I think a film of this significance to Leeds deserves a thread of its own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYzsswqPk6s

Anyone know if Leeds locations feature much in it?

I've read the book, which I thought was pretty good. I think some of it is filmed at Elland Road, whilst other stadium scenes are at Saltergate in Chesterfield as it's more old fashioned. The book puts quite a lot of emphasis on Leeds as the modern 'motorway city' of the 70s, so maybe there'll be some shots of some of the motorways and some concrete monstrosities (assuming they can cut out all the new developments).

Peace's dark vision of Leeds in his Red Riding quartet was seldom seen until the success of The Damned Utd. Now we have two retrogressive portraits of Leeds in the national culture at the same time. Fantastic. And I've heard Peace 'hates Yorkshire' aswell.

Erm, did i mention I'm in one of the crowd scenes in this film?! Just in case anyone forgets. :)

It's a great book. I'm skeptical as to whether it'll work as a film. The trailer seems a bit too 'Britcom' for what is essentially a pretty dark and paranoid novel.

Dark and paranoid, paranoid and dark. Dirty, dirty, dirty Leeds

And, as I understand it, the Jonny Giles character has been removed from the film

You hate the Irishman, the Irishman hates you

As for Leeds, it probably won't paint a pretty picture. But then why should it? Leeds wasn't a nice place in the mid-70's, not if the work of David Peace is anything to go by. I doubt it will dwell on anything negative, though

And I thought the book was as much about Derby County as it was Leeds Utd. I'd say the Derby stuff is the more interesting of the two narratives

Now we have two retrogressive portraits of Leeds in the national culture at the same time.It's not easy getting hold of money for film/tv projects. I wonder where the funding came from? Not Leeds, that's for sure.

^^ Screen Yorkshire, based in Leeds, contributed to the funding for both The Damned United and the Red Riding films. Quite right too.

I thought the book was overated, I had trouble with it switching backwards and forwards. I know it was more of a novel using factual incidents and then baseing a drama around them, but I found the author putting his words into Brian Clough's mouth difficult. I hope the film differs from the book following normal film making and having the story following through and not messing about with the time frame.
Can anybody think of any great films or good films about football ?

If these films go down well, I wonder how long it'll be before we see his vision of the miners' strike - GB84 - up on screen?

Leeds wasn't that bad in the mid-70s was it?? Pedestrianisation of the retail core had just been implemented, and the old Trinity quarter and Bond Street centre had just been built (these places were quite nice originally, believe it or not), even though the economy was in ruins. It certainly had more going for it than Manchester or Birmingham.

I don't think it did really. No-one wanted to invest in Leeds then; I don't think people saw it in the same league as Manchester as Birmingham until the late 90s.

Leeds hadn't been pedestrianised in the 70s. Most roads were still open to cars for many years after that. Briggate wasn't closed to traffic until 1996 I think- and even then it wasn't paved.

Even in the 90s Leeds was grim I thought. It was dirty, shops had nothing on Manchester/Birmingham and even Sheffield at the time. Perhaps the market was better then, Granary Wharf and the Corn Exchange. But I suppose the growth of the VQ and slight decline of the market is in line with the increasing wealthy population in Leeds. GW should come back to life soon though.

1991:
http://www.leodis.net/imagesLeodis