Football Quotes – Saipan Incident

The infamous Saipan incident involving Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane and Irish manager Mick McCarthy spawned many memorable quotes that are often repeated.

Roy Keane Quotations about Saipan

“You were a crap player, you are a crap manager, the only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are manager of my country and you’re not even Irish, you English c**t. You can stick the World Cup up your b*****ks.” Roy Keane to Mick McCarthy in Saipan [Where this quote actually came from is not clear and while it is widely quoted there is no evidence that Roy Keane ever actually uttered these words]

“I said to Mick that I didn’t respect him as a player, as a manager or as a person. To be fair, I used the expletive against him as well, I’m no angel, but these things hurt me to be accused in such a way. The language was strong, but that’s always the case in football, it’s not a debating society” Roy Keane’s take on his rant at Mick McCarthy

“I couldn’t play with certain players anymore. I am finished. The only way I would go back now if Mick left and certain other players retired.” Roy Keane on the possibilities of him returning to the Irish international scene

“The pitch was like a car park.” Roy Keane on the training facilities in Saipan

“I love playing for my country but my sanity is more important” Roy Keane on RTE Radio after his exit from Saipan

“Packie [Bonner] said that they’d worked hard. Alan [Kelly] said that they’d worked hard. I said ‘ Do you want a pat on the back for working hard – is that not why we are here?’ I did mention that they wouldn’t be too tired to play golf the next day, and fair play, they dragged themselves out” Roy Keane on the goalkeeping row in Saipan

“Am I so terrifying? Do the birds flee from the trees when I approach?” Keano in I Keano the musical

Mick McCarthy Quotes about Saipan Incident

“As he waded in with one expletive after another I asked myself ‘Was this my captain? Was this the man who could serve Ireland as a role model for our children?’ The answer was no.” Mick McCarthy

“I have never had to listen to such a foul-mouthed abuse from any footballer in any dressing room or any meeting room. I have never witnessed such an attack from any human being in any walk of life ” Mick McCarthy

“What I learned from Jack – ensure that you’re all inside the tent p***ing out and get rid of any fellow who’s outside the tent p***ing in” Mick McCarthy

“though my head is still held high, my ass is truly in the bacon slicer” Macarticus in I Keano the musical show

Eamon Dunphy Quotes about Saipan Incident

“We tend to get very emotional about sport.” Eamon Dunphy on the Irish in the wake of Saipan

“How dare this large, belligerent, bloody-minded English toe-rag cast aspersions on two magnificent men to whom he owes so much, not least the legendary status in which he glories” Eamon Dunphy on Jack Charlton following comments that the latter made about Roy Keane and Paul McGrath

“When you weed out the nutters it’s around 80 – 20 behind Roy” Eamon Dunphy

“I write this for the common man. I love the common man. I have never met him, but I love him” Dunphia in I Keano the musical

Other Quotations about Saipan Row

“The people of Ireland will forgive him but I never will. He is a disgrace to his country.” Jack Charlton about Roy Keane

“And when he got on the bus and started staring at the roof I knew we were heading for trouble” Jason McAteer on the prelude to the Saipan row

“I don’t understand his rage” Jason McAteer about Roy Keane

“I was disappointed. I felt let down. And I just couldn’t quite figure where he was coming from” Jason McAteer about Roy Keane

“We haven’t earned the right to be here. We owe it all to Roy. And Roy thinks we’re s**t.” Jason McAteer ‘s thoughts after reading the Irish Times article by Tom Humphries

“Dean Kiely [Ireland’s reserve goalkeeper] is one of the quieter lads in the group. ‘I’d like to say something Mick’ he said. We all turned and looked at him. ‘If you want’ he said ‘ I can do a job for you in midfield’.’ And the place just erupted.” Jason McAteer in the immediate aftermath of the Saipan row

“Roy of the moaners” Irish Times letters page

“Beware the men whose talents are driven by rage. Theses people are not in control of their own art, their own selves, their own lives” Henry Lawton , The Times on Roy Keane

“He came, he saw, he went home.” Tagline for I Keano the musical show

“Roy lives in Roy Keane World and refuses to accept other people’s autonomy or opinion.” Matt Holland about Roy Keane

“It remains a moot point whether Ireland came within an ace of beating Spain on Sunday because of the brooding intensity of their captain had been removed, or whether his presence would have pushed them further, but they proved that life was worth living without him ” Steve Tongue – The Times

“… the FAI are a shower of wallies, the other players are cowards, that Mick McCarthy is a clown” Kevin Myers – Irish Times

“When Roy got to Saipan he realised he didn’t want to be there. It would almost seem like he did everything in his power to make sure that he wasn’t there too long” Mark Lawrenson BBC Soccer pundit

“The Roy Keane case was fundamentally misunderstood by people who represented it as personal luminosity and communal values at odds, when clearly they were not.” Fintan O’Toole on Today FM

“Mick McCarthy’s biggest mistake was to make Roy Keane captain of the Irish team” Brendan Menton of the FAI

“I wouldn’t send a player home, but if I did, he would probably be the best player in the World.” Unknown fan’s alternative wording to the Carlsberg advertisement.

“Eamon Dunphy simply can’t bear fools. It’s a pity that his mother didn’t have the same difficulty.” Mick McCarthy supporter.

“Knock Knock. Who’s there? Roy. Roy who? Oh well that’s football.” Joke doing the rounds after Saipan

Football Quotes – FAI Quotes – Saipan Quotes – Paul McGrath Quotes