Comments on: ‘The Damned United’ is good fun, just don’t expect much of a story

By: ASN_Editor

ASN_Editor — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:15:19 +0000

Very interesting! I'll admit the movie did make me curious about Clough and his life. I'm going to check out his autobiographies at some point. I think he has two of them?

By: Laith

Laith — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:17:52 +0000

David Peace's style of writing in The Damned United is very much like that of his earlier "Red Riding" Trilogy which based a story losely around the Yorkshire Ripper and Stefan Kiszcko cases. He takes a subject matter in this case Clough's 44 days at Leeds and serves up his interpretation of events in the first person. Many of the quotes and events in The Damned United are wholly true. The incredibly uncomfortable interview by Austen Mitchell, with him and Don Revie on the night of his sacking on Yorkshire TV can be viewed on YouTube almost word for word. Make no mistake Clough was a flawed yet brilliant genius yet was nothing without Peter Taylor's calming influence. The book itself is much darker and to be recommended. For further reference see the book "Provided You don't kiss me" by Duncan Hamilton. Overrall an enjoyable bio of a man whose incredible achievement of winning two European Cups with a small provincial side, Nottingham Forest were driven by his failure to better Don Revie's achievements at Leeds.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:06:51 +0000

Good review – facts be darned! I think its worth comparing the NASL Cosmos to the EPL of the 70´s, although most people have forgotten the glorious NASL heyday before pele hung up his boots.

By: Chapka

Chapka — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:45:20 +0000

Sorry, that got cut off. Meant to say: in 1974, Hank Aaron was the highest paid player in baseball; his salary was $200,000 a year. This year, the MLB minimum salary is $400,000 a year. We've come just as far since the 1970s; we just don't romanticize it as much.

By: ASN_Editor

ASN_Editor — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:47:29 +0000

Fine but by the late 70s we must have had millionaires (including endorsements. Think of Jim Palmer and the jockey commercials or OJ Simpson and the Hertz ads)?

By: Chapka

Chapka — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:19:06 +0000

"Our professional athletes were millionaires with TV commercials and traveling entourages by 1974"

Actually, no. The Reserve Clause in baseball kept salaries relatively low until it was dropped in 1975, and other sports generally followed suit. In 1974, Hank Aaron was the highest paid player in baseball; his salary was $200,000 a year. This year, the MLB minimum salary is $400,000 a year. We've come just as far since the 1970s; we just don't romanticize it as much.

By: Tweets that mention American Soccer News » Op-Ed » ‘The Damned United’ is good fun, just don’t expect much of a story -- Topsy.com

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:16:20 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by soccersource. soccersource said: Our review of 'The Damned United', which opens in US cinemas today http://american-soccer-news.com/?p=3242 [...]

By: 3nil.co.uk

3nil.co.uk — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:11:06 +0000

American Soccer News » Op-Ed » ‘The Damned United’ is good fun, just don’t expect much of a story…

Tom Hopper’s The Damned United is a fun British sports drama based on David Pearce’s novel of the same name. Starring Michael Sheen as Clough, the film opens in select U.S. theaters today (it already ran in the U.K. and Ireland). It tells the story of …