‘I feel sick when I look at him’ – Ipswich fan reveals what led to Roy Keane spat

Neil Finbow says he taunted former Town manager about walking out of Ireland’s 2002 World Cup camp and his tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland

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The Ipswich Town fan Roy Keane told to “wait in the car park” said the sight of the Sky Sports pundit made him feel “sick” and revealed he taunted him on walking out on Ireland at the World Cup and injuring Alf-Inge Haaland.
Neil Finbow, the fan at the centre of the row after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich, wrote on Facebook that Keane took exception to a “few choice words” which also involved criticism of the Irishman’s tenure as Ipswich manager.
Finbow wrote: “New claim to fame. Just been offered out into the car park by Roy Keane after a few choice words.
“I mentioned about him walking out on a World Cup and breaking Haaland’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.
“Even Jamie Redknapp had to come over to get him away. Just your average Sunday evening out.”
Keane was sacked as Ipswich manager in 2011 with the side 21st in the Championship.
Finbow added: “I was reminding him that he set us back five years and ruined our football club. I also mentioned how he wasn’t fit to step foot anywhere near our ground [Portman Road].”
Keane, who had been on the Portman Road pitch with Jamie Redknapp and Izzy Christiansen, confronted Finbow during an advert break after the full-time whistle.
The exchange across a touchline barrier took place just moments before he went back on air and prompted more jeers for the former United captain, who managed Ipswich from 2009-11.
As Keane walked over with his hands in his pocket towards the sideline, a fan is heard shouting at him: “You’re a better pundit than you are a manager.”
Keane walked up close to the fan’s face and told him repeatedly: “Wait in the car park”.
“Wait in the car park and we’ll discuss it,” said the Irishman, adding, “I can’t hear you… wait in the car park.”
Keane has faced fan confrontations before while on Sky Sports duties at matches. Scott Law, 43, was handed a three-year football banning order and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work in June for headbutting Keane during a “gratuitous and senseless act of violence”. The attack took place following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Keane’s former club United in September last year.
The pundit then quickly regained his composure to return to Sky Sports’ coverage and deliver another withering summary of United’s inefficiencies, saying new head coach Ruben Amorim had “big problems” to solve.
One source said he had been taking “heavy abuse”. Ipswich were three points above the Championship drop zone when he was sacked after an 81-game managerial spell of 28 wins, 25 draws and 28 defeats. Several observers said many home fans had spewed insults in Keane’s direction during Sunday’s match.
Keane was eventually guided back to the live broadcast by a member of the production team as fans then jeered him again.
On air, Keane had compared Amorim’s task at Manchester United to a “leopard” attempting changing its “spots” as he said the team’s “same old” problems were on display in an underwhelming draw.
“He’s got big problems,” said Keane. “You still have the same players out there and the same problems. We talk about leopards and spots – it’s the issue with United over the last year or two. The lack of goals, lack of quality in the second half. Ipswich haven’t won all season at home, and they looked a better team. If anyone was going to win, you felt Ipswich, were going to win it… It’s his first game. There’s a lot to take in. It’s been about a week or two for him, but I think ultimately he’d be disappointed.”
Marcus Rashford provided the perfect start to Amorim’s reign with his 81-second opener but Omari Hutchinson levelled for Ipswich before the break, with United keeper André Onana twice forced to deny Liam Delap with stunning saves.
Amorim’s new side struggled to contain Ipswich at times and found the home defence in defiant mood. Afterwards, Keane delivered a bleak assessment of his ambitions for United this season. “He’s still trying to get to know these players,” he said of Amorim. “But I suppose at United, the vision is the league… do I believe this group of players have the quality to start getting United back up towards the top four, top five? I’ve been saying it for ages, absolutely not. The evidence isn’t there.”
Redknapp agreed, and predicted a major clear-out of players. “Right now, you couldn’t pick the team that’s going to be there in six months, because you don’t know who’s going to fit into what he wants,” Redknapp added.
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