Former Premier League official Uriah Rennie, who passed away on Sunday, was never afraid to get physical during matches, even with a furious Roy Keane baying for blood
Roy Keane is restrained by referee Uriah Rennie
Uriah Rennie had to physically subdue Roy Keane during a match in 2002
(Image: Getty)
When Uriah Rennie sent off Roy Keane during Manchester United's 2002 clash with Sunderland, Sir Alex Ferguson – famously protective of his players – offered no defence.
The then United boss agreed with the referee's call, even going so far as to fine his captain £150,000 and publicly declare, "We won't appeal the decision."
The red card came late in a match already soaked in tension. Keane, under the microscope following his controversial World Cup walk-out that summer, had clashed bitterly with his Ireland team-mate Jason McAteer. The Black Cats midfielder had been chipping away at Keane with stiff tackles and cutting remarks, including jokes about Keane's freshly published autobiography.
At one point, the pair were about to come to blows, only for Rennie, who tragically passed away at the weekend, to step in and keep the two apart. In his 2022 book Your Show, Rennie remembered the incident vividly, and admitted to breaking FA protocol in order to prevent a mass brawl from breaking out.
"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 – a martial arts expert – acted decisively, physically stepping in to hold Keane back. "Only a moment to think," he remembered. "You take matters in your own giant black hands with a cliff-edged fearlessness. You get in between the two... You grab Roy, grip onto his shirt like you did a few seasons ago at White Hart Lane, but tighter."
Roy Keane, Uriah Rennie, Jason McAteer
Jason McAteer later admitted that Roy Keane would have "ripped his head off" had Uriah Rennie not stepped in
That moment defused the immediate danger, and both players were pulled apart. McAteer later admitted Keane "would have ripped [his] head off" if Rennie hadn't intervened. Keane, in his own way, appeared to respect the referee's bold move.
Yet the peace was short-lived. Minutes later, Keane struck McAteer in the back of the head with his elbow. Rennie showed him a straight red. Even Ferguson, who needed no invitation to scrutinise calls that went against United, supported the decision: "The referee had no choice but to send him off," he said post-match. "Roy is the first United player to be sent off for this offence... the use of the elbow is a growing problem in our game.”
Rennie later acknowledged that his earlier actions weren't by the book, but insisted they were necessary in the moment. "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.
Sir Alex Ferguson pointing
Sir Alex Ferguson supported Uriah Rennie's decision to send Roy Keane off
"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."
But Keane never expressed regret. Speaking on Stick to Football podcast in 2023, he insisted that McAteer "deserved" the elbow and confirmed their relationship was still frosty: "Absolutely not," he said when asked if they were on speaking terms. "He was one of those players who couldn't stop running their mouths. I didn't mind lads kicking me or booting me but McAteer as usual had plenty to say for himself."
McAteer, who also played for Liverpool, Blackburn and Bolton, later hit back. He called Keane a "clown" and told him to "bore off," describing their relationship as "toxic."
Uriah Rennie and Didier Drogba
Uriah Rennie spent 11 years refereeing in the Premier League
Rennie began officiating in the Premier League in 1997, becoming the first black referee in the division's history. He ended up spending 11 years in the top flight, taking charge of some of the biggest matches in English football.
In April this year, it emerged that he was learning to walk again after a rare condition left him paralysed from the waist down. His death was announced on Sunday. He was 65 years old.