Written by David Peace and adapted into a film starring Michael Sheen as Brian Clough.  It's a book very close to my heart, involving my football team and various sporting heroes.  

I think the book is superb but consider the film a badly-missed opportunity to make a modern day British sporting classic, along the lines of This Sporting Life and dark, 'working class' dramas made in the UK in the 50s and 60s.

David Peace, a brilliant author, also had his Red Riding Quartet adapted for Channel 4 TV in to a trilogy, and that was much much better than 'Carry On Clough' above

I'm not familiar with the book, but I've seen the film.
Enjoyed the film, but it didn't create a lasting impression on me.
It was well done, but never transcended into something super special.
I felt the cast was a bit better than the actual material.

Now, I thought the Red Riding Trilogy was spectacular.
Last I heard, Ridley Scott bought the remake rights to that property.

E.D.

blimey, I didn't know that.  The books are definitely open to more adaptation POV's as the voice of the Ripper is used in large parts of the quartet.

TDU book is much darker than the film, and though Sheen and Jim Broadbent are excellent, there are some poor performances too, and that includes Timothy Spall  

Quoted from One Northern Soul blimey, I didn't know that.  The books are definitely open to more adaptation POV's as the voice of the Ripper is used in large parts of the quartet. TDU book is much darker than the film, and though Sheen and Jim Broadbent are excellent, there are some poor performances too, and that includes Timothy Spall

Yeah Spall was rather out of sorts with the rest of the chaps.

I think Ridley intends to develop Red Riding as a producer.
The company he has with his brother, Scot Free, bought the remake option.
Thought Andrew Garfield was a stunner in that series.
I can see why he got The Social Network and Spiderman based on that performance.

E.D.

ONS I would echo your thoughts.

I saw the film without any expectations and was left disappointed.

I thought the set up was fine I wanted to know where this was going, but  then it ended and I thought, so what!

Sheen really impressed me. Having seen him in the Queen and Frost:Nixon I was stunned at his versatility.

I am always worried when I hear Hollywood are interested in British books/TV - I have horrible visions of it being relocated to US with Denzel in the lead! The Yorkshire Ripper will probably be replaced by the Zodiac killer.

Would say that sports movies are always difficult - be they about football, British or American versions, baseball or any other sport. You may have plenty of visual potential, but it is almost impossible to put across the things that make sports interesting to the fans and spectators.

Thing is with The Damned United, it was much more about a fascinating and unpredictable man (Clough) than about football.  The book is almost Shakespearean in style, the film is a Carry On imitation without the T & A gags

This was the Michael Sheen show. He owned the stage in the way Brian Clough had before him. This should've been a nominated performance. Old Big Ead would've expected nothing less. The greatest manager England never had. God, what I would give to have ol' Cloughie managing this current shower.

Never read the book, but the screenplay was an exhilarating read. It was brought to the screen with lots of energy and, in my opinion at least, with a lot of love for an incredibly charismatic man. When Sheen smashes in the volley on the training ground and barks about his goals record, I had to check to confirm it. Wow! The man was a machine with plenty knickers for his fur.