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The 42
15-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'Roy flipped… That image epitomises Uri. He was a black belt in kickboxing'
AS THE tributes poured in for ex-referee Uriah Rennie following news of his death at the age of 65 last week, one memorable image did the rounds. The Premier League's pioneering first black referee, who officiated over 300 fixtures between 1997 and 2008, proved a key figure during a match between Man United and Sunderland. 31 August 2002 was the date. The Saipan controversy and Roy Keane's abrupt World Cup exit were still fresh in people's minds. Ex-Ireland teammate Jason McAteer had been winding Keane up during the game. Less than 12 months earlier, the pair had been arm in arm following McAteer's famous winner against the Netherlands in a crucial World Cup qualifier. But the Red Devils captain and McAteer, a Mick McCarthy sympathiser, were no longer on good terms. The pair initially clashed while challenging for the ball. Keane won possession off the Black Cats midfielder, who proceeded to foul Keane. The incensed Man United star went for his opponent. Rennie stepped in, doing what not many referees of that era would have had the bravery to do and physically blocked one of English football's fiercest competitors from his attempts at retaliation. The two players continued mouthing off, and McAteer made a clear book-writing gesture about Keane's much-discussed new autobiography, which had been published the previous day. The Irish midfielder avoided a red card in that instance, but he was still dismissed minutes later for an off-the-ball elbow on McAteer. 'That's a very famous image,' says Ashley Hickson-Lovence, who wrote the 2022 novel 'Your Show,' based on Rennie's life. 'Jason McAteer made a comment about [Roy's] book, and Roy flipped. 'And, you know, that image epitomises Uri. He was a black belt in kickboxing, and he knew martial arts. He wasn't really meant to do that. You're not taught to do that. So that was him doing whatever needed doing to keep the game under control. I don't think the FA were a huge fan. I think there were a few comments that the FA made afterwards, saying that wasn't the best thing to do, or they don't encourage other referees to do that. 'Actually, it was funny because Roy Keane didn't get sent off in that moment. He did get sent off in the game, but he managed to stop Roy Keane attacking Jason McAteer at that point. So that would have been a warning of sorts, to Roy, to behave himself. 'Uri was such a character, and someone who sometimes didn't do things by the book, to do the best that he could as a role of a referee, which is obviously really tough.' While writing 'Your Show,' Hickson-Lovence got to know Rennie, 'a hero' to the young author, who credits the trailblazer for his subsequent stint as an amateur referee. Advertisement The book had started life as the student's PhD at the University of East Anglia. The then-English teacher gained access to Rennie's email address through a friend of a friend, and the ex-referee was initially reluctant about cooperating with the project. Hickson-Lovence needed to 'really sell myself' before Rennie agreed to meet him at the Ponds Forge leisure centre in Sheffield. 'I had to give him a screenshot of my profile as a teacher from the school website and that sort of thing,' he recalls. The pair met up 'four or five times,' and these conversations would help inform the writing of 'Your Show' — a novel that was also a biography of sorts. 'The more we got talking, the more he sort of loosened up, and we warmed to each other, and I listened back to our conversation after his passing, and just listened back to our interviews, and there was a lot of laughter, and that was lovely to hear.' Despite multiple old reports simply describing Rennie as 'English,' Hickson-Lovence discovered he had been born in Jamaica. 'To make that rise from Jamaica to a very rough estate in Sheffield in the '70s, refereeing in the lower leagues, in the semi-professional game in the '80s, in Yorkshire, would have been incredibly tough. And that's something I don't know, because he didn't really talk about it with me, to be honest. And then, to make it to the Premier League in 1997 with increased cameras, scrutiny, Sky Sports, all that sort of thing, it's one hell of an achievement. 'He arrived in Sheffield in 1972, and he qualified as a referee in 1979, and I do think it was a difficult time. 'He lived in a relatively small, modest house with a lot of brothers and sisters. So, especially when he was a young man, sport was his escape. 'I think [his story is] film-worthy, if I do say so myself.' The pair became increasingly close, and as the novel was getting ready for publication, Rennie commended Hickson-Lovence on 'a very good read'. Completing the project was a major coup. Rennie rarely accepted interviews following his retirement. Hickson-Lovence suspects part of this mistrust was due to some of the unkind journalism written about the former referee in his heyday. 'Even when the book was released, I had requests from The Guardian, The Observer and lots of other publications who wanted to do interviews and things about the book together, and he didn't want to do that. And I accepted and respected that decision. 'I would message him to say: 'By the way, so and so wants to do something, I think they're quite trusted,' or whatever. And he would just say: 'Not for me.' Sort of a polite decline.' He continues: 'I think [doing interviews] had to be for a good reason. I suppose he didn't want it to have a sort of journalistic slant or angle. I imagine he wanted it to be a book that had longevity, or would inspire others of colour or marginalised groups to get involved in football and refereeing, particularly. 'But that being said, he didn't really get involved, apart from the interviews. He let me do what I wanted to do.' Rennie refereed over 300 professional games. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Hickson-Lovence and Rennie stayed in touch following the project's conclusion and would regularly message one another. They spoke on the phone for a couple of hours about Rennie's pride following his appointment as the Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University and the 'open-door policy' he planned to have. He was only installed in the position last month. 'He wanted to really break down the barriers in terms of what a university is and what a university should be, and how that relationship would work with the wider Sheffield community.' Rennie, who was also a magistrate in Sheffield since 1996, earlier this year expressed his sympathy after Hickson-Lovence's father passed away. Uri's recent message to me after my dad died. A kind man with a big heart. RIP Uriah Rennie ❤️ — Ashley Hickson-Lovence (@AHicksonLovence) June 9, 2025 During their conversations, it was sometimes notable what was left unsaid. Last April, Rennie told the BBC about how doctors found a nodule on his spine caused by a rare, inoperable neurological condition. The man once described as the Premier League's fittest referee had to learn to walk again. Hickson-Lovence recalls how Rennie didn't mention his illness during their lengthy interactions, and it was only later that he found out the iconic figure had been ill. 'He was quite a private man. And I think he just didn't want to make it all about him, so to speak. 'He was a very selfless man. And all of my interactions with him, it was striking to me how much he cared about other people and the community and putting others first. 'I just think he saw his role as helping others, community and humanity first. And everything he did had to have the right purpose, and if it wasn't going to help anybody, or if it wasn't going to have a lasting impact, or it wasn't going to inspire, then he just wouldn't do it. I'm not just talking about the book. I'm talking about anything he does, because he's a patron of several charities. He goes into schools, he goes into care homes, he's done walking marathons and half marathons. He's done all sorts to raise money for charities. Charities became his thing, and community became his thing. 'It's weird, because I think of Uriah Rennie's legacy now more as a human than actually a referee, having met him and done the research, it feels like he just had such a bigger impact. He had a huge impact on the pitch, but his impact in Sheffield and South Yorkshire cannot be understated, really. 'He knew everybody. And if it was a charity [making a request], he wouldn't say no.' In December 2023, Sam Allison became the Premier League's second-ever black referee, 15 years after Rennie's retirement. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Despite his remarkable achievements, Hickson-Lovence believes Rennie remains a somewhat underappreciated footballing figure. 'I do think the Premier League should have done more to use Uri's legacy to get more officials of colour up through the system. It's not good enough that it was 15 years since his retirement that we had Sam Allison [the Premier League's second black referee], and I still don't think [it's acceptable], considering how culturally diverse the top level game is in the UK, that we don't have more officials of colour, and managers and coaches as well.'
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
DARREN LEWIS - Premier League must honour Uriah Rennie and address glaring issue
Here's a truth about Uriah Rennie. He hated the spotlight. He hated the glitz, the glamour and the fascination that came with being the Premier League's first Black referee. He refused repeated requests for media interviews during and after his career, saving his life story for his memoir, Your Show, by the excellent Ashley Hickson-Lovence. Rennie was a pioneer. A trailblazer. All of the other adjectives you'd associate with an icon courageous to get to the top of the English game. Knowing what we do about the closed ranks of an un-diverse refereeing fraternity, it was some achievement for him to make it to the very top of his profession in the domestic game in the late nineties. The reason why you haven't heard more tributes from top flight referees of colour is because Rennie was one of just two in over three decades of Premier League football. After his final top flight game on the last day of the 2007-08 season, the only other Black man take change of a game in the competition was Sam Allison - 15 years later. Allison's first game, two years ago, was described as 'a pivotal moment' for English football. Now you barely see him in the Premier League. In the top seven divisions of English football - so from the Premier League to the National League, just four referees are Black or Asian - Allison, Joel Mannix, Aji Ajibola and Sunny Singh Gill. BAMRef, the Black, Asian and Mixed heritage Referees Association, was formed in order to do what English football couldn't - or wouldn't - until a few performative attempts a couple of years ago: support, develop and push for more Black referees. Because they are out there. Four and a half thousand of them in fact. Many of them having taken the same courses as some of the officials you see right now in the top two divisions. This year's annual BAMRef conference, beginning on July 19 in Nottingham, will be more emotional that usual. Rennie had been the body's north star before his passing, aged just 65. Some officials of colour knew him. Many didn't. But all of them wanted to emulate his success at breaking through that seemingly impenetrable glass ceiling. Even then, you can only imagine what Rennie went through during the days when even the supposedly forward-thinking English game developed selective hearing or looked the other way rather than confront the racist abuse accompanying criticism of his decisions. Many a time I'd be in the press box as a young reporter, listening to it. Acutely attuned to it. He was 'the Black referee', a rarity. I wanted him to do well. I grew frustrated that he had to put up with it. Some critics dismissed him as a celebrity ref during the early to mid-noughties. They didn't like the fact that he had a life away from the game within which he practised kick-boxing and aikido. They certainly didn't like the fact that he took no bits from any player, regardless of their status within the game. This is a man who sent off hugely-respected, iconic figures such as Roy Keane and Alan Shearer and managed the likes of Ian Wright. A man described as one of the fittest officials the top flight had ever seen. But even that feels as though it perpetuates a trope that Rennie was so much more than. His drive, determination and effective decision-making under pressure enabled him to make that breakthrough. His skill as a fantastic communicator enabled him to make that breakthrough. His calm authority in a flashpoint enabled him to make that breakthrough. Much has been made of the 300-plus games he managed between 1997 and 2008, including 175 Premier League games. But he'd already been added to the Fifa international list in 2000. The promotion to the PGMOL's Select Group of professional referees came the following year. Rennie was so good they simply couldn't ignore him. Now he will never be forgotten. Sky has slashed the price of its bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more. Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
Irish Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Roy Keane would've ripped my head off if Uriah Rennie hadn't have intervened'
Jason McAteer believes there's no doubt what would have happened to him had referee Uriah Rennie not stepped in to restrain Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light back in 2002: he would have had his head "ripped off". The two former Republic of Ireland team-mates clashed violently during a match between Manchester United and Sunderland - a match that quickly descended into chaos. The fixture, already charged due to Keane's recent and controversial World Cup walk-out, reached boiling point when McAteer went after Keane both verbally and physically. The midfielder targeted Keane with rough tackles and taunts, even mocking his newly published autobiography. Keane, never one to back down, reacted with unfiltered rage. In fact, had Rennie, who passed away aged 65 on Sunday, not leaped between them, a mass brawl might have broken out. "They both tumble onto the turf. Limbs flailing. Elbows and knees," wrote Rennie in his 2022 book Your Show, recounting the incident. "Roy's reacting now, fury in his eyes, head's gone. This feud has history... grab Roy, save Jason?" As Keane's temper boiled over, Rennie, a martial arts expert with a reputation for assertiveness, charged in. "Only a moment to think. You take matters in your own giant black hands with a cliff-edged fearlessness. You get in between the two... You grab Roy, grip onto his shirt like you did a few seasons ago at White Hart Lane, but tighter." It worked - at least for a few minutes. Rennie successfully held Keane back and prevented the scene from turning into a full-scale melee. McAteer later acknowledged the significance of that moment, crediting Rennie for saving his bacon. "Uriah Rennie took some stick for stepping between us but I am thankful he did because Roy would have ripped my head off," he admitted a month later. Though things cooled momentarily the conflict wasn't over. Keane later delivered a brutal elbow to the back of McAteer's head, an act that left Rennie no choice but to send him off. Even Sir Alex Ferguson, who normally defended his players to the hilt and needed no invitation to slate refereeing decisions, admitted Rennie's call was justified. "The referee had no choice but to send him off," Ferguson said afterward. "Roy is the first United player to be sent off for this offence... the use of the elbow is a growing problem in our game." The club declined to appeal, and Keane was fined £150,000. In hindsight, Rennie reflected on the unusual methods he used that day. "I didn't follow FA protocol," he admitted. "You throw away the rule book and intervene early with action, words won't do, stopping Keane from doing something he shouldn't. "You stare Keane dead in the eyes, still clutching a fistful of his shirt... Messy Irish history. Messy World Cup history. Keane is fiddling with his captain's armband as you reason with him. He's only half listening, facing you but eyeing up the Sunderland player who has retreated behind you to safety. Although he might not be showing it now, maybe in his own way, he respects you." But Keane himself never showed contrition. Speaking in 2023 on the Stick to Football podcast, he doubled down. "He deserved it," Keane said of the elbow. Asked if he and McAteer were friendly, he replied, "Absolutely not," before adding: "He was one of those players who couldn't stop running their mouths. I didn't mind lads kicking me or booting me but McAteer as usual had plenty to say for himself." For his part, McAteer didn't mince words either. The former Liverpool and Blackburn player described their relationship as "toxic" and later hit back, calling Keane a "clown" and telling him to "bore off."
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Uriah Rennie had to act fast when Roy Keane 'snapped' to stop a '20-man brawl'
Former Premier League referee Uriah Rennie had to physically restrain Roy Keane during a game after seeing "fury in his eyes" during a tense clash with Jason McAteer Ex- Premier League referee Uriah Rennie is remembered not just for breaking racial barriers in English football, but for his presence, poise and occasional physical authority during high-stakes matches. The trailblazing official, who died aged 65 on Sunday, was once forced to step in to physically restrain Roy Keane during a heated clash between Manchester United and Sunderland in August 2002. The fixture turned volatile when Keane, under intense scrutiny following his explosive World Cup walk-out that summer, got into a fiery confrontation with Ireland team-mate Jason McAteer. Throughout the match, the pair had been dishing out tough tackles and verbal jabs, with Liverpool-born McAteer mocking Keane's newly released autobiography. Tempers flared quickly, and soon the situation threatened to spiral out of control. Spotting "fury" in Keane's eyes after a coming together between the players, Rennie stepped in to calm him down. A martial arts expert, the referee didn't hesitate, earning a degree of respect from the notoriously hard-to-please United skipper in the process. In his 2022 book Your Show, a novelisation of his refereeing career, Rennie recalled the tense moment with vivid detail. "They both tumble onto the turf. Limbs flailing. Elbows and knees," he wrote. "Roy's reacting now, fury in his eyes, head's gone. This feud has history... grab Roy, save Jason?" Rennie's instincts then took over. "Only a moment to think. You take matters in your own giant black hands with a cliff-edged fearlessness. You get in between the two. You do what you have to do, to stop it escalating, from turning into a 20-man mass brawl," he explained. "You grab Roy, grip onto his shirt like you did a few seasons ago at White Hart Lane, but tighter." His intervention was effective. Keane, visibly seething, was separated from McAteer. Both players, in their own way, acknowledged the impact – McAteer later admitted that Keane would have "ripped his head off" if Rennie hadn't come between them. Keane, though never one to show deference, seemed to develop a level of respect for the referee's fearless handling of the moment. However, just minutes later, Keane lashed out again – this time catching McAteer with a sharp elbow to the back of the head. Rennie immediately issued a red card – a decision so clear-cut that even Sir Alex Ferguson didn't contest it. "The referee had no choice but to send him off," the legendary United manager said after the game. "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." He later confirmed that the club would not appeal the decision and had fined Keane £150,000. Rennie admitted his handling of the situation went beyond standard procedure: "I didn't follow FA protocol," he wrote. "You throw away the rule book and intervene early with action, words won't do, stopping Keane from doing something he shouldn't. "You stare Keane dead in the eyes, still clutching a fistful of his shirt... messy Irish history. Messy World Cup history. Keane is fiddling with his captain's armband as you reason with him. He's only half listening, facing you but eyeing up the Sunderland player who has retreated behind you to safety. Although he might not be showing it now, maybe in his own way, he respects you." Despite being sent off, Keane remained unapologetic. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast in 2023, he insisted McAteer "deserved" the elbow and that the two were "absolutely not" on speaking terms. "He was one of those players who couldn't stop running their mouths," Keane said. "I didn't mind lads kicking me or booting me but McAteer as usual had plenty to say for himself." McAteer, who had also played for Liverpool, Bolton, and Blackburn, later described their relationship as "toxic." He didn't hold back in his own assessment, calling Keane a "clown" and telling him to "bore off."
