Roy Keane once got in “a row” with woman at Neil Diamond concert for singing ‘Sweet Caroline’
Roy Keane once got into “a row” with someone at a Neil Diamond concert for singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ next to him.
The anecdote was revived recently by journalist, author and sports broadcaster Mark Pougatch, who worked alongside Keane at ITV for the UEFA 2020 Euros coverage, which took place in 2021.
As England made it to the finals to face off, and ultimately lose against, Italy 3-2 on penalties, Diamond 1969’s hit-turned-sporting anthem once again swept the country.
Recalling the moment while speaking on a recent episode of the Life Goals podcast, Pougatch reflected on the song having a resurgence once again.
“Roy’s been to a Neil Diamond concert…”
“Yeah, about 10 years ago. I ended up arguing with the woman next to me – she kept singing the songs out loud, so I ended up in a bit of a trouble that night. But brilliant concert!”
Classic Roy Keane
#ITVFootball | #Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/TH8G9KSKdr
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 7, 2021
“What was really fun was, as the crowd started singing ‘Sweet Caroline’, Wrighty was singing it,” he said.
He then recalled Manchester United legend and football commentator Keane revealing, just before England played Denmark in the semi-finals, that he once exchanged words with a woman at the gig, which took place more than 10 years ago, for singing the words to the hit out loud.
“Then suddenly out of nowhere, Gary Neville says, ‘Roy, you like Neil Diamond’.
“And Roy goes, ‘Yeah I went to a Neil Diamond concert – I had a row with the woman next door to me because she was repeating all the lyrics.
“I’m like, ‘Roy, you can’t have a row with someone at a Neil Diamond concert, for Christ’s sake!'”
In the original broadcast, Keane said that he “ended up in a bit of trouble that night”, but added that it was a “brilliant concert”.
Back in December 2022, Diamond came out of retirement to sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ during the curtain call of a new Broadway musical about his life.
The singer announced his retirement from touring in 2018 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, though made a rare appearance earlier in 2022 at a Boston Red Sox game to perform the hit.
In April this year, he opened up about living with Parkinson’s disease in a new interview. “I don’t like it but this is me. This is what I have to accept. And I’m willing to do it,” Diamond told CBS. “Okay, so this is the hand that God’s given me, and I have to make the best of it, and so I am.”
The post Roy Keane once got in “a row” with woman at Neil Diamond concert for singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ appeared first on NME.
Hollie Geraghty
NME
