Roy Keane was right to speak out

international | consumer issues | opinion/analysis

Wednesday November 09, 2005 20:49

by Kathy Sinnott

So should we

This week, I’m going to venture into uncertain waters by doing my first column on football and by having my say on the great Keano debate.

I was listening to a phone-in show the other evening in the car. The main topic of interest seemed to be Roy Keane. Roy had given an interview to his British club’s TV station. The station had then decided not to broadcast it because Roy had criticised his team-mates for not giving their all, for not being up to scratch. Most of the callers seemed to think that Keano was out of line, that it is an embarrassment to air your dirty laundry in public, that such matters are for the team meeting, not for the general public.

Interestingly, no one claimed his criticism was incorrect or misplaced, or defended the shoddy performance of the tam and some of the players. Callers just seemed to be saying that it was something Roy should bear in silence (at least in public).

This was not the first time this happened with Keane. In Saipan 2002 (World Cup), Roy said that the situation was intolerable, they were training on an unprepared field, often without the correct equipment. He said ‘No more!’ – that he and the team were not willing to tolerate it. He was right.

I believe that Roy Keane is a man of principle. A man who draws that line in the sand and takes that responsibility, someone who would never ask anyone to do something he was unwilling to do himself. The notions ‘Ah sure it will do’, ‘Stop whingeing’, ‘Who do you think you are, making demands’, ‘Keep quiet, you’ll only embarrass us’, ‘Keep up appearances, what will people think?’ – all these seem, from the criticism of the phone-in callers, to be a very common thing in Irish life.

But we should consider if these attitudes are obstacles to facing the problems in our health service, the problems created by the lack of government spending on care of its citizens. Is it part of why we are taking so long to develop a decent road and public transport system? How many of us think that if we ask, someone will say that we’re getting above ourselves or letting the side down?

And they will say those kinds of things, but so what?

When in my family, as children, we came rushing to my mother in floods of tears because of something someone called us or said about us, she would sympathise but remind us that ‘Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never hurt you.’ I’m not convinced to this day that that formula is entirely true but there is a lot of truth to it. And hurt or not, if we are not willing to take the sting then we will not be able to get things said or done in the face of the inevitable disagreement or even hostility.

We were having a debate in the EU Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on food additive labelling. I had made the point that in Ireland the Government adds fluoride to our water supplies. Fluoride is an additive and a very toxic one at that and I said that we should be forced to come clean by putting ‘flouridated water’ rather than simply ‘water’ on the label of anything that contains fluoridated Irish water. I pointed out that the Dutch held a referendum and amended their constitution to prevent their water from being fluoridated and if for no other reason than to be fair to them we should let them know that if they consume Guinness or an Irish-produced can of mushy peas they are consuming fluoride. I was pulled up by someone Irish right away for letting down Ireland. But this is the very attitude that allows unworthy, or in the case of fluoride, nasty and damaging practices to continue. They continue because they are unquestioned. They are unquestioned because so few know or are faced with the real situation.

No, it is important to call a spade a spade. And if we do, we might be surprised at the difference it can make. A few days after Keano’s interview, his team went out and beat champions Chelsea, and EVERY player played as if his life depended on it. If we want a team or a country that meets our expectations, we’re going to have to find a lot more Roy Keanes, or a little of Roy Keane in a lot more of us.

Now how ‘bout the Ireland job, Roy?

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Comments (18 of 18)

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Did he fall or was he pushed?

by Langer

Fri Nov 18, 2005 14:11

Roy Keane has left Man Utd by 'mutual consent' with immediate effect.

by gonzo

Fri Nov 11, 2005 13:15

whats ur alternative......a russian oligarcy that mass murders, ethnic cleanses etc....

go talk to one of the 100000 poles in ireland and ask them which they prefer!!!!

I know the answer youll get!!!!

gonzo - what planet have you been living on?

by Lefty type

Fri Nov 11, 2005 11:40

"Capitalism for 3,000 years and still working"
em I don't even know where to start with this statement. Well roughly 1750 maybe, is where the industrial revolution started and consequently capitalism. Capitalism as we know it - or neo-liberalism has only been around since the early 70s, when imperialism began to lose its popularity (profitability/whatever) . This was emboldened by the washington consensus of 1989 which led to organisations like the E.C. (née EEC) and NAFTA, and the WTO being set-up.

