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In the hours after Roy Keane invited a fan to “meet me in the car park”, Sky Sports management resisted the instinct to mount their own reckless challenge.
No immediate apology or reprimand for Keane as the broadcaster instead launched careful investigations, speaking to every member of his team at Portman Road. Keane was asked for his version of events, as were Kelly Cates, Jamie Redknapp and Izzy Christiansen. The matter has since been dealt with behind closed doors, with senior officials refusing to detail what was said to Keane regarding a “private conversation”.
If he was found responsible for his reaction, Sky will probably never reveal it: Keane comes with baggage, but as far as broadcasters are concerned, he’s as close to irreplaceable as possible among pundits at the moment.
Sky may, in turn, wonder whether it should also take some responsibility for the clash. The abuse was so predictable for Keane at Ipswich Town, where he was sacked during a dark period at the club almost 14 years ago. But the broadcaster insisted on putting him front and center for post-match analysis on the pitch, where he faced a near-constant torrent from a small group of home fans.
Those who were within earshot of the clash during an ad break after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich insist figures far less volcanic than Keane would also have reacted.
‘I hate this guy’
The main clearance merchant who finally got Keane to walk was representative of a growing trend of fans in the age of social media looking for their own 15-minute slice of fame.
Neil Finbow, the apparent fan in question, is now reveling in what he describes as his “new claim to fame”. He posted on Facebook and bragged about being “proposed to in the car park by Roy Keane after a few choice words”.
When asked what he said to provoke his face-to-face confrontation, Finbow boasts of reminding Keane of his managerial failures at Ipswich as well as other career misdemeanors, including Alf’s foul -Inge Haaland during Keane’s playing career.
“I reminded him that he had put us [Ipswich] five years ago and ruined our football club,” writes Finbow. “He also mentioned that he was not fit to walk [sic] foot anywhere near our ground.
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For good measure, he then referenced Keane leaving the Republic of Ireland training camp ahead of the World Cup in 2002, as well as the red card thrown at Erling Haaland’s father Alfie during his playing days.
Finbow said: “Oh, and I mentioned that he went to a World Cup and broke Halaand’s leg and put it in his autobiography… I hate that guy and it’s been bubbling ever since he was sacked all those years ago.”
“The red mist has descended”
Keane, TV’s most sought-after pundit, never backs down from a challenge, of course. The abuse he suffered from Finbow pales in comparison to the “gratuitous and senseless act of violence” he faced when Scott Law, 43, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, headbutted him after the Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Keane’s former club United last September. year.
Keane was also working for Sky Sports that day. Law was sentenced to a three-year football ban and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work. But Law, whose headquarters were under the Sky Sports studio, also tried to ridicule his own actions, claiming there had been “banter” between him and Keane throughout the match. Defense barrister Charles Sherrard KC alleged “the red mist descended” on Keane, who swore at Law and said “say it to my face”. But Keane told the court he “absolutely did not expect” the attack and said he suffered bruising to his chest and arms.
Keane’s inability to suffer fools gladly led to other harmless, but more amusing, exchanges. One of them, in which he rejects a selfie request from a fan during the 2022 NFL International Series game between the New York Giants and Green Bay, sparked much mirth during coverage of ITV Sport hosted by Laura Woods. He also turned on a fan who approached him while he was at home in Ireland to ask if Keane wanted a photo with him. Yet despite his apparent discomfort with his profile, Keane is at the top of his game in terms of TV appeal. Quick-witted, unpredictable and easily the most quotable of all the regular characters in sports broadcasting. He says that a return to the highest level of management has long been his ambition, but it is the expert sector that he has conquered without ever really intending to do so.
His friendship with Ian Wright over the past year has helped to further soften his image. Wright, more comfortable with fame, posted videos during the European Championship this summer of Keane attempting to hide from attention during a trip to a shopping center together. He became a top choice for Sky’s Sunday Premier League offering as well as ITV’s match coverage in England. The jokes, put-downs and grumpy old man act are the stuff of dreams for the cut-for-social media moments that now dominate. Top Ten Keane moments attract millions of views. In her most recent viral moment – other than the Ipswich showdown – Jill Scott on the Stick to football The podcast told the story of a charity match in which former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood “crushed” it and Keane responded: “And what was the match like?”
Like his football career, Keane is so compelling because he plays dangerously close to the edge. One day, there is a good chance that he will exceed the limits. But the 53-year-old – financially comfortable thanks to a life as a footballer at the top – continues to look like a man who doesn’t care.
