Who could ever have foreseen that the name of a remote island in the western Pacific Ocean would come to symbolise one of the defining moments in Irish sporting history?
The mere mention of Saipan will transport football supporters of a certain age back to the summer of 2002 and an infamous bust-up that overshadowed the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup preparations.
Today it was announced that the dispute between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy that divided a nation, and continues to be a source of intrigue all these years later, will form the basis of an upcoming film.
Directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa, ‘Saipan’ is about the events leading up to the public fallout between the team’s captain and manager that saw Keane miss out on the tournament.
A gathering of Ireland supporters in the aftermath of the Saipan incident
Éanna Hardwicke will play the legendary former Manchester United midfielder opposite comedian and actor Steve Coogan as McCarthy.
Production is expected to start soon and the film is scheduled for a cinema release next summer.
“A million words have been written about what happened on that fateful week in 2002 on the tiny island of Saipan,” said producers Macdara Kelleher and John Keville.
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“Next year, audiences will finally get to experience firsthand the feud between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy and why it was labeled ‘the worst preparation for a World Cup campaign ever’.
Niall Quinn commiserates with Matt Holland after his penalty miss against Spain (Image credit: Getty Images)
Keane and McCarthy never had a good relationship, stretching back to their time as international teammates, but it reached breaking point at a training camp in Saipan.
Keane was unhappy with the standard of the facilities and what he perceived as an amateurish approach to preparing for the World Cup, which he expressed in an interview.
McCarthy challenged Keane about his comments, culminating in a furious attack on the Ireland manager’s credentials and an acrimonious departure shortly before the tournament started.
While Ireland performed well without Keane, reaching the second round before being knocked out by Spain on penalties, they would surely have fared better with their star player in the team.
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