The House Article | Well-aimed World Cup drama still misses: Liam Conlon reviews ‘Saipan’

Ireland manager: Steve Coogan (centre) as Mick McCarthy |
Image by: Alamy / © Sunrise Films / Courtesy of: Everett Collection 

5 min read4 min

At the turn of the 20th century, the two most successful parties of Irish politics, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, emerged from the Irish Civil War. They were divided not by class but by their different stances on whether to accept the Anglo-Irish Treaty and a limited form of independence from British rule. This binary shaped Irish governance for a century, effectively turning the two parties into rival pillars of the state that alternated power, until their historic coalition a few years ago.

But at the turn of the 21st century, it was events that took place on a small Pacific island which did more to divide Irish public opinion than any domestic political event. Roy Keane’s walkout from the Republic of Ireland squad during their 2002 pre-World Cup training camp in Saipan started off as an argument about standards but quickly became something much bigger. The events that led to his departure are captured in a new film – Saipan – available now to stream online.

Keane, then Ireland and Manchester United captain, and at the peak of his influence as a global star, felt the facilities in Saipan were amateurish to the point of disrespect. Training pitches were at Sunday league levels, the catering akin to school dinners, equipment including footballs missing, and travel arrangements chaotic. In typical Keane style, he did not keep his concerns private. He went public in an explosive interview with the Irish Times, criticising the preparation in blunt, unforgiving terms.

As a portrayal of what happened in Saipan, it is a solid docufilm

Mick McCarthy, the Ireland manager, saw it differently. To him, this was a player who thought he was above everyone else, undermining the team days before a World Cup that they had fought so hard collectively to qualify for. Saipan centres on the rising tensions and subsequent breakdown in the relationship between Keane and McCarthy. McCarthy, played by Steve Coogan, confronts Keane on a number of occasions and as the film progresses the arguments turn deeply personal. It culminates in a confrontation in front of the squad where simultaneously McCarthy sends Keane home and the captain quits.

As a portrayal of what happened in Saipan, it is a solid docufilm. What it oversimplifies are the years of tension between Keane and the out-of-touch Football Association Ireland (FAI). It was the FAI, more than McCarthy, who were responsible for the unprofessional facilities and preparations. And what the film misses completely is what I think became the most interesting aspect of the saga: the reaction in Ireland and among the global diaspora. 

The World Cup in 2002 is the first I can remember following, along with my Irish dad and grandparents in London. Qualifying was a major achievement for Ireland, having knocked out the Netherlands in the group stage.

There was hope and excitement at the qualification, but the fallout from Saipan – and whether you were with Roy or against him – was polarising. It split families, friends, pubs and workplaces for years after. In the days that followed his departure, there were incidents of fans defacing 7UP billboards across Ireland featuring Keane, leading to their removal (ironically, the slogan of the advertising campaign he fronted was “there’s no substitute”). 

One side saw Keane as Ireland’s greatest ever player and the ultimate professional, who was simply holding a poorly run association to account. The other viewed him as selfish, abandoning his country on the biggest stage. The team eventually made the last 16, which only added another layer to the debate: had Keane been a disruptive force, or had his absence forced unity?

In this depiction Coogan brings presence to Mick McCarthy, reflecting both the steadiness of the Yorkshireman and the simmering frustration of a manager under siege. Éanna Hardwicke, who plays Roy Keane, certainly captures the infamous volatility of the captain, but his performance occasionally lapses into a one-dimensional portrayal, conveying everything with intensity.

It took a century for the historic divides between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to subside when they entered a coalition in 2020. The debate over whether Keane was right or wrong to walk away from Saipan may still divide Irish public opinion a century on. There is much to explore in that, including the national conversation it started on the relationship between individual excellence and collective responsibility. This is a decent film, but it would have been greatly enhanced with a portrayal of that societal response at home.

Liam Conlon is Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge

Saipan

Directed by: Glenn Leyburn & Lisa Barros D’Sa

Broadcaster: Available to rent on Amazon Prime & Apple TV