Inside Track: Not much charity in evidence at Wembley

The Charity Shield, the low-key match that normally kicks off the season, is not where you’d expect to see a fight, much less players being sent off. But it happened, in 1974, and involved two of the game’s biggest players at the time, playing for the biggest clubs.

Liverpool, the Cup holders, were out against the reigning league champions, Leeds. It was Brian Clough’s first games in charge since taking over at Leeds.

The straight-talking Clough hadn’t endeared himself with his new charges on his arrival at Elland Road, or, indeed, before sending them on to the sacred sod for the Shield tie. In his team talk he told them they had “cheated” for years under Don Revie.

And at a training session before that, he had had a special word for Norman Hunter, telling him something that could be interpreted as: “You’re not a clean player”.

Hunter didn’t reply: “I really don’t care, Brian. ” It was much more forceful than that.

They say that Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles, two great players, but like Hunter, inclined at time to throw subtlety to the wind, were red-faced going out for the match, Clough’s less than complimentary remarks ringing in their ears.

The August 10 game wasn’t long in progress when Giles put in a heavy tackle on Kevin Keegan and was booked.

Keegan was again the target, this time Bremner getting the boot in. He retaliated and that was the start of a head-to-head – not literally – neither of them holding back.

The referee didn’t like it, so he sent them off. In a rage, both players tore off their jerseys as they headed for the dressingrooms. The authorities took a dim view of it all, and handed each of them a swingeing 11-match ban. Their dismissals were the first for British players at Wembley.

And Brian Clough? He was gone soon after, his stint at Elland Road lasting just 44 days.

It was on August 12th, but 27 years later, when there was another high-profile sending off. Not a set-to this time, more a player seeking retribution and then paying the penalty.

Manchester United and Leeds had met in a Premiership match in 1997, and in an attempt to trip Alf Inge Haaland – his own words – Roy Keane put in tackle. He came off worst, snapping his cruciate ligament. Haaland seemingly accused Keane of faking injury.

Forward to 2001, and Haaland, now playing with Man City, renews rivalry with Keane in a local Derby.

Haaland was on the ball when Keane came at him with a knee-high tackle. Haaland hit the deck, and as he lay there, Keane said to him, “Take that, you (whatever you’re having yourself, dear reader) and don’t ever stand me again and accuse me of faking injury.”

The referee reached for the red card, but before he could brandish it, Keane was on his way off the pitch.

Keane’s admission to all of this in his biography cost him. He got a five-match ban, and was fined £150,000. The following year, Haaland – father of present day goalsmith, Erling – retired from football, while Keane got himself enmeshed in a sordid affair, quitting the Republic of Ireland team midway through the World Cup finals in Saipan.