So while social justice is a struggle that's arguably been around 4 thousands of years, anti-capitalism (as we now know it) is a relatively new phenomenon, that has sprung up in response to a relatively new system.

Secondly, you argue that capitalism is working? 50% of world's populace survive on $2 a day, and have a combined wealth of the world's richest 300 people. You hear that? 300 = 3,000,000,000 in this system that is "working". Even in America, the land of the free, the top 1% have greater wealth than the bottom 95%. That means 3mil > 290 mil. Yeah that really works. I could rehash more of this but its easily available elsewhere, check http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/inequal/gates99.htm for starters.

Im not advocating socialism or communism or anarchism anything like that, Im just highlighting your misconception that this present system is working. Maybe you have clothes to wear and food to eat, as do I, but we are in the vast minority. And wear your fucking wristband, and listen to political soundbites from arseholes like Bono ("I love you Tony Blair") & Bob ("Yeah we can make a difference like") all you like, but that is not acheiving ANYTHING.

Back on track

by Shipsea

Thu Nov 10, 2005 23:59

The article is about how Irish culture is opposed to or afraid of people speaking out. The consequence is that we have one of the most corrupt governments in Europe, the worst health service and transport infrastructure and failing education service (22% illiteracy rate). Why? Because we are more critical of people who speak the truth or raise legitimate complaints than we are of crooks and liars -cf the 'hero' status of Charles Haughey and his bandit ilk.

Enough guys...

by Dave Ross

Thu Nov 10, 2005 23:15

Can we can go back to talking about Doctor Who now?

rock on

Thu Nov 10, 2005 20:00

Keano,, go,,go,,Capitalism for 3,000 years and still working, socialism for 70 and oh what a fu**up that was!!!!!!!!!

Try getting online in Belorus!!!!!!!

Go fat cat go..........................

What are you talking about?

by Socialist

Thu Nov 10, 2005 18:05

Socialism- true socialism is the establishment of a totally equal and totally communist society. The existence of professional footballers earning millions of pounds a year while babies die of hunger in the Third World is exactly the injustice that all true socialists will eliminate when the dictatorship of proletariate is established following the fall of the bourgeoise system and capitalism is put to an end.

The same should be said of hollywood movie stars and the hollywood system which facilitates actors to earn millions for worthless entertainment designed to advertise the decadent bourgeoise lifestyle rather than instill the anger of the masses to throw off the chains of their fat cat bosses.

Actors, footballers, rockstars such as Bono who like to be friends with warmongering Presidents act as the priesthood of capitalism the same as the medieval church was responsible for the continuation of serfdom.

Just ignore him

by Ger J

Thu Nov 10, 2005 16:10

Just ignore "Socialist". He is a regular troll here, and definitely NOT a socialist. He tries to provoke people by posing as an over-the-top cartoon-type version of a "Socialist".
Do not feed.

You disgust me

Thu Nov 10, 2005 15:56

All you can do is laugh at socialists because you have been so brainwashed by the idols of consumerism and the fallacy of "freedom" it represents that you laugh at the brave few who day to day resist the oppressive imperialism of capitalism in your name.
Lenin was right after all that there should be a vanguard - the party- who will behind the scenes prepare for the inevitable revolution.
Once the bourgeoise are thrown down we must banish every facet of their culture with them - the solution is reeducation - bourgeoise capitalists always say that human nature is unchanged - this lie must be exposed and will be exposed - therefore those who persist in their ideology of capitalism must be routed.
Keane is an obvious example - he has forgotten that he is a worker whose responsibility is to the collective who at the moment are being robbed so he can live in luxury.

Shipsea

by observer

Thu Nov 10, 2005 14:35

Just think how lucky you are that socialists in this country are too unpopular and inept to ever be in a position where they can force their totalitarian life-destroying puritanism on the rest of us. You could be living in Cuba or North Korea where you couldn't even have this internet discussion.

Some baffling commentary

Thu Nov 10, 2005 14:27

Do some people actually read the articles they rush to post comment on, I wonder? The point of the article has nothing to do with whether or not Roy Keane is paid too much (he is). Regardless of who you are, what you do or how much you are paid for it, which are all separate arguments, the principle of speaking out against something you believe to be wrong can be upheld by anyone at anytime - even if you are not perfect in every way. Who are the paragons of virtue above who imply that they alone have the moral authority to speak the truth? Do they never do anything wrong? Tell lies? Behave in a less than perfect way? Doubtful. The worst thing about socialism is not socialism itself but the finger-wagging, smug and lecturing variety of socialist who clearly see themselves as being superiour to everyone else. They give the rest of us a rotten name. Who would you prefer to have a pint with? Mine's a Carlsberg, Roy - let's discuss how you started this war, shall we?

