Lingfield football club is considering legal action over claims in Roy Keane's autobiography that its supporters are bigoted and its Windsor Park ground is a no-go area for Catholics.
The club's former manager, Mr Roy Coyle, has said he is also considering legal action over the book. Linfield chairman, Mr Billy McCoubrey, said the club would be consulting its lawyers "for their comments and what action they advise us to take".
Mr Eamon Dunphy, the ghost writer of Keane, yesterday declined to specifically comment on the controversy but said "a media circus" had developed around the autobiography."Everyone is setting out to exploit it," he stated. "All I wish to say is that I have the greatest respect for Roy Coyle. He is a courageous man and it would never be my aim to cause him any hurt or offence."
The chapter in the Manchester United captain's autobiography which has caused the disagreement, recounts the sectarian behaviour of supporters of the Northern Ireland team at a tense 1-1 draw with the Republic in a 1993 World Cup qualifier.
It claims Windsor Park, the shared ground of Linfield and Northern Ireland, "was then and is now" out of bounds to Catholics. The book added that tensions were heightened by Linfield's signing of a Catholic player.
"For the first time in its history, Linfield had recently signed a Catholic, a decision that caused great controversy. The player, who was also black - another major problem for Linfield's bigoted supporters - didn't last long. (Nor did the manager who signed him)."
Linfield secretary, Mr Derek Brooks, said the claims were inaccurate. "I wish Roy Keane or his ghost writer Eamon Dunphy had checked the facts. The player they are referring to is Tony Coly from Senegal who signed in 1988, five years before the World Cup match." Mr Brooks said Mr Coly was not the club's first Catholic player and he denied Windsor Park was a no-go area for Catholics. Mr Coyle, now Glentoran's manager, said: "I certainly was not driven out of Windsor for signing Tony Coly. What Roy Keane has written about the signing of Coly and about me is nonsense."