The Damned United is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel The Damned Utd – a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's ill-fated tenure as football manager of Leeds United in 1974.
Originally proposed by Stephen Frears, he pulled out of the project in November 2007, and Hooper took over. Filming took place from May to July 2008. Marking the fifth collaboration between screenwriter Peter Morgan and actor Michael Sheen, who plays Clough, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2009.
Despite controversy due to the film's numerous historical inaccuracies and its poor performance at the box office, The Damned United received critical acclaim upon release, with particular praise given for Sheen's performance. It received numerous award nominations including the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, the ALFS Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year, the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama and Best Actor in a Supporting Role and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Feature Film Screenplay.
Plot In 1974 Don Revie, the highly successful manager of Leeds United, is appointed manager of England. He is replaced at Leeds by Brian Clough, the former manager of Derby County and a fierce critic of Leeds because of their physical style of play under Revie. Clough's conflict with Leeds stems from a 1968 FA Cup match when they, the leaders of the First Division, played Derby, who were struggling near the bottom of the Second Division. Despite preparations Clough made to welcome and accommodate Leeds at the Baseball Ground, Revie did not even acknowledge him before, during or after the match, which Leeds won 2–0. Clough is not joined at Leeds by his long-time assistant manager, Peter Taylor.
Following the defeat by Leeds, Clough and Taylor recognise that despite their players' physicality, Derby are not good on a technical level. They sign Dave Mackay and several young players, initially concerning club chairman Sam Longson, but by the season's end Derby are promoted to the First Division. Despite losing their first league game 5–0 to Leeds, Derby go on to win their first League championship in 1972, earning them a European Cup campaign the following season. Against Longson's insistence to rest players ahead of their semi-final against Juventus, Clough plays his best squad in the preceding match against Leeds, purely out of determination to beat Revie. Several Derby players suffer injuries in the match and the team subsequently lose 3–1 to Juventus.
Taylor suffers a heart attack and Clough tries to secure their position at Derby by offering his and Taylor's resignations in protest at Longson's ownership of the club. Longson accepts the resignations and despite Derby fans calling for their reinstatement, Dave Mackay is appointed manager instead. Clough and Taylor then accept jobs at Brighton & Hove Albion, after which Clough is approached to become the new manager of Leeds. With Taylor wanting to stay in Brighton, believing they can achieve more success there than at Leeds, the two fall out and go their separate ways. At his first training session at Leeds, Clough alienates the players by accusing them of having only previously won by cheating and threatening punishments for anyone who mentions Revie's name.
The 1974–75 season begins with Leeds playing Liverpool in the widely anticipated Charity Shield match at Wembley. The event is marred when Leeds's Billy Bremner gets into a fight with Kevin Keegan that sees them both sent off; Leeds lose the match and Bremner is suspended for eleven games. Without their influential captain, Leeds suffer a horrendous start to the season and are in danger of relegation despite being defending title holders. Bremner and the Leeds players air their grievances with Clough to the club's board, who terminate his contract after just 44 days. Afterwards, Clough agrees to an exit interview with Yorkshire Television, but finds Revie there to confront him and the two engage in a bitter war of words. Clough subsequently drives to Brighton and reconciles with Taylor.
The film's epilogue reveals that Revie failed as England manager and spent the rest of his career working in the Middle East, where he was accused of financial mismanagement. Clough and Taylor, meanwhile, reunited at Nottingham Forest, where they repeated their achievements with Derby by helping Forest earn promotion to the First Division, then winning the title and two European Cups in succession.
