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.
Footage of the moments just after Roy Keane was supposedly headbutted by the unidentified fan.
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortiumhas been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Salford City announces that the Club has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, and includes US-based businessman Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies who will both serve as new Co-Chairs of the Club’s board.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run returns this summer with three new routes
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced that its popular Run For Nature is back again this summer, and this year, there’s three new routes to run.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo saw success with similar sold-out events in 2023 and 2024, and is now looking for 2,500 runners to sign up for one of the North West’s most unique athletic experiences when it returns later this year – with all funds raised from the popular event going towards efforts to protect highly-endangered giraffes in Africa.
Participants will this year take on a brand-new route winding through more of the zoo than ever before, and enjoying glimpses of elephants, lemurs, and other incredible species along the way, before heading out into the picturesque Cheshire countryside.
Chester Zoo is inviting runners of all abilities to take part this year, as there’s a new 5km run added to the usual 10km route, and even a one-mile ‘Zoom’ fun run for kids aged four-15.
With only 2,500 places up for grabs, organisers say the event is expected to sell out quickly, just like it has the past two years, as runners race to support a very special cause.
All proceeds from this year’s Run For Nature in September will go directly towards protecting Nubian giraffes in East Africa – a species which has seen drastic population declines in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.
Chester Zoo’s sellout 10k charity run is returning this summer with three new routes / Credit: Chester Zoo
Runners will receive a wooden medal at the finish line and free entry to the zoo for the remainder of the day, so they can relax and celebrate their achievement among 30,000 amazing animals.
If that didn’t all sound brilliant enough as it is, top fundraisers from the day will also be in with a chance of winning some exciting prizes too, including annual zoo memberships, animal adoptions, and even special behind-the-scenes zoo experiences.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing back Run For Nature for a third incredible year,” explained Sarah Jones, who is the Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.
“We’ve now doubled the distance runners spend inside the zoo, so they’ll pass by even more iconic animals, [making it] a really special experience you won’t get anywhere else.”
Run For Nature is back at Chester Zoo this Sunday 21 September, and you can find out more and sign up to take part here.
Danny Jones -
4th September 2023 
