Alex Ferguson’s grandson ‘serious’ after car crash

While Sir Alex Ferguson was in north London enjoying one of the best nights of his managerial career yesterday - Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-1 to go through to the Champions League final - he was hiding the fact that his 10-year-old grandson Charlie was "seriously ill" after being involved in a car crash.

Charlie is the son of Sir Alex's son Darren Ferguson, manager of Peterborough United, and his wife Nadine, from whom he is separated. Nadine was also hurt in the crash and both she and Charlie were taken by air ambulance to Manchester following the head-on collision in a Cheshire country lane on Tuesday morning.

Charlie was later transferred to the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said he was in "a very serious but stable condition".

Charlie's six-year-old sister Grace was also in the car, on the way to school, but suffered only minor injuries. Nadine Ferguson, 30, was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital where her condition is also described as serious.

She separated from Darren in 2006 after four years of marriage. Last year he admitted assaulting his wife during a row on the driveway of his parents' home and was fined £1,500. ·