Sport 02-09-2002 Ferguson U-Turns On Keane`s Foul who: Roy Keane what: To be fined for fouling Jason McAteer, says manager Alex Ferguson where: Stadium Of Light, SUNDERLAND when: Saturday snippet: "Sir Alex Ferguson admitted yesterday that he was wrong to defend Roy Keane over his sending-off at Sunderland on Saturday," says Oliver Kay in The Times today, "adding that he was no longer considering an appeal." "On Saturday Ferguson said the incident, in which Keane clearly struck [Jason] McAteer with an elbow, was `innocuous`," says The Telegraph, "and that the club would review television footage to decide whether or not to appeal against referee Uriah Rennie`s decision." "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," Ferguson said. "The replay I was shown immediately after the match was misleading. When I saw the TV pictures from a different angle, I saw the referee had no choice." The Guardian`s Richard Williams cynically describes the incident as the most "spectacular promotional coup in the history of British literature," noting that it has rocketed the controversial Manchester United legend and disgraced Republic of Ireland skipper "and his already notorious autobiography back on to the front pages of Sunday`s newspapers on the very day of publication." [... more]

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