Uriah Rennie had to act fast when Roy Keane 'snapped' to stop a '20-man brawl'

Daily Mirror

4 hours ago

Former Premier League referee Uriah Rennie had to physically restrain Roy Keane during a game after seeing "fury in his eyes" during a tense clash with Jason McAteer
Ex- Premier League referee Uriah Rennie is remembered not just for breaking racial barriers in English football, but for his presence, poise and occasional physical authority during high-stakes matches. The trailblazing official, who died aged 65 on Sunday, was once forced to step in to physically restrain Roy Keane during a heated clash between Manchester United and Sunderland in August 2002.
The fixture turned volatile when Keane, under intense scrutiny following his explosive World Cup walk-out that summer, got into a fiery confrontation with Ireland team-mate Jason McAteer.
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Throughout the match, the pair had been dishing out tough tackles and verbal jabs, with Liverpool-born McAteer mocking Keane's newly released autobiography.
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Tempers flared quickly, and soon the situation threatened to spiral out of control. Spotting "fury" in Keane's eyes after a coming together between the players, Rennie stepped in to calm him down. A martial arts expert, the referee didn't hesitate, earning a degree of respect from the notoriously hard-to-please United skipper in the process.
In his 2022 book Your Show, a novelisation of his refereeing career, Rennie recalled the tense moment with vivid detail. "They both tumble onto the turf. Limbs flailing. Elbows and knees," he wrote. "Roy's reacting now, fury in his eyes, head's gone. This feud has history... grab Roy, save Jason?"
Rennie's instincts then took over. "Only a moment to think. You take matters in your own giant black hands with a cliff-edged ­fearlessness. You get in between the two. You do what you have to do, to stop it escalating, from turning into a 20-man mass brawl," he explained. "You grab Roy, grip onto his shirt like you did a few ­seasons ago at White Hart Lane, but tighter."
His intervention was effective. Keane, visibly seething, was separated from McAteer. Both players, in their own way, acknowledged the impact – McAteer later admitted that Keane would have "ripped his head off" if Rennie hadn't come between them. Keane, though never one to show deference, seemed to develop a level of respect for the referee's fearless handling of the moment.
However, just minutes later, Keane lashed out again – this time catching McAteer with a sharp elbow to the back of the head. Rennie immediately issued a red card – a decision so clear-cut that even Sir Alex Ferguson didn't contest it.
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"The referee had no choice but to send him off," the legendary United manager said after the game. "Roy is the first United player to be sent off for this offence and I have said recently the use of the elbow is a growing problem in our game." He later confirmed that the club would not appeal the decision and had fined Keane £150,000.
Rennie admitted his handling of the situation went beyond standard procedure: "I didn't follow FA protocol," he wrote. "You throw away the rule book and intervene early with action, words won't do, stopping Keane from doing something he shouldn't.
"You stare Keane dead in the eyes, still clutching a fistful of his shirt... messy Irish ­history. Messy World Cup history. Keane is fiddling with his captain's armband as you ­reason with him. He's only half listening, facing you but eyeing up the Sunderland player who has retreated behind you to safety. Although he might not be showing it now, maybe in his own way, he respects you."
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Despite being sent off, Keane remained unapologetic. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast in 2023, he insisted McAteer "deserved" the elbow and that the two were "absolutely not" on speaking terms. "He was one of those players who couldn't stop running their mouths," Keane said. "I didn't mind lads kicking me or booting me but McAteer as usual had plenty to say for himself."
McAteer, who had also played for Liverpool, Bolton, and Blackburn, later described their relationship as "toxic." He didn't hold back in his own assessment, calling Keane a "clown" and telling him to "bore off."