Fergie Isn’t Rock Steady.

MET a fascinating man on the way back from Old Trafford on Saturday, a man who spent the hours after Manchester United’s win over local rivals City in the company of Alex Ferguson.

The United manager can be a gregarious host as I know from experience, and my new friend confirmed as much.

He also let me in a little secret – the words Rock of Gibraltar are no longer mentioned in Fergie’s company by anyone from Ireland.

They are aware that Fergie’s nerves are fairly raw when it comes to discussing his forthcoming legal battle with John Magnier over the breeding rights to one of the most successful flat horses ever.

And my new buddy and I spent a good 20 minutes discussing the merits and otherwise of one of the most intriguing sports stories ever.

Fergie, in case you don’t know, is acknowledged in some quarters as the 50% owner of the Rock, in partnership with Magnier’s wife Susan.

He also claims to be the 50% owner of the breeding rights to the Rock, worth an estimated $100 million over the coming years.

Magnier denies Fergie’s claims and the two, no longer friends, are set for a lengthy court case before this issue is resolved.

The pair no longer talk, with suggestions that Magnier has even hired a private detective to check out Fergie in the months before any trial begins in Dublin.

And the intrigue thickens when you consider that the biggest single shareholder in United is a company called Cubic Expression, owned by Magnier and his racing buddy J.P. McManus.

They may yet buy a majority share in United – and Ferguson is still waiting for the club’s board to ratify a lucrative new contract which may have to be rubberstamped by Cubic Expression.

Yes, you couldn’t make this up if you tried. And no, nobody mentioned Rock of Gibraltar during Saturday’s press conference.

We only talked about it high above the Irish Sea – when it was safer!