The Damned United

One - nil

Coming in, number two

This is what's wrong with the play.

Bye-bye, Hunter.

Bremner

So it's sheer bedlam.

Oh, dear.

And now what?

More trouble off the ball.

This match has been riddled

with free kicks...

... from the start.

Leeds have got

what they deserved.

They've taken the F.A Cup

for the first time.

Domarski coming up square,

number 10.

And it's there. And England

are out of the World Cup.

The end of an era, Sir Alf Ramsey.

What sort of manager

is the F.A now looking for?

I presume a new-- A young--

With perhaps new ideas

and a track-suited manager.

Thank you.

I'm just gonna make

a brief statement.

Yesterday afternoon at 3:00...

...I accepted

the F.A's offer to become...

...the next manager

of the England national football team.

Now, obviously, this involves me

leaving Leeds United...

...after 13 happy

and successful years...

...which makes me very sad.

I'd like to think

I built the club into a family.

Now, there must be sadness

when anyone leaves a family.

However...

...when one man leaves,

another steps into his place.

I know who I think

that person should be...

...the man to replace me.

And I have made my feelings clear

to the board of directors.

Thank you. No further comments.

-Someone from the team?

-Billy Bremner?

Is it someone

from Leeds' team, Mr. Revie?

-Give us a name, Mr. Revie.

-Giles?

-Is it Johnny Giles?

-Is it Johnny Giles?

Can you give us a name, Mr. Revie?

Can you give us a name?

-When are we there?

-Any moment now. On the right.

-There it is!

-It's there, Dad!

Where are you going?

-Brian!

-Brian!

Stop!

-Dad?

-You missed it.

There's something else to do first.

It won't take long.

We welcome Brian Clough who starts

his job as manager of Leeds United...

...taking over from Don Revie...

...the most successful manager

in club history...

-...under whom Leeds won everything.

-Not quite everything.

Not won the European Cup.

But pretty much everything else.

-Daunted?

-Daunted? Not at all, Austin.

Looking forward to it.

The biggest challenge of your life...

...and you'll be without Peter Taylor

for the first time...

-...a lifelong professional colleague.

-Yes, Pete's at Brighton now.

He had the opportunity

to come with me.

But Brighton was his choice,

Leeds was mine.

A surprising choice,

some might say...

...because you've been very vocal...

...in your criticism of them

over the years.

I have.

You've accused the players

of dirty tactics...

...cheating, dissent, foul play.

You've called Norman Hunter

Norman "Bites Yer Legs" Hunter.

Peter Lorimer falls

when no one touches him.

-And I was right.

-But I'm curious.

Why do you now show such alacrity

to joining them...

...after such vituperative criticism

of them for so long?

Goodness. It will take me half an hour

to explain all those words for a start.

Football is a beautiful game, Austin.

It needs to be played beautifully.

I think Leeds

have sold themselves short.

They've been champions,

but they've not been good champions.

In the sense of wearing the crown well.

They've not been loved.

But then, you know,

that's hardly surprising given...

...the type of operation

that's been in place there.

"That type of operation"? I presume

you're referring to Don Revie...

... who has long been regarded

as a father figure in Leeds.

Now you're coming in

as the outsider...

... the enemy, even, after all the things

you've said in public.

Coming in and taking over

as a stepfather.

Wouldn't you expect some degree

of resentment to this?

I would accept...

...and expect a strangeness...

...initially.

Perfectly normal.

But it won't be long before they realise

I'm a fair man...

...a kind man.

I'm a warm man.

And maybe under me...

...they can experience what it's like

to be in a happy family after all.

But how can you be sure

they weren't happy with Don all along?

Well, they wouldn't have played

football that way if they were happy.

-Brian!

-Brian!

-Brian!

-Brian!

Hey, get out of the way!

Now, out you go, lads.

Where have you been? The directors

been waiting for over an hour.

Brian, what's it like to be at Leeds?

It's a pleasure to be here...

...and I'm looking forward

to a very good...

...long-lasting relationship

with Leeds United.

There you go, young man.

Thanks very much.

Will Peter Taylor be joining you

at Leeds, Mr. Clough?

Wait there a second.

-Wait here a minute.

-Morning, lads.

Lovely Yorkshire weather.

It makes me wanna jump on a plane

right back to Majorca.

Thank you very much.

There are very important people

waiting.

Can't keep them waiting.

Not much of a welcome, is it?

-Not a smile from Johnny Giles.

-You're five days late.

And did you really have to say that

about Majorca?

He was Revie's first choice

to get your job.

-Who? Johnny Giles?

-Aye.

Was he now?

And Bremner?

Club captain.

Don's son and heir.

You'll never get any love out of him.

-Great.

-Come on, boys.

Here's to happy f***ing families.

It should be just round here.

I want you two to behave for

your elderly Uncle Jimmy, all right?

-See you.

-Come in, Brian.

Sit down there, lads.

What?

No one gonna offer me a drink?

Like an undertaker's in here.

Why did you do it?

Do what?

The interview

for Yorkshire Television.

We've had a phone call.

Not so much a phone call,

more a bloody tirade.

From Don.

He quoted

some of the things you said.

" How unhappy the players were

under him."

"What bad Champions."

-Looking for the response.

-Bloody got one as well.

-He's gone berserk.

-He had it coming.

He shouldn't have done that piece

in the Mirror about me.

Saying he thought

I was a daft choice.

-Well, he's entitled to his opinions.

-I'm entitled to mine.

And I'm entitled to mine.

I hired you to do this job...

...because you're the best

young manager in this country.

Thank you. I'm the best old one too.

I also did it...

...under the assumption...

...that you would be coming here

wanting the best for this club.

For the city of Leeds.

So why do I get the feeling

this is all about you and Don?

Of course it's just about me and Don.

Always has been.

But instead of putting frowns

on your foreheads...

...you elders of Leeds in your blazers

and your brass-f***ing-buttons...

...it should put big white Colgate

smiles on your big white faces.

Because it means

I won't eat, and won't sleep...

...until I've taken whatever

that man's achieved, and beaten it.

Beaten it so I never have to hear

the name Don-f***ing-Revie again.

Beat it.

The only name anyone sings

in the Yorkshire ale houses...

...raising their stinking jars

to their stinking mouths...

...is Brian Clough.

Brian Clough uber-f***ing-alles.

Understand?

Number 25.

Manchester United--

Number 41.

--will play Tottenham Hotspur.

-Number 22.

-Come on, Pete.

-Derby County--

-Derby County, second division.

Here we go, that's us.

--will play...

-...number 6, Leeds United.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes