Manchester United legend turned pundit Roy Keane was reportedly headbutted by an Arsenal fan following the London club’s dramatic home win against the Red Devils on Sunday evening.
Nearly 20 years on from his infamous bust-up with Patrick Viera in the tunnel at Highbury, it appears the former Irish enforcer and grumpy midfielder found himself involved in some friction with a fan at Arsenal’s current ground too.
In fact, according to multiple outlets, Keane was allegedly headbutted by the angered Gunner on the way to carrying out the full-time analysis and his other post-match duties on Sky Sports whilst waiting for the lift down to the pitchside.
Said to have occurred just after Man United’s Alejandro Garnacho thought he scored the winner only to be ruled offside before the home team scored a double at the death to seal the victory, fellow pundit and former Man City defender Micah Richards can be seen grabbing the fan and separating the two.
While the clip above seemingly cuts off just after the altercation, the Arsenal supporter is said to have headbutted the 52-year-old in the chest and the chin area before his Richards intervenes and security is called.
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Speaking to Express Sport, an eye-witness said the incident occurred “shortly before the 90th-minute mark in the Highbury Bar for platinum members” and Keane was supposedly “a mark between his eyebrows.”
After pushing the fan away and against a door, the witness said “Richards was very forceful at keeping the fan from attacking Keane and neither their security nor the door security could split the two apart”, adding that “Keane was asking nearby staff to call the police.”
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Once the unruly supporter was eventually escorted by additional security, they also claimed that they “noticed a small amount of blood on the floor on the route where the fan was led out.”
Issuing a statement to the media, a Sky Sports spokesperson said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media. In the footage seen, Micah Richards was acting to diffuse a situation.”
Thus far, the Met Police have said they are “investigating following an assault that is alleged to have occurred at the Emirates Stadium during an Arsenal v Manchester United match on Sunday, 3 September”, but that “there have been no arrests” and “enquiries are ongoing.”
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Regardless, both Keane and Richards still went on to analyse the ever-tense fixture as if nothing had happened and many have applauded the pair for their professionalism in staying on the panel to talk about the game.
The pair obviously had plenty to analyse following an eventful evening at the Emirates which has had plenty of VAR controversy surrounding it, especially from aggrieved United fans.
Bolton fans split opinion with pitch invasion but they were the difference in the play-off semi-final
Danny Jones
The Toughsheet was hit with a huge pitch invasion by Bolton fans after the Wanderers narrowly secured their place in the League One play-off final this week, but the behaviour from those in the stadium has split opinion, to say the least.
Last Friday’s 3-1 win in the away leg gave the Trotters just enough cushion to survive the 3-2 defeat to Barnsley on Tuesday night, scraping through 5-4 on aggregate.
A tense affair was putting it mildly, especially after the home side began to let their two-nil lead from the first half slip and seeing the Tykes get just a goal away from tying things up with over a quarter of an hour still to go.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt put it best by simply saying, “We got the job done”, but as he’s stressed all season long as automatic promotion began to look less and less likely, he didn’t want his players to be premature or complacent come these final weeks. Safe to say the fans didn’t get that memo.
Although many have been defending the supporters for celebrating a massive victory which could see them back in the Championship after five years, not to mention it being the last home game of the season, plenty of others have been labelling the pitch invasion “nothing short of embarrassing”.
There have been countless comments to that effect, with people writing, “Bolton fans are weird. Pitch invasion and they aren’t even promoted yet” and “Pitch invasions for anything nowadays”. One user went so far as to argue, “Even the players must feel embarrassed”.
On the other hand, the defence that many of those are giving is that the Wanderers were close to liquidation just a few short years ago and unable to even pay their players, resorting to roping in academy players and dropping all the way to League Two in the 2020/21 season.
Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that it was a big night for Boltonians and it’s hard to pretend that being part of it would be anything other than up there with your most memorable sporting moments.
As for Evatt, he told BBC Radio Manchester that the crowd was “the best it’s been since I’ve been here”, insisting that “the atmosphere was absolutely incredible” from start to finish.
When you talk of the ‘twelfth man’ in football, it’s these games that come to mind and it’s no exaggeration to say that it was the fans in the stands that helped their team ride out the storm for what must have felt like an eternity.
What do you think, is a pitch invasion before you’ve actually won anything a bit premature or do these lot deserve to soak it all in after how far they’ve come over the past year or so?
Pubs can extend their opening hours if England make it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals
Emily Sergeant
Pubs are to be permitted to extend their opening hours if England make it through to the semi-finals of EURO 2024 this summer.
With the Premier League, and the English and Scottish football leagues, all drawing to a close over the next couple of weeks, our nations are already looking ahead to what is gearing up to be a massive summer of sport – with both the UEFA EURO 2024, and the 2024 Olympics coming up before August is out.
And now, it’s been revealed by Home Secretary James Cleverly that if either England or Scotland’s mens national football teams make it to the semi-final of European football’s flagship tournament, then pubs will be allowed to stay open for longer.
But, there’s a bit of a catch… because isn’t there always?
The Government has said that venues will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours on match days if either or both teams reach the last four or the final of the competition, but this only applies to pubs that already have a license to open until 11pm anyway.
The move to extend opening hours comes after a consultation at the end of last year, and is hoped to provide a boost to the hospitality industry – which has notably been hit hard during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Home Secretaries in England and Wales, under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”, but the Scottish and Northern Irish Governments have to set their own rules.
“We have listened to the public through our consultation,” explained Home Secretary James Cleverley, “and we will be extending pub licensing hours should England or Scotland reach the semi-finals or final of Euro 2024.”
The EURO 2024 semi-finals are to be held on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July / Credit: UEFA
Mr Cleverley said the move will “allow friends, families and communities to come together for longer to watch their nation hopefully bring it home”.
This legislation is set to be laid in Parliament today (Wednesday 8 May) to ensure there is enough time for it to be debated and passed before the tournament begins on Friday 14 June, the Government has confirmed.