There’s only one Keano . . . as all the hype leads to George’s Freudian slip

Freudian slips are nothing new, especially in the world of sports broadcast commentary where the mind is working at a million miles an hour and the men – and women – behind the microphone are looking at what is likely to happen as much as what has actually taken place.

Some cases, it must be said, have had serious consequences for the perpetrators of such slips of the tongue. Alan Shearer wasn't on top of his game when commentating on the trophy presentation to Spain, after their win in the Euro 2012s.

“These guys have had an unbelievable amount of sex,” said Shearer, before stuttering in with a correction that he meant to say “unbelievable amount of success”.

By comparison, the Freudian slip perpetrated by that consummate professional George Hamilton in RTÉ2's commentary of the Ireland- Gibraltar qualifier from the Aviva was one of gentle mirth as his co-commentator Ronnie Whelan picked up on the slip with the sort of speed and finish he once demonstrated in his own playing days.

Just 31 minutes into the match, at which stage a certain Mr R Keane had helped himself to a hat-trick of goals and must have thought all his birthdays had come at once, Hamilton opened his mouth. “ . . . . and ROY KEANE peels away again,” said Hamilton, before correcting: “ROBBIE KEANE.”

Too late, the damage was done. You could almost feel the mirth in Whelan’s voice as he quickly rowed in. “You had to mention him, didn’t you?”

Taking the rebuke on the chin, Hamilton replied: “After the week that there’s been, there seemed to be only one Keane on the planet.”

Suitably dressed

And, for sure, Roy Keane’s biography – and the timing of its release – had occupied a considerable amount of the pre-match discussion.

Liam Brady, suitably dressed in shirt and tie and positioned between the two whippersnappers Kenny Cunningham and Richie Sadlier (you know him, as RTÉ once referred to him in a caption: “Scored in Uefa European U-18 Third Place Play-off) who came to the party in open-neck shirts, told presenter Darragh Maloney it was “wrong, absolutely wrong” that the book should have been published in the days before a competitive international.

Not that the trio of analysts were getting too worked up for the match, with Maloney asking a number of times what they thought the score would be in the knowledge that this was a match Ireland simply couldn’t or wouldn’t lose.

So, the pre-match verdicts?

“5-0” – Richie Sadlier.

“6-0” – Liam Brady.

“6 or 7 (nil)” – Kenny Cunningham.

So, sort of, the honours went to Cunningham even if the post-match speculation was more about man-of-the-match Wes Hoolahan’s chances of getting the nod to start against Germany.

And, as Brady observed, the Gibraltarians were far from solid as a rock.

“Gibraltar have got to be the worst international side I’ve ever seen or ever witnessed . . . . it was verging on the comical,” said Brady and, this time, Messrs Cunningham and Sadlier couldn’t but agree.

Delaney the celebrity

Later that night on RTÉ, the FAI’s chief executive

John Delaney

– continuing the trend of open neck shirts – made a rather bizarre appearance on the

Saturday Night Show

where he was given celebrity status by host Brendan O’Connor rather than treated as what is, a sports administrator. All in all, very tame stuff.

Of course, the Roy Keane book was raised. Sort of.

“Have you read the book?” O’Connor asked.

“No, not yet . . . I’m waiting for my free copy, autographed. To John, Love Roy,” responded Delaney.

It could be a long wait.