The fans packed into the terraces in Leicester Square last night to watch stars of the acting and football worlds turn out for the World Premiere of The Damned United. And with searchlights sweeping the crowds and the cast sadly skipping the kipper ties and flares in favour of sharp suits, the glitz of the red carpet was a long way from the gritty world of Seventies football.
Adapted from David Peace's novel, The Damned United tells the compelling tale of Brian Clough's ill-fated appointment as replacement for Leeds United legend Don Revie, and their acrid rivalry. One of England's most successful managers, Clough proved to be a man for all seasons except one: his 44 volatile days in charge of Leeds in 1974 were a disaster.
So is he the hero or villain or the film? Director Tom Hooper said he'd been drawn to the great man’s ambiguities... and eccentricities. “On his first day of training with his new Leeds side, he accused them all of being cheats - that’s either subversive or suicidal."
Clough is the latest in a line of British icons played by Michael Sheen, and Sheen stopped by to tell us about his boyhood idolisation of the managerial maverick. “I was obsessed with football and I recognised the star even at the age of six. This was a man who would come on the telly and speak in a way that made everyone either laugh or gasp in horror."
Along with his chameleon-like acting talents, Sheen joked that screenwriter Peter Morgan had given him the chance to show off the fancy footwork that once earned him a trial with Arsenal. “Finally he’s written a film about football so I can show off my footballing skills!” The two will soon pair up again for the third part of Morgan’s Tony Blair trilogy: “We’re going to be filming it in the summer, here in London and over in Washington.”
More than just a film about football,** The Damned United** is something of a love story between Clough and Timothy Spall’s loyal assistant Peter Taylor. “It’s a fantastic story about relationships,” the ever-affable Spall told us. “I may not be as good looking as Peter Taylor, but I hope I captured what he’s was trying to do with his life.”
The wonderful Jim Broadbent, who plays Clough’s Derby chairman Sam Longson, told us about his admiration for the manager. “I was a Nottingham Forest fan because of him – he was a great hero. You'd always want to watch him, even when he was mouthing off.” Think Jose Mourinho, without the humility.
Before the cast headed inside, there was one final question on everyone's lips: what would ‘Ole Big Head himself made of The Damned United? Sheen slipped in his best Clough accent to answer. “He’d demand to know why he wasn’t a trilogy. He’d probably say, ‘One film’s not enough for me, young man.’