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Mick McCarthy Walks Out of Saipan Film, Denounces Portrayal and Roy Keane

A dramatization of Ireland’s 2002 Saipan dispute has triggered fresh pushback from former players over accuracy.

Overview

  • Mick McCarthy said he left Saipan after roughly 20 minutes and called the movie "a heap of s***" during a public event in Dublin.
  • He used a profanity to refer to Roy Keane while recounting the long-running rift from the 2002 World Cup build-up.
  • McCarthy criticized Steve Coogan’s depiction, objecting to the height contrast with Roy Keane and rejecting claims he ‘coached’ Coogan for the role.
  • He said the film wrongly paints him as an easy-going, non-competitive figure, adding that reports of him guiding Coogan were inaccurate.
  • Niall Quinn said he chose not to see the film and voiced sympathy with McCarthy after hearing it portrays him as a drunk, as the release has revived debate over the 2002 training-camp row.