Revealed: Sir Alex Ferguson was arrested and jailed after a drunken fight during playing days

Manchester City v Manchester United - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - March 7, 2021 Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in the stands before the match [Pool via REUTERS/Dave Thompson]

Sir Alex Ferguson was once arrested and jailed following a drunken fight during his playing days.

The legendary Manchester United manager was at St Johnstone at the time and was struggling to break into the first team.

Ferguson was fined £3 for the incident after appearing in court.

By his own admission, Ferguson went off the rails in the early 1960s as a result of his career faltering.

His behavior sparked a rift with his dad, and the pair didn't speak for two years as a result.

In the new documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, the 79-year-old recalled this period of his life.

Ferguson said, as reported by the Daily Record: "I was getting despondent about football because I wasn't a first-team player all the time.

"My career was going down the pan and I went off the rails a bit. I was going out in town and I started going out on Friday nights even, the day before a game.

"My dad would say 'You can't go to the dancing if you've got a game tomorrow.'

Sir Alex Ferguson manager of Manchester United lifts the Premier League trophy after the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Blackpool at Old Trafford on May 22, 2011 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

"That's when we fell out. It got to a point where he said 'Go your own way and we'll see what happens,' and then we weren't talking to one another.

"For two years between 1961 and 1963, we didn't talk.

"One night I went out and I got drunk and I ended up in a fight and ended up in jail. I went to court and got fined £3. I was a bit of a black sheep.

"That period has always been in the back of my head and I have always regretted it. Here's me with the background and upbringing I had and I surrendered."

In the documentary, which was premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival at the weekend, Ferguson explains how he managed to get his life back on track and how a hat-trick for St Johnstone against Rangers in December 1963 played a huge part.

"It was the most important game of my life," added Ferguson.

"I wanted to go home and see my dad because I knew he would be proud.

"I said 'What do you think dad?'. He said 'It was all right, OK,' and then he starts 'That's the boy I had.'

"We were back pals. That changed my life, it was the biggest break of my life and it was the one that mattered to me.

"After that, I was committed. It was nothing but football for me."