Steve Coogan stars in a drama-biopic set to revive a debate that once divided Irish football fans, with promising indications of its artistic quality.
While viewing the teaser trailer for Saipan, which is set for release later this summer, memories of a Friends episode where Joey places his copy of The Shining in a freezer when it becomes too frightening resurfaced. Though 23 years have passed since Roy Keane’s notorious outburst on the Pacific island, the filmmakers might have been wiser to leave this historic Irish football altercation and media frenzy forgotten. Instead, it will soon enter the public sphere, likely to reopen old, often still raw, wounds.
Football enthusiasts of a certain age have their own interpretations of the Saipan incident, with differing details depending on who recounts it. Over the years, I’ve spoken with several former Republic of Ireland players who attended the infamous team meeting where Mick McCarthy confronted his captain about his Irish Times interview criticizing the national association’s lackluster approach to 2002 World Cup preparations in Japan and South Korea.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: SCCGManagement.com