Crowd control must be on the ball for Keane book-signing

The appearance of Manchester United captain Roy Keane for a book-signing is expected to draw a record attendance to the Easons…

The appearance of Manchester United captain Roy Keane for a book-signing is expected to draw a record attendance to the Easons store in Patrick Street, Cork, on Thursday.

The former Ireland captain had to cancel a planned visit home to Cork to promote his autobiography in September so he could have a hip operation.

The Keane book, ghost-written by Eamon Dunphy, sold more than 50,000 hardback copies in its first week. To put it in perspective, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was considered a phenomenon with 40,000 sales in this country over some months.

Prior to the release of the Keane book, J K Rowling's book was the best selling book Easons ever had in over 100 years of business in Ireland.

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Security will be stepped up at the Easons branch on Thursday for the 3 p.m. book-signing in an attempt to avert any crowd control problems.

Manchester United fans were said to have kept ringing the store over recent months requesting a rescheduled signing session with Keane.

A number of fans are expected to camp overnight to make sure they are first in line to meet the controversial midfielder. It is thought sales of the Keane book will reach 150,000 by Christmas, making it Ireland's biggest selling book to date. It has recorded UK sales of 500,000.

Keane's book has seen off competition from Niall Quinn's autobiography and Mick McCarthy's diaries. Sales of Quinn's and McCarthy's books are said to be steady.

The decision to postpone the release of the McCarthy book until after the Ireland/Switzerland soccer match hit sales as the Irish team recorded one of its most demoralising defeats in years.