An Ipswich fan has stepped forward to claim he was confronted by an angry Roy Keane at Portman Road on Sunday, in an incident that went viral on social media.
Former Ipswich manager Keane broke away from his broadcasting position with Sky Sports to respond to a fan who had been giving him abuse as he returned to his old club.
Keane was heard to offer to meet the fan in the car park after the match to continue to their discussion, with the Corkman’s Sky Sports colleague Jamie Redknapp seen urging the ex-Manchester United captain to step away from the confrontation.
Now Ipswich fan Neil Finbow has claimed he was the supporter caught up in the row, as he posted his thoughts on his Facebook page.
“New claim to fame, just been offered out [sic] into the carpark by Roy Keane after a few choice words, even Jamie Redknapp had to come over to get him away just ya [sic] average Sunday evening out,” Finbow wrote.
When asked by a fellow Facebook user what comment sparked the row, he added: “I did remind him he set us back five years and ruined our football club – I also mentioned he wasn’t fit to step foot anywhere near our ground.
“Oh and I mentioned about him walking out on a World Cup and breaking (Alf-Inge) 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.”
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Finbow said he was not alone in criticising Keane, as he claims.
“I don’t have any regrets (about criticising Keane),” he adds.
“It’s pent-up anger. No swear words came out of my mouth, I just said ‘you’re a better pundit than you are a manager’.
“I played football, not at that level, and you get comments on a football pitch and you just have to let them ride, don’t you.
“I spoke to my friends this morning and they said it’s all gone viral, that’s not what I want. I’m not worried about that. But it’s not the Eric Cantona kung-fu kick, is it.
“That guy got banned for life for throwing some atrocious stuff at Eric Cantona, but those sarcastic comments from myself and the guy who had an issue from years ago about his kids… I think we pay a lot of money to go down there, our hard-earned cash, and I’ve watched some dross. I think it was just pent-up inside.
“Everyone I sit with knows what I’m like,” he adds.
“I’m in the family bit there, I’ve been there for years. I do worry about my season ticket, someone has put on there that it could affect it, but I don’t think I’ve been abusive or anything. If people class that as abuse, then it’s just gone mad.
“I want my side to be heard, that it was more sarcasm than anything.
“To be fair, he’s provoked it by coming over, hasn’t he? I was actually saying ‘calm down, Roy’, funnily enough, which I’ve been telling a lot of my friends to do this morning.”
Finbow also suggested Keane came over to confront Ipswich fans on two occasions on Sunday, with the second incident caught on camera.