The Damned United

[The Hitman]

He was known as "Old Big 'Ead", so Brian Clough would not have been surprised to know a film is being made about him.

 

But fans of the late, great football manager might want to watch the film, The Damned United, from behind a sofa.

 

Rather than focusing on his remarkable victories in two European Cup finals with Nottingham Forest, the movie concentrates on the low point of his career, his 44-day nightmare as Leeds United boss.

 

With some fruity language and lots of finger-jabbing, Clough is portrayed as a flawed genius.

 

Back in the 1970s, he himself struggled to find any faults with his own ability.

 

He once said: "Rome wasn't built in a day... but I wasn't on that particular job".

 

 

Michael Sheen plays the famously confrontational Clough

 

The actor given the near-impossible task of capturing Clough in looks and voice is Michael Sheen, better known for his role as Tony Blair in the film The Queen.

 

"Each character is unique," says Sheen during a break from filming at Leeds United's Elland Road ground.

 

"This is my two passions coming together. I used to play a lot of football when I was younger. I possibly could have had a career in it.

 

"Then I got to about 14, met girls, you know, started drinking, smoking and all that kind of thing and then got into acting."

 

The film, based on the book by David Peace, is costing £5m and is due to be released in cinemas next year.

 

More than £20,000 of that money has already gone into turning the concrete car park at Elland Road into a grass pitch to try to recreate the 1970s training facilities.

 

 

Chesterfield's Saltergate ground was used to recreate Derby's stadium

 

Filming has already taken place at Chesterfield's Saltergate ground, which was painted dark green and made to look like the old Baseball Ground, where Derby County played when Clough was their successful manager.

 

It all turned sour for Cloughie when he arrived at Leeds in the summer of 1974. Appointed for his brilliance, he was undone by his arrogance and his abrasive approach to a team of thin-skinned superstars who had just won the league.

 

The previous manager, Don Revie, was a winner, but the team did not have the panache Clough wanted. He tried to change the style and take on the stars, with disastrous consequences.

 

The film's producer Andy Harries - the drama controller behind the hit TV series Cold Feet - describes the movie's portrayal of Clough as "affectionate and amusing".

 

He says: "We're not going to sell it as a comedy, but it is a funny film because Clough was such a character.

 

 

Clough retired from management in 1993 and died four years ago

 

"But it is dark in parts. I don't think the film is anything like as dark as the book.

 

"The book is told through Clough's own mind, the film doesn't do that at all. The film tells the story in a much more straight, narrative way."

 

Even so, he admits that Clough sometimes appears to be approaching lunacy.

 

"There are some pretty mad scenes, which are also very funny scenes," he says.

 

Others actors involved include Jim Broadbent as Derby chairman Sam Longson, Timothy Spall as Clough's assistant Peter Taylor and Colm Meaney as Don Revie.

 

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the movie-makers is making it watchable for anyone under 40 who isn't a football fan and has never heard of Brian Clough.

 

The quirky title - The Damned United - may attract wider interest.

 

Mind you, there were not many alternatives.

 

There has, of course, already been a Life of Brian.

[ManxRed]

Why is it that anyone making a film about a real life person who needs an actor to do a plausible impersonation of them as well as getting the acting itself spot on, always, but always casts Michael Sheen?

[muleskinner]

Timothy Spall as Peter Taylor?

[Cobs]

Timothy Spall as Peter Taylor?

excellent

[fyds]

So am oi reelly a raddish, Broyan?

[John am Rhein]

[John am Rhein]

"But it is dark in parts. I don't think the film is anything like as dark as the book.

 

:no:

 

[guernseygareth]

why buy the rights to the book and then change its - ahem - emotional core?

 

peace is a really interesting writer. damned united & gb84 are outstanding books.

 

hopefully this is just a fluffy, promo piece.

[Stevie H]

colm meaney as revie could be inspired casting.

[Snookie]

why buy the rights to the book and then change its - ahem - emotional core?

 

peace is a really interesting writer. damned united & gb84 are outstanding books.

 

hopefully this is just a fluffy, promo piece.

 

Wonder have they taken out all mention of Giles in the film as well after his legal action against the publisher? Wouldnt do a whole lot for its 'emotional core' given the way in which he epitomised the playing heart of the Leeds team. His dedication, skill, footballing intelligence, paranoia, spitefulness and joyless nastiness sum that team up. You could respect/admire some things about them but there was just too much of the night about how they were set up. They were like Inter Milan but without the style.

[John am Rhein]

You could respect/admire some things about them but there was just too much of the night about how they were set up.

 

I'd agree with that if you replaced 'but' with 'because'.

[The Hitman]

colm meaney as revie could be inspired casting.

Agreed-he's good in pretty much everything I see.

[AntM]

Wonder have they taken out all mention of Giles in the film as well after his legal action against the publisher? Wouldnt do a whole lot for its 'emotional core' given the way in which he epitomised the playing heart of the Leeds team. His dedication, skill, footballing intelligence, paranoia, spitefulness and joyless nastiness sum that team up. You could respect/admire some things about them but there was just too much of the night about how they were set up. They were like Inter Milan but without the style.

Leeds Utd of that era were the footballing equivalent of Dick Dastardly... for all the snarling and petty-minded meaness and gamesmanship, more often than not they spluttered to a halt about a yard from the winning line... it was a joy to behold.

[The Hitman]

Leeds United of that era?