London, Nov. 25 : Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson says that he will always remember the night he stood up his hero Frank Sinatra.

The Manchester United manager had a London dinner date with Ol’ Blue Eyes himself but cancelled after seeing his Reds crash to a shock defeat against Charlton in April 1989.

Ferguson was so incensed by the 1-0 loss at Selhurst Park he bombed out the legendary crooner to start an immediate inquest on the coach back to Manchester.

It is an example of the passion that has kept him at the top for over 20 years.

“You can’t beat Sinatra. I was actually supposed to have dinner with him one night, but we lost to Charlton so I cancelled it and went home! I wasn’t in the mood to meet anybody that night so I went back home on the bus!” The Sun quotes Ferguson, as saying.

He said: “There was a period, maybe 10-12 years ago, when I was obsessed with everything. I would come home at night and phone the scouts and other managers, but I was involved in everything at the club. If I’d carried on, I would probably have done myself some damage.”

Ferguson believes United are better equipped to defend their Champions League crown than when they won in 1999. (ANI)