I SAW first hand yesterday the quick-thinking compassionate side of Manchester United’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson

The boss leapt into action at United’s Carrington Training Ground when his regular Friday press conference was cut short by a cameraman collapsing at the back of the room with a sickening crash to the floor.

While hardened journalists carried on oblivious to the drama unfolding behind them Sir Alex was quick to respond to the emergency when he rushed to the scene of the drama and asked me “Is he OK?”

I could see the genuine concern in his eyes when I told him that cameraman Sam Budd had collapsed and looked ill.

In an instant Fergie instructed accompanying official Karen Shotbolt to summon the club doctor and it was no less than 2 minutes before the stricken camera operator was receiving treatment.

A short while later Budd was given the all clear to leave the ground by taxi.

Meanwhile, colleagues retrieved his camera equipment, which was no longer working after taking the full impact of the crash to the hard floor surface..

But shame on ITV who turned the incident into a sick joke when they ridiculed their unfortunate cameraman and showed the footage rescued from his busted camera by a Premier League Productions producer.

– BY JOHN GUBBA