In the hours after Roy Keane invited a fan to “meet me in the car park”, Sky Sports management resisted the instinct to follow in with their own rash challenge.
No apology or immediate reprimand for Keane as the broadcaster instead launched careful investigations, speaking to every member of their 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 figures refusing to detail what was said to Keane regarding a “private conversation”.
If he has been ruled at fault for reacting, Sky will probably never reveal: Keane comes with baggage but as far as the broadcasters are concerned, he is as close as it gets to irreplaceable in punditry right now.
Sky might, in turn, consider whether it should also shoulder some blame for the clash. Abuse had been so predictable for Keane at Ipswich Town, where he was fired during a grim time at the club almost 14 years ago. But the broadcaster pressed ahead in having him front and centre for post-match analysis on pitch, where he faced an almost constant torrent from a small group of home fans.
Those within earshot of the clash during an advert break after Manchester United’s underwhelming 1-1 draw with Ipswich insist figures far less volcanic than Keane would also have reacted.
‘I hate the bloke’
The main wind-up merchant who eventually lured Keane into marching over typified a growing trend of fans in the social media age seeking their own 15-minute slice of fame.
Neil Finbow, the apparent fan in question, is now revelling in what he describes as his “new claim to fame”. He has posted on Facebook and boasted of being “offered out into the car park by Roy Keane after a few choice words”.
When asked what he said to provoke his face-to-face confrontation, Finbow brags of reminding Keane of his managerial failures at Ipswich as well as other career misdemeanours, including the Alf-Inge Haaland foul during Keane’s playing career.
“Did remind him he set us [Ipswich] back five years and ruined our football club,” writes Finbow. “Also mentioned he wasn’t fit to step [sic] foot anywhere near our ground.”
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For good measure, he then referenced Keane leaving Republic of Ireland’s training camp ahead of the World Cup in 2002 as well as the red-card lunge on Erling Haaland’s father, Alfie, during his playing days.
Finbow said: “Oh, and I mentioned about him walking out on a World Cup and breaking Halaand’s leg and putting it in his autobiography… I hate the bloke and that’s been boiling up since he got sacked all those years ago.”
‘The red mist descended’
Keane, the most sought-after pundit in television, never shirks a challenge, of course. The abuse he took from Finbow pales into insignificance compared with the “gratuitous and senseless act of violence” he faced when Scott Law, 43, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, headbutted him following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Keane’s former club United in September last year.
Keane had also been working for Sky Sports that day. Law was handed a three-year football banning order and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work. But Law, whose seat was beneath the Sky Sports studio, also attempted to make light of his own actions, claiming there had been “banter” between him and Keane throughout the game. Defence barrister Charles Sherrard KC alleged that “the red mist descended” on Keane, who swore at Law and said “say it to my face”. But Keane told the court he was “absolutely not expecting” the attack and said he suffered bruising on his chest and arms as a result.
Keane’s inability to suffer fools gladly has led to other harmless, but more amusing, exchanges. One, in which he waves away a selfie request from a fan during NFL International Series game between the New York Giants and Green Bay in 2022, drew much mirth during ITV Sport coverage hosted by Laura Woods. He also turned on a fan who approached him while at home in Ireland to ask if Keane wanted a photo with him. Yet despite his apparent unease with his profile, Keane is at the top of his game in terms of his broadcast appeal. Quick-witted, unpredictable and by far the most quote-worthy of any regular figure in sports broadcasting. He states that a return to top tier management has long been his ambition, but it is the punditry sector he has conquered without ever really intending to do so.
His friendship with Ian Wright over the past year has helped further soften his image. Wright, more at ease with fame, posted videos during the European Championship this summer of Keane attempting to hide away from attention while on a trip together to a shopping mall. He has become a first choice for Sky’s Sunday Premier League offering as well as ITV’s England match coverage. The quips, put-downs and grumpy old man act is dream fodder for the clipped up moments for social media that now dominate. Top Ten Keane moments draw millions of views. In his most recent viral moment – other than the confrontation at Ipswich – Jill Scott on the Stick to Football podcast recounted a story from a charity match where former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood “smashed” into her and Keane replied: “And what was the game like?”
Like his footballing career, Keane is so compelling because he plays dangerously close to the edge. One day, the chances are, he will overstep the mark. But the 53-year-old – financially secure from a footballing life at the very top – continues to carry the demeanour of a man who simply doesn’t care.