Jew Keano

by Noel

Thu Nov 10, 2005 13:15

"Keano and his ilk are just as guilty of war crimes as Bush and Blair"

Is Roy Keane in on the Jewish plot too?
Who knew?

Keano and his ilk are just as guilty of war crimes as Bush and Blair

Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:45

Of course they are ......

Keane.

Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:10

How can you admire a man who gets his cut of the profits from Manchester United merchandise made by exploited sweat shop workers in the Far East. The man disgusts me with his life of excess lording it over the common man who must live as a wage slave to Big Business.
Religion is in decline because the bourgeoise society has found a spiritual home in the promotion of sport as the opium of the people. Sport is given more coverage in the media than politics - the exploitation of the Third World by fat cats such as Texaco, Monsanto and Halliburton and warmongers such as Bush and Blair is never noticed as long as Beckham, Rooney, Keano steal the limelight - diverting the masses from the struggle to establish justice and equality.
Keano and his ilk are just as guilty of war crimes as Bush and Blair because they steal the attention of the public from the genocide by the Bush administration in Iraq.
They are like the church men of old pretending to be on the side of the poor and marginalised (in this case the ordinary man who is fooled into living for his footie rather than helping the his oppressed brothers) who were actually are hand in hand with the establishment.

Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:31

while the irish team in saipan looked for the balls, keano showed he hadnt forgotten his!!!!

keano

by hand of god

Thu Nov 10, 2005 04:32

Roy should take aleaf out of Maradona's book...

"His real sin, however, at least in the eyes of the soccer authorities, was a tendency to speak truth to power. He agitated for international labor standards to be applied to soccer and asked team owners to "open the books" so players could know the profit margins inked with their blood and sweat. Corporate media treated his drug addiction like a national spectacle. When arrested for possession in 1991, it was played live on Argentine television.

Mocked by the media for drug dependency (they called him "Maracoca"), weight problems and psychiatric distress, Maradona has come back after on-and-off stays at Cuban health clinics for much of the past four years. Now clean and sober, he has experienced a public resurrection as the host of a popular Argentinean talk show, La Noche del 10.

Maradona re-emerged on the world stage this weekend, challenging Bush's global agenda with the same kind of daring that once defined his play.

In the weeks leading up to the summit, Maradona had urged his viewers to join protests. This included airing parts of a five-hour interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who said, "We are in solidarity with you and with Argentina. We have fought for decades, and we will be happy knowing that you are there."

The Hand of 'God' says 'No to Imperialism!

Keano 4 tee-shock

Thu Nov 10, 2005 01:21

Jesus!can u imagine Keano givin Mary Harney the"McCarthy" treatment in the cabinet room!!!!!

Call what u have a health service?mary!

A matter of huge import

by skeptomaniac

Thu Nov 10, 2005 01:13

If Roy Keane was involved in something more important than kicking ball I might be able to understand this countrys obsession with him better.
The fact that theese waxed, exfoliated, groomed and beautified men take to the pitch as millions upon millions roll into the clubs in gate fees, broadcast rights and merchandise, is nothing short of obscene.

I think sport is one of the finest passtimes anyone could get involved in, but in reality the extent to which soccer has engulfed our lives to me is laughable. This is evidence that we dont have lives anymore. We are wealthy financially and the more wealth we accumulate the more wethink we need to be entertained. The more soccer we watch on tv admiring the skill of 22 men , the fatter we get.
Keep collecting the jerseys every year, 'support' your club, they need you to maintain there lifestyles.
Sir Alex Ferguson was over here on a fundraiser for cancer earlier this year. The fundraiser made 140,000 e, 'Sir' Alex'es fee ...70,000Euro.
Some division one players last january donated 10% of their wages to the sunami victims. Thats 10% of one weeks pay, works out at about 0.02% of yearly salary-the generosity is overwhelming. Boycott the bastards I say.

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Roy Keane was right to speak out

Comments (18 of 18)