
June 1, 2002: Rep. of Ireland 1 Cameroon 1
After all the traumatic build-up to the World Cup, Ireland took to the field without their best player and influential captain. How would the team react and who would step up to the plate?

After all the traumatic build-up to the World Cup, Ireland took to the field without their best player and influential captain. How would the team react and who would step up to the plate?

He’s back. After a decade of railing against a host of Irish football’s inadequacies; the blazers, the players, even the fans; Roy Keane has jumped the fence, baby! Diarmuid O hAinle, author of It Started with a Handshake, reacts to the Corkman’s return and says Keane owes us one.

With the tenth anniversary of Irish football’s civil war upon us, Póg Mo Goal brings you the final extract from John Kiberd’s astonishing body of work on the subject, detailing his conclusions of the sorry saga. This is the Saipan Incident.

With the tenth anniversary of Irish football’s civil war upon us, Póg Mo Goal brings you Part 4, the penultimate extract from John Kiberd’s astonishing body of work on the subject, focusing on the fall-out and player’s reaction from Keane’s infamous tirade. This is the Saipan Incident.

With the tenth anniversary of Irish football’s civil war upon us, Póg Mo Goal brings you Part 3 of our extracts from John Kiberd’s astonishing body of work on the subject, focusing on the timeline of events in the build-up to the confrontation. This is the Saipan Incident, the Countdown to Meltdown.

With the tenth anniversary of Irish football’s civil war upon us, Póg Mo Goal brings you Part 2 of our extracts from John Kiberd’s astonishing body of work on the subject, focusing on the history of communication issues between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy. This is ‘The Saipan Incident’.

With the tenth anniversary of Irish football’s civil war upon us, Póg Mo Goal brings you Part 1 of our extracts from John Kiberd’s astonishing body of work on the subject. This is ‘The Saipan Incident’.

Brother against brother, father against son, mother against daughter, Mick against Roy. Ten years on, we revisit Irish football’s Civil War. Coming this week on Póg Mo Goal.