The Damned United

I have seen a lot of discussion on the Forest fora about a film being made of the book "The Damned United." I haven't read the book yet, but I have ordered it and it is on my "to read asap" list. I have read many comments and reviews, though, nearly all saying it is a fantastic read. In the book, writer David Peace uses the setting of Brian Clough's early years, specifically his time at Leeds Utd, as a backdrop for a tale of corruption, drink and paranoia. Now of course the rumours of bung payments and drink are still in the headlines today. As for paranoia, well, that often comes with drink abuse, so it isn't even unreasonable to assume that Brian Clough may have suffered from a light form of paranoia. These darker sides of a personality are the things that make a character interesting. The squeeky clean Glenn Hoddle is not likely to ever have a book written about him, but a film about Paul Gascoigne is not at all unthinkable. Peace does not represent his fictional version of Brian Clough as a very pleasant person and some fans seem to have a problem with that.

While I can see that it is hard to see one of your heroes (and Brian "God" Clough is exactly that to generations of Forest - and, for that matter, Derby - fans) described as a paranoid, corrupted drunk, it must be kept in mind that this is a work of fiction, which uses a real setting and a number of real people to hang up a story. This is not new. A great many works of fiction use real characters and happenings to build a story. And we can be assured that not all those real characters come out smelling of daisies. (The same works the other way round. Think of the outrage when Bruno Ganz portrayed Adolf Hitler as an actual human being in Der Untergang...) The book is not meant to be a biography of Sir Brian, so we shouldn't be upset when the picture painted by Peace is not exactly the same as how we have all known Cloughie. Of course there was a lot more humour to the man than comes out of the book. Of course he was never as bad and one-dimensional a person as his fictional counterpart apparently is ("apparently" as, again, I have not read it yet, so I am going by what I have read about it), but that's why it's called a fiction. This characterisation is probably needed to make the book work. And let's be honest. Brian Clough could be a right pain in the buttocks when he wanted to and he was first to admit that and even used that side of his character as almost a marketing tool. Don't we all lovingly call him "Ol' Big 'Ead?" Having a big head isn't usually likely to generate love, admiration and devotion the likes of which were bestowed upon Cloughie. But he used those traits to his advantage. I am sure that, with the humour and mischief that was in him, he would have thought this was all a good laugh.

This is why I have to admit to being slightly puzzled by the reaction of Brian's family, who are, if what I have read is correct, not at all happy with the way the book portays our great former manager. Brian's family and fans should realise at all time that this is a fiction. It is not as Mr Peace is "out to get" Brian Clough through his book. People, mostly Forest and Derby fans, have commented that Brian Clough didn't have any opportunity to react to the book, which is seen as tarnishing his great reputation, but then that goes for thousands of people. Clough has become almost public property, every bit as likely to pop up in a novel or film as Winston Churchill, of whom we have seen all sorts of portrayal, from flattering to downright demonising. We have a saying in Dutch that says, litterally, "high trees catch a lot of wind." I am not sure if this is an English expression as well but its meaning is pretty obvious. The bigger your status, the more likely people are to have an opinion about you, talk about you, write about you. Brian Clough is a legend, so him being in a book or film was bound to happen sooner or later. This book or film cannot, can never tarnish the reputation of this great, great man, nor was it intended to. Brian Clough's achievements have generated a love from millions of people that can and will never fade. No book, no film can ever change the way we think of him at the City Ground or at Pride Park. Or in Deurne, Belgium. Or anywhere around the globe.

So let's just watch the film or read the book and remember what it is. A work of fiction, featuring a fictional representation of the greatest manager ever to work in England, our hero, our God. I think as Forest fans, we should all read the book and watch the film, even if it's about the Leeds period. The memory of late Sir Brian Clough has become very much like the statues that have been erected in his honour. When a bird has the audacity to drop anything on Sir Brian, it is swiftly washed off and Brian restored to his former, shining glory.

Be good.