The Damned United BBC4 9.00 pm Wednesday

Brilliant film - brilliant book - film a bit more generous to Clough but book was one of the best reads I have ever had. If you haven't read it - do. A treat to read on the beach on hols and wil be cheap on ebay or amazon.

It was actually filmed at Chesterfield's old Saltergate ground.

The writer suggested with the modernisation of football stadiums it would be difficult to find an authentic location to make such a film in the future.

Superb film, superb performances from Sheen and Colm Meany.Loved him in Alpha Papa and also as Jimmy's Dad in The Commitments. I've only just seen that film, and only because my Dad made my watch it! Loved it though.

Superb film that really enjoyed it

I thought the book was electrifying. Film's good too, the actors are utterly believable as their characters - Stephen Graham as Billy Bremner for example.

Great film, and if you ever get the chance watch the superb itv documentary on Clough from a few years ago.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clough-The-Brian-Story-DVD/dp/B001U3ZUKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400133746&sr=8-1&keywords=clough+dvd

Very good film but like others have mentioned the book is excellent. Clough comes across as a darker character in the book and the relationship between him and Taylor is a lot more explosive which is not really portrayed in the film.

I love the film but there are a couple of factual inaccuracies for any budding historian. The examples I give below probably help the flow of the film and I can see why the writers use artistic licence.

Dave Mackay successfully took legal action against the makers of the film because it depicts him moving from being captain of the Derby team to becoming Clough's successor thus stabbing his boss in the back . The truth was although Mackay did replace Clough as Derby manager he had left the club as a player a couple of years earlier. He then went on to manage Swindon and Forest in between . I can therefore see why Mackay sued as the context used does not set him in a good light.

Also Clough actually managed Brighton for half a season although the film implies he went straight to Leeds . Taylor remained behind when Clough took over at Elland Road and took sole charge at the Goldstone . He did rejoin him at Forest a couple of years later so in that case the essence of the story is valid.

As a child one of my first memories of going to the Valley was seeing Clough's Brighton stuff Charlton and future Addick loanee Peter O'Sullivan scoring a couple of goals.

lordromford said:

Ormiston Addick said:

Richard J said:

It was actually filmed at Chesterfield's old Saltergate ground.

The writer suggested with the modernisation of football stadiums it would be difficult to find an authentic location to make such a film in the future.

Wow, I had not thought about that!

I had not noticed it when watching it but realize now that they could not film at The Baseball Ground because it had been demolished in 2003 (thanks Wikipedia).

They really got the 'feel' right on the stadium, especially the dark and dank dressing rooms.

As for Michael Sheen - anyone who can get Blair, Nixon, Kenneth Williams and Brian Clough spot on is some actor - and the jammy bastard got to have carnal relations with the incomparable Rachel McAdams.

Lol. You meant Frost, I assume.
:-)

Good spot!

The voice matey does for Clough is spot on.

If you like a football documentary...watch "CITY!" . It was shown in 1981 and was behind the scenes at Manchester City when Malcolm Allison's team were struggling. It's like watching a car-crash but it's brilliant. A couple of future Charlton players are in it too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3KVEy1XKoc

There is absolutely no similarity whatsoever! CP is no Clough and never will be. As for the "debacle", do you mean the new owner sacking the Manager when was the Club at the bottom of the league and replacing them with someone who was able to keep us up? Some debacle!

Great film though.

CAFCTrev said:

Deffo should be a Charlton version of this, covering the Powell/Duchatelet debacle...

NomadicAddick said:

LenGlover said:

I enjoyed both the book and the film although, from what I have read, the Clough family are not happy with either and regard them as misrepresentations.


EDIT: http://www.brianclough.com/panned.htm

I heard an interview with Nigel Clough done by Pat Murphy and Clough said neither he nor his Mother had seen the film or intended too. A shame really because I don't think Clough is portrayed that badly at all in the film. From what I understand, that is not the case with the book. However in the authors defence he has always maintained the book was a novel and not a biography.
I find all this time fascinating although it was all over 20 years before I was even born.

But this is the problem when you fictionalise events within living memory you will always upset someone . I love the film so the fact that some historical details are wrong is not so important , as others have said it captured something about the mood of the mid 70's an era when I was growing up.

One detail they needed to get right although it is severely edited is the Austin Mitchell interview with Clough and Revie which is recreated at the end of the film because there is a video on You Tube showing it in full.

I'm sure Margeret Beaufort or Elizabeth Woodville might have complained at the way they were depicted in the White Queen but since they died 500 years ago it is not so important to consider the impact on their feelings.