John Riordan

THERE are certain ground rules that Ipswich Town boss Roy Keane keeps close to his heart when it comes to his pre-match press conference.
Conscious of rent-a-quote cynicism, he has placed a ban on mention of past clubs. Also ruled out are questions relating to the owner of the club, Marcus Evans. And for God's sake keep your phone off.
Keane's future as manager of this storied club is the hot topic before his arrival is greeted by a sudden hush. So there's no time to get a quick how-to-keep-Keane-keen guide.
But I do get to meet the individual responsible for the mobile faux pas. Scottish journalist Mel Henderson is the man quite audibly trying to buy time from Keane so he can let the offending phone "ring out", an audacious show of resistance against a man who always owns the room.
"My son is a DJ in Amsterdam and he thinks I'm cool because there have been over 100,000 hits," says the easy going Scot.
"It was a difficult moment but I'm human and Roy knows that. He has a good sense of humour - even with all this pressure on him at the moment, he doesn't really lose that streak."
Henderson has more to him than questionable press conference etiquette. He was PRO at Ipswich Town between 1974 and 1984 and, as such, sat at the right hand of God - or Sir Bobby Robson as he is occasionally known. What's more Henderson was name checked at Robson's memorial by another knight of the realm, Alex Ferguson.
"I was the first person to ever interview Fergie. He was manager of East Stirling, I had known him before that. It was such a small club that every programme had the numbers of each starting player written in, every copy!"
At which point the other star sweeps in and a few awkward 'good mornings' are thrown around. I switch my phone to airplane mode.
The ice breaker from the Sky Sports News reporter is about the prospects of young England Under 17 star Connor Wickham securing a pro contract having broken into the senior squad at his club. When thoughts turn to that other job on the line, the tension rises, but only slightly.
He's been on holidays and the pressure doesn't bother him. It's all going well until the Sky guy effectively sabotages his own interview by dangling Man Utd's title prospects in front of him.
"I'm quite happy to talk about Ipswich Town - I've no interest in any other club." Wayne Rooney's injury? "No interest."
Camera powers off and the scribes take up the baton with a bravado and pointed question about communication with the club owner Marcus Evans.
"The chief executive and I keep in touch regularly with the owner using video link-ups, that's the way he likes to work, we all have total respect for that. But to ask me that question - 'have i spoken to the owner' -  really I should have said to you it's none of your business whether or not I've spoken to the owner."
But they're used to this. There's always someone on the end of a withering look - or more. It's just the nature of life with Roy Keane. And there's not a single one of them who want to see him leave and take his 'good copy' with him.