Sir Alex Backs Mary Barbour Appeal

Sir Alex Ferguson has donated £5,000 to a fund to build a statue of a woman who successfully led rent strikes during the First World War in the part of Glasgow where he grew up. The former Manchester United manager wrote a cheque for the Remember Mary Barbour Fund in memory of the "formidable firebrand'' from Govan. Ms Barbour led rent strikes in the city in 1915, forcing a change in the law with the introduction of the Rent Restrictions Act. After the war, she maintained her push to deliver better conditions for women and children across the city by becoming one of the first female councillors, the first female Baillie - a civic officer - and a magistrate. Speaking in Glasgow today, Sir Alex said: "It was only when I got into my adult years that I learned about her. "I never got told about it at school, it was by looking at Harry Benson's book of photographs of Glasgow, that's where I learned about Mary Barbour. "Obviously, the Govan connection stirred a real interest and for me, that great photograph of all the housewives in Govan standing outside the close - that rent man was never getting in - that registers deeply with me, I've looked at that photograph many, many times. "That was the start of my interest in this and I think it's a great cause too. "A housewife's role at that time was to look after the house, make sure the kids got to school and that there was food on the table, and that image shows the strength of the women that they were not prepared to take any more from rent men at that particular time. "It was a courageous move and Mary Barbour went on to do many great things after that, and she's well remembered for it.'' Sir Alex takes pride in where he grew up and hopes the campaign and the statue can lead to more people learning about Ms Barbour's story. He said: "Your upbringing is important, I think it's the foundation of your life. "I was fortunate that I had good parents who did the best they could possibly do for me. "Many people have said I came from a poor background but I don't think that people who grew up in my time thought they were poor. "You were taught to be the best you can be by not just parents but by the teachers you had at school. "Education is not just about going to school, it's about inspiring you, and I was inspired by many people.'' The football legend met Glasgow Lord Provost Sadie Docherty, who launched the fund, and former MP Maria Fyfe, chair of the Remember Mary Barbour Association, at the City Chambers. Ms Fyfe said: "A rough estimate is we need between £80,000 and £100,000, it depends on the proposals from artists that come forward and the materials they want to use. "At the moment, we're touching about £40,000, including promises as well as actual cash. "I just want to say today that we're hugely grateful to Sir Alex Ferguson for his support. "The statue will definitely go in Govan, we consulted people around the city and thought about George Square, but people in Govan said 'not a bit of it, we want it here', so it will go at Govan Cross because that's where it started and it will be safe there.''