Saipan Incident - An Introduction
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This
is my attempt to analyse the Saipan incident of 2002 and the events
leading up to it. The events in Saipan convulsed the Irish nation.
In my certain memory there has never been an incident quite like it
that so polarised wide segments of the Irish people. I don't know
any Irish person that doesn't have a strong view on the Saipan affair
and I don't know anyone that doesn't firmly side with one or other
of the two main protagonists in the drama that was played out in the
Far East. The middle ground is very sparsely populated indeed. If
you're Irish you'll get what I'm saying and if you're not you'll probably
think that I'm exaggerating, or mad, or both. |
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When the Saipan incident unfolded
a wondrous dichotomy was born that has cleaved the Irish psyche.
Perhaps only the passage of time will bring relief. When I first
heard the news that the Irish manager Mick McCarthy had sent the
Irish captain, and our best player, Roy Keane home I was truly shocked.
As the shock subsided and the different versions of events emerged
I had no doubt as to whose side I was on. And like almost everyone
else in Ireland I have stood steadfastly by my choice ever since.
I never seriously questioned my decision - if it was actually a
decision. To me it was the obvious conclusion and those on the other
side, my polar opposites, were blinded by unthinking loyalty to
their man.
In civil wars families can be divided
and brother may be pitted against brother. In the period immediately
after the news broke that Roy Keane had been sent home from
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Saipan I recall having many very heated debates
with my brother. He is one of the most mild mannered and thinking individuals
that one could meet. How was it that he was so blind? How could he be so
irritating by holding on to a position that was so patently wrong? His man
was clearly offside in the Saipan affair that even a SpecSavers ref could
see it. Funny enough his views of me were probably just the same as mine
of him.
It's seven years since Ireland's JFK moment.
This is a seven year itch I couldn't resist scratching at. However to
bring real relief it had to be a serious scratch. I had to scratch deep
beneath the surface to find out the real truth behind the eruption that
occurred on that volcanic island in the Far East. To do this I had to
try to be as dispassionate as possible and leave my deeply held views,
nay prejudices, in the dressing room before I crossed the white line.
It was difficult but I tried. Only others can determine if I succeeded
but no-one should pass judgement on that unless they have read everything
that I've written and understands the methodology
that I used in arriving at my Saipan conclusions.
It's all here in the Saipan Table of Contents.
John Hogan
PS: Apologies
for all those irritating soccer metaphors
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John Hogan
is the owner / manager of Soccer-Ireland.com, Ireland's largest
and fastest growing soccer directory. Born in Dublin, almost exactly
200 years after Arthur Guinness established his brewery at St James's
Gate, he has two teenage sons. Having spent over twenty years in
banking he has since worked in a number of internet businesses.
He launched Soccer-Ireland.com at the beginning of 2009.
A right-footed
footballer with two left feet he failed to make the grade at any
level in the game. Thus confined to the role of spectator he has
spent thousands of hours watching soccer. An avid fan of the Irish
national team he watched in horror as the Saipan incident unfolded.
Seven years later he committed himself to establishing the true
facts of those traumatic events in the Pacific in May 2002.
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Saipan
Incident Methodology
Back to Saipan
Affair Table of Contents - Irish Football
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