Six days before the start of the new Premiership season and, in a match normally regarded as a warm-up, Roy Keane was sent off yesterday for the seventh time in his Manchester United career.
The United captain and last season's Footballer of the Year was ordered off by referee Mike Riley after 62 minutes of the Charity Shield, having perpetrated an unnecessary foul from behind on Chelsea's Gustavo Poyet.
Keane will face an automatic three-game ban from the English Football Association, a punishment which will take effect from August 27th.
With international fixtures scheduled for the next weekend, it means Keane will miss the United home games against Bradford City and Sunderland on September 6th and 9th and the away match at Everton on the 16th. Keane's return will be against Chelsea at Old Trafford the following week.
"I think Roy Keane will be disappointed himself," said Keane's manager, Alex Ferguson, though Ferguson was critical of the refereeing also.
"I think the referee took far too long. He never showed any yellow cards and then when he does show a card it's a red one. But you could never say it was a really nasty game."
Ferguson's opposite number, Gianluca Vialli, tried to side-step the issue but admitted: "I can tell you that Gus wasn't happy with the challenge. The ref saw it from very close range and he decided to send him off straight away. Roy Keane is a winner and sometimes he gets a bit carried away. As a manager I like players who care a lot, and when you care a lot these things happen."
Keane had been angered by a tackle from Chelsea's new striker, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, four minutes earlier. This had left Keane grounded and, once on his feet, limping heavily and pointing aggressively at the Dutchman. If any revenge was going to be taken it seemed Hasselbaink would be the recipient, but when Poyet collected the ball in the centre circle Keane lunged at the innocent Uruguayan. Riley had little choice but to produce the red card.
Keane walked off disconsolate, despite Marcel Desailly's sympathy. At that stage Chelsea were leading 1-0 thanks to Hasselbaink, and Chelsea went on to win 2-0 when Mario Melchiot added another 10 minutes after Keane's dismissal.
