The Damned United

In 2006, Stephen Frears read The Damned Utd while travelling to the Venice Film Festival. He enjoyed the book and talked with The Queen producer Andy Harries about it.[9] He then sent it to Peter Morgan, with whom he also worked on The Queen, on the eve of that film's premiere in Venice; Morgan read it by the next morning.[10] Morgan enjoyed it, stating, "It deals with themes I love: Alcoholism and self-destruction and psychotic male competitiveness and treachery."[11] Development of the project continued through February 2007, when BBC Films executive producer Christine Langan, another producer of The Queen, became involved.[12] Frears had Michael Sheen in mind for Clough right from the start. Sheen had appeared in three other Frears projects: Mary Reilly, The Deal and The Queen. He was chosen because of his physical resemblance to Clough.[13] When Frears suggested to Sheen that he play the part, Sheen "rolled his eyes and burst into a wonderful impersonation" of Clough.[14] Sheen said Clough was "one of those people who's decided he's going to shape the rest of the world in his image. Inevitably there's something in us that recognises that that's playing with fire and the gods will have to strike you down."[10]

With Frears as director, principal photography was scheduled for the end of 2007. He pulled out of the film in November, stating that he could not work out the logistics of the film and that he had "set out in pursuit of something that was leading him down a blind alley". Tom Hooper, who directed Morgan's Longford, replaced him.[14] Hooper researched Clough by reading Duncan Hamilton's Provided You Don't Kiss Me, an award-winning biography of Clough. He also planned to meet Clough's family and some of the Leeds players during Clough's tenure. Casting continued through to May 2008. In April, Colm Meaney, Timothy Spall and Jim Broadbent were announced as Don Revie, Peter Taylor and Sam Longson respectively.[15] During pre-production, Langan had viewed archive footage of Clough and Revie and considered whether Revie should be played by an actor much older than Sheen; despite being 47 in the footage, Revie "could pass for 60".[12] Before Meaney was cast, the younger Kenneth Branagh had been considered.[16] Non-league Garforth Town A.F.C. held auditions for non-speaking football players on 14 May.[17] Auditionees were expected to have played in the Northern Counties East League, Northern Premier League, or higher. Casting for extras took place on 20 and 21 May.[18]

Alterations to Elland Road for filming.

Principal photography ran from 25 May to 2 July at locations in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Majorca.[18] Chesterfield F.C.'s Saltergate stood in for Wembley Stadium, the Baseball Ground, Carrow Road, and Bloomfield Road.[19] Saltergate was chosen because it had not undergone any significant structural modifications since the 1970s,[20] though some repainting work was done by the production team to differentiate the grounds from each other.[19] The car park outside Elland Road was dressed to look like the Leeds training ground[21] (until the move to the training facilities at Thorp Arch in the early 1990s, Leeds United's training ground was indeed located right next to the stadium). Other locations used in Leeds include Headingley Stadium, the former site of Cookridge Hospital, and a linen hire firm in Armley.[22] The recreations of the television interviews (based on those conducted on the regional news show Calendar) were filmed at the same location as the originals, these being the Yorkshire Television Studios in Kirkstall Road, Leeds.[23] Further exteriors scenes were shot in Armley, Beeston and Adel.[22] The training ground used by Derby County was the quarry football pitch which is nearby to the Elland Road Stadium.

The former Bradford Central Police Station on The Tyrls in Bradford city centre, was used for the interiors of the Elland Road board room, players' lounge and manager's office.[24][25][26][27] The building was demolished in 2015.[28]

During the week of 23 June, filming took place in Scarborough, in place of Brighton.[29] Interior scenes were filmed in the Victoria Sea View Hotel and the Esplanade Hotel.[22][29] Exteriors were filmed on the Queens Parade and at nearby Scalby Mills. Computer-generated imagery was added in post-production to make Scarborough look like Brighton. The Royal Hotel in Scarborough was also used.[25][30][31] Filming then moved on to Saddleworth before concluding in Majorca.[29]

The film earned a total of US$3,604,339 in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and in Canada and the US, it earned US$441,264; the worldwide box office take was US$4,045,603.[2]

The Damned United was acclaimed by film critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 121 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Better than your average football pic, Damned United is carried by another star turn from Michael Sheen as Brian Clough."[35] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[36]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half stars out of four, and praised Sheen for portraying "modern British icons so uncannily that he's all but disappeared into them".[37] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four stars out of five, calling it "fresh, intelligent... [and] terrifically involving", and also praised Sheen and Meaney's performances.[38] Empire's reviewer William Thomas awarded The Damned United three stars out of five. He praised the film for "capturing the emotional toil of football", although added that it "struggles to find its stride".[39]