Cast
Production Development 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.Kennedy, Maev (18 May 2007), "The Guardian profile: Stephen Frears", The Guardian, Guardian News and Media. Retrieved on 2 September 2008. 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. Morgan enjoyed it, stating, "It deals with themes I love: Alcoholism and self-destruction and psychotic male competitiveness and treachery."Charity, Tom (2 May 2007). "Peter Morgan Interview". LOVEFiLM. Retrieved on 24 April 2008. Development of the project continued through February 2007, when BBC Films executive producer Christine Langan, another producer of The Queen, became involved.Langan, Christine (25 February 2007), "My week: Christine Langan", The Observer, Guardian News and Media. Retrieved on 2 September 2008. 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.Staff (16 February 2007). "Queen director Clough film hopes", BBC News website (BBC News). Retrieved on 24 April 2008. When Frears suggested to Sheen that he play the part, Sheen "rolled his eyes and burst into a wonderful impersonation" of Clough.Solomons, Jason (11 November 2007). "Trailer Trash: Not Match of the Day", The Observer, Guardian News and Media. Retrieved on 24 April 2008. 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."
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. 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.Dawtrey, Adam (24 April 2008). "Sony scores 'Damned United'", Variety, Reed Business Information. Retrieved on 24 April 2008. 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". Before Meaney was cast, the younger Kenneth Branagh had been considered.Solomons, Jason (27 May 2007). "Trash Cannes: Ken revs up for Don", The Observer, Guardian News and Media. Retrieved on 29 April 2008. Non-league Garforth Town A.F.C. held auditions for non-speaking football players on 14 May.Robinson, Paul (8 May 2008). "Garforth Town to host player auditions for Leeds United film ", Garforth Today, Johnston Press. Retrieved on 10 May 2008. 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."Chance to Take Part in a New Film". Chesterfield F.C. website (16 May 2008). Retrieved on 17 May 2008.
Filming
Principal photography ran from 25 May to 2 July at locations in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Mallorca. Chesterfield F.C.'s Saltergate stood in for Wembley Stadium, the Baseball Ground, Carrow Road, and Bloomfield Road.Whiteley, Pete (5 June 2008), "There's No Business Like.........", Chesterfield F.C. website. Retrieved on 2 September 2008. Saltergate was chosen because it had not undergone any significant structural modifications since the 1970s,Ward, Nick (31 May 2008), "Saltergate..or the Baseball Ground?", Sheffield Star, Johnston Press. Retrieved on 2 September 2008. though some repainting work was done by the production team to differentiate the grounds from each other. The car park outside Elland Road was dressed to look like the Leeds training groundCalhoun, Dave (10 June 2008), "Set visit: 'The Damned United' ", Time Out, Time Out Group. Retrieved on 2 September 2008. (until the move to the training facilities at Thorp Arch in the early 1990s, Leeds United's training ground was indeed located 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.Robinson, Paul (30 December 2008). "Damned United: Release date set for Leeds United film", Yorkshire Evening Post, Johnston Press. Retrieved on 8 January 2009. 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.Taken from the DVD commentary of the film, The Damned United, Sony Pictures, 2009 Further exteriors scenes were shot in Armley, Beeston and Adel. 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. The building was demolished in 2015.
During the week of 23 June, filming took place in Scarborough, in place of Brighton. Interior scenes were filmed in the Victoria Sea View Hotel and the Esplanade Hotel. 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. Filming then moved on to Saddleworth before concluding in Mallorca.Beever, Kirsty (26 June 2008), "It's Spall over 'old big ed' – it is now ", Scarborough Evening News, Johnston Press. Retrieved on 2 September 2008.
Release The first television trailer premiered on Setanta Sports 1 on 23 January 2009 before the kick-off of the FA Cup fourth round tie between Derby County and Nottingham Forest.Sutcliffe, Rich (23 January 2009). "The Damned United promo to launch on Setanta tonight", mediaweek.co.uk, Haymarket Media. Retrieved on 23 January 2009. The distribution rights were originally pre-sold by Ealing Studios International to Optimum Releasing. Sony Pictures Entertainment made a higher offer to the production companies and would distribute the film worldwide. It was released in the UK on 27 March 2009."UK Film release schedule (March 2009) ", Film Distributors' Association. Retrieved on 15 January 2009. A gala screening of the film was held at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2009, the film went on a limited release in the United States on 9 October that year.
Box office 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.