Dunphy apologises to Liddle over rant

EAMON DUNPHY yesterday apologised to British journalist Rod Liddle for insulting him on RTE’s Champions League programme on Wednesday night.

However, the journalist and Newstalk broadcaster was unrepentant about calling Niall Quinn an ‘idiot’ on the same show.

Prior to the Liverpool-Real Betis match, Dunphy took centre stage in the heated discussion on Keane he was having with Liam Brady, John Giles and presenter Bill O’Herlihy.

At one point, O’Herlihy brought up Liddle’s article last Sunday in which he called Roy Keane a ‘thug’.

Dunphy, who was ghost writer of the former Ireland captain’s autobiography, defended the Cork man before making a derogatory remark about Liddle’s marital status. “It was an unforgivable thing to say,” Dunphy admitted yesterday. “It was said in the heat of the moment and I apologise for it. It was a cheap shot. I wholeheartedly apologise.”

However, the former Millwall player added that Liddle was a ‘very gifted polemicist (a person engaged in or inclined to controversy, argument, or refutation) and also claimed there was a heavy anti-Irish bias among a section of the sports media in the UK.

“What I objected to was our national broadcaster allowing the agenda on this to be set by an English journalist,” he added.

Liddle has said in the past: “We somehow still feel proprietorial towards Ireland. There is a little bit of racism there, I suppose, but we don’t owe you anymore. That’s what I object. You are no longer part of the United Kingdom like Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so why do we give the Republic of Ireland the same amount of coverage?”

Dunphy also reiterated his objection to Liddle’s description of Keane as a thug, which was based on Keane’s challenge on Manchester City’s Alf-Inge Haaland in 2001.

Liddle was scathing of the fine and suspension handed down to Keane at the time by the English FA. The former Manchester United player later admitted in his book that he intended to hurt the Norwegian midfielder.

“The incident was an over the top challenge but it was quite uncharacteristic of Roy. He’s a tough but an honest player normally,” said Dunphy.

“Roy was very candid about it, he told the truth and he paid heavily for it. He was fined £150,000 and banned for five games for it. He paid the price.

“The challenge wasn’t sly, it was there for everyone to see. He’s not a thug.”