Prior to its release, Clough's widow Barbara, already a critic of Peace's book, expressed disappointment that the film was being made at all.[40] The Clough family declined an invitation to a preview of the film, affirming their opposition to the entire project.[41] Clough's son Nigel said he did not intend to watch the film and that those in football who had seen it had told him it bore "no resemblance" to what actually happened.[42] Sony's decision to release the film six days after what would have been Clough's 74th birthday was also criticised.[43]

Producer Andy Harries responded to the Clough family's criticisms by stating that "The filmmakers' goal is to tell a wonderful and extraordinary story with universal themes of success, jealousy and betrayal". Harries added that without adding fictional elements the film would not have been as exciting to watch.[44] He also reassured Clough's family that the film would be a more sympathetic portrayal of Clough than in the book. Writer Peter Morgan claimed that he did not feel the film's accuracy was of major importance.[44]

Dave Mackay sued Left Bank Pictures over his portrayal in the film, angered at the implication that he had betrayed Clough in taking the Derby manager's job. Martin O'Neill, who played for Mackay at Nottingham Forest before his departure to manage Derby, suggested that the film falsely implied Dave Mackay was still a player at Derby County when becoming manager of the club, whilst also questioning the portrayal of the relationship between Clough and Peter Taylor, though he praised the performance of the actors, particularly that of Sheen.[45] In March 2010, Mackay won an apology and undisclosed damages from Left Bank Pictures.[46] Roy McFarland agreed with Mackay's decision to take legal action and said that he enjoyed Sheen's performance, but otherwise "did not particularly like the film".[47]

The publishers of the novel had already been successfully sued by Irish midfielder and former Leeds player Johnny Giles. He wrote: "Many of the things Peace talks about in the book never happened and, for that reason, I felt it necessary to go to the courts to establish that this was fiction based on fact and nothing more."[48][49]

BBC Sport journalist Pat Murphy, a personal friend of Clough, noted 17 factual inaccuracies in the film, including various errors regarding the timing of events. He particularly dismissed as "absolute nonsense" a scene where Clough stays in the Derby dressing room during a match against Leeds, too nervous to watch.[44][50][51]

In the film it is shown that three signings are made by Clough at once, those of Dave Mackay, John McGovern and John O’Hare. However, O'Hare was signed almost a year before Mackay, and McGovern and Mackay were signed on different days. Murphy also declared that the insinuation of Clough not wanting to debate with Revie about his tenure at Leeds United is completely inaccurate.[44]

Murphy was also angered by the portrayal of Clough's drinking and smoking. He insisted that throughout the 1970s Clough was a perfectly fit manager who often actively trained with players at training ground matches, and that the portrayal of him drinking and smoking heavily was a battle he faced approximately 10–20 years after he became manager of Nottingham Forest in 1975.[44]

In the film, Clough is seen preparing Derby's Baseball Ground stadium ahead of the 1968 FA Cup tie against Leeds United and Revie blanking him on the way into the ground. In fact, the tie was played at Elland Road, Leeds' home ground.[52] Brian Clough managed Brighton & Hove Albion for 32 games before he departed in July 1974.[53] The film insinuates that Clough took the Leeds job whilst on holiday in Majorca in 1974, having previously accepted the Brighton job on a handshake and taking the holiday, paid for by the club, before starting work, implying he never actually managed the team. Taylor and Clough are also seen to argue fiercely in Majorca over the Leeds' manager's job offer. There is no record of Clough arguing with Taylor over joining him at Leeds nor a lack of interest in Brighton.

The film says that Leeds lost 1–0 to Luton Town during Clough's reign; this game, played on 7 September 1974, in fact finished 1–1 with Barry Butlin equalising for Luton after Leeds took the lead through Allan Clarke.[54]

The film shows Clough standing outside an entrance to Derby County's Baseball Ground featuring the stylised ram emblem, in 1968; in reality, the latter was not designed until 1971.[55]

The film implies that Derby's 5–0 defeat to Leeds occurred in the 1969–70 season, soon after their promotion to the first division, with Gordon McQueen playing for Leeds United against in the match. In reality the 5–0 result occurred in October 1972,[56] the season after Derby won the 1972 first division championship and the fourth season since their promotion. It was McQueen's first year as a Leeds player; he had not been at the club in 1969.[57]

The film shows suspended Billy Bremner sitting next to Clough in the dug-out during a game. In reality, players/coaching staff are not allowed in the dug-out while on suspension.[58]

The film implies Clough re-united with Taylor straight after leaving Elland Road in Sep 1974. However, Taylor managed Brighton & Hove Albion by himself for the 1974/75 and 1975/76 seasons, with Clough joining Nottingham Forest in Jan 1975 where he managed by himself up to the end of 1975/76. Taylor then re-united with Clough professionally in July 1976 at Forest, with the pair winning promotion in 1976/77.