so much, we simply couldn't believe it."

Middlesbrough sent a signed ball. "Everyone's been wonderful," said Sue. "There was so much stuff in there with him, I'm surprised they could lift the coffin."