Steve Coogan stars in this dramatisation of the Irish footballling row, available to rent at home
Year: 2025
Certificate: 15
Watch now on Sky
During the run-up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan, a row erupted between Irish captain Roy Keane and team manager Mick McCarthy. Keane, who was used to the finer things at Manchester United, thought the training facilities at Saipan were rubbish and that opinion escalated into a very public quarrel that resulted in a slanging match of the kind from which it would seem there was no return.
This is a sharply-scripted dramatisation of that spat, one that gets to the heart of both characters, with Steve Coogan on strong form as McCarthy and Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) passionately inhabiting the famously fiery Keane. Like all the best dramas, it’s got a deft comic touch when it needs it, both in the absurdities of conditions at the training camp (no footballs) and in illuminating the details of McCarthy and Keane’s lives away from the glare of international football. Don’t miss Alice Lowe as McCarthy’s wife in particular; it’s a shame the role is a small one but it’s a coup to have a player of Lowe’s quality in that position.
Overall this is a story all about ego, insecurity and passion that deserves a wider audience than football fans and, even if you know nothing about the ‘Saipan incident’, as it’s known, all the context you need is in the script and performances. Interestingly, Coogan has said the original script was ‘a little bit too pro-Roy’, something that changed during the production.
Available to buy and rent on Amazon, Apple, Sky etc. (86 minutes)
