Nearly 70,000 Fans Say Farewell To A True Legend

Manchester United 1
Ronaldo

Celtic 0

United supporters said their final farewells to Roy Keane - one of the truly great figures in the club's history - on a memorable and emotional evening at Old Trafford.

A mammoth crowd of 69,591, which eclipsed by almost 3,000 the attendance which saw the same teams pay tribute to Ryan Giggs five years ago, generated a terrific atmosphere and a truly spectacular backdrop for Keane’s much-heralded last appearance.

Any rancour that may have existed when Roy left under a cloud last November was absent as the players and fans of his former and current clubs united to give him a testimonial to remember.

Sir Alex Ferguson joined his players in the centre circle at the end as Keane bathed in the warmth of the crowd’s acclaim to pay him his own personal tribute.

Keane was included in both line-ups when the teams were announced an hour before the kick-off. He was listed in Celtic’s starting XI and also as a United sub. Youth team players Fraizer Campbell and Kieran Lee were also amongst United’s nine substitutes.

Celtic went one better and named ten substitutes, one of which was another much-loved former Red, Dion Dublin.

Roy Keane joined such famous names as Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Johnstone, Bryan Robson, Bobby Lennox, Ryan Giggs, Roy Aitken, Mark Hughes and Paul McStay in having United and Celtic participate in his testimonial match. He also became the third United/Celtic player, after Lou Macari and Brian McClair, to be honoured in this way by the two great clubs.

"There’s Only One Keano" roared the crowd, the entire crowd, when Keane emerged from the tunnel to make his way through a United / Celtic guard of honour accompanied by his five children. He must have been expecting a warm welcome, but he could barely have expected such a rapturous greeting.

It was a case of all friends together in a common cause. That was, until Celtic’s massed ranks struck up with "You’ll Never Walk Alone" the anthem they share with Liverpool. United’s supporters did their best to drown out the rendition with boos and jeers.

Cristiano Ronaldo was quickly into his stride with two shots on the Celtic goal inside the opening five minutes. Both were saved comfortably by Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc, as was Giuseppe Rossi’s close-range attempt soon afterwards.

Keane, wearing Celtic’s famous green and white hooped shirts and the captain’s arm-band, looked as though he’d never been away. Patrolling the Old Trafford turf that was his territory for twelve glory-drenched years, he appeared every inch the general of Celtic’s engine-room, just as he had in his red-shirted pomp. A comparative newcomer to the Celtic cause he may be, but it hasn’t taken him long to make his considerable presence felt with the Glasgow giants.

Shaun Mahoney, the Scottish PFA Player and Young Player of the Year, tested United goalkeeper Tim Howard with a teasing free-kick after the Celt had been felled on the edge of the area.

As is the way on these occasions substitutions proliferated with United making no fewer than six at the break. One of those, to the delight of the United supporters, was the sight of seeing Keane enter the great arena wearing the red 16 shirt for one last time.

The memories came flooding back and those glorious recollections became a torrent in the 55th minute for Keane when two of his former comrades Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs combined to set up Ronaldo. The Portuguese youngster had only keeper Boruc to beat and he accomplished the task with aplomb to put United into the lead.

Celtic very nearly hit back in the 67th minute when Dion Dublin’s strong header from Alan Thompson’s right wing cross was pushed onto the bar by Edwin van der Sar.
 
The recently-crowned Scottish Champions – it was their 40th title – and League Cup winners were stung into action following United’s goal and as a result the match which had been ticking over nicely as a largely tame testimonial suddenly became a serious contest.

Ronaldo had the ball in the net again after eighty minutes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s cross from the right setting him up perfectly, but the goal was scrubbed off for offside. Gary Neville also went close to capping the victory in the 89th minute, but his low shot was blocked on the line by his former United team-mate Dublin.

Keane, with a little mountain of trophies to show for his 12 years at Old Trafford, spoke briefly at the end to thank the players and the fans for making it such a terrific personal occasion. He signed off by saying, “That’s it really. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life. All the best.”

Manchester United: Howard (van der Sar 46) , Pique (Neville 46), Vidic, Brown (Lee 75), Evra (Silvestre 46);
Ronaldo (O’Shea 84) , Ferdinand (Keane 46), Giggs, Richardson (Campbell 75); Saha (Scholes 46), Rossi (Solskjaer 46).

Celtic: Boruc; Telfer (Mulgrew 75), Varga, McManus, Wilson; Petrov (Quinn 84), Keane (Pearson 46), Lennon, Maloney (Thompson 46); Zurawski, Hartson (Dublin 46).
Subs not used: Camara, Virgo, Marshall, Wallace, Lawson.

Attendance: 69,591

Report by Cliff Butler, at Old Trafford.