"Some may not be able to identify it as the tiny capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, or point to it on a map, halfway between Papua New Guinea and Japan. But everyone in Ireland knows it as the far-flung place where Roy Keane and boss Mick McCarthy had the mother of all bust-ups ahead of the 2002 World Cup, leading to Keane's exit before the tournament had even begun."
"I'd been in dressing rooms at club level where there'd been fights, things chucked against walls, players getting pinned by their throats I thought I'd seen it all, McAteer tells FFT now. But here I was witnessing something that I'd never seen before. Usually when there's an argument, it's about results, for the good of the team. This was personal, between two people with a lot of history. It grew and grew, to the point it became very uncomfortable. I just thought, S**t, this is only"
Saipan became synonymous with Roy Keane's explosive row with manager Mick McCarthy during the Republic of Ireland's 2002 World Cup preparations, which led to Keane being sent home. The confrontation stemmed from Keane's newspaper interview criticizing the training camp and McCarthy questioning Keane's fitness after he missed the Iran play-off. Keane verbally assaulted McCarthy, using insults and crude language. Teammates, including Jason McAteer, witnessed an unprecedented personal dispute that grew increasingly uncomfortable. McAteer recalled the intensity and personal nature of the argument and said he had never seen such behavior in a dressing room.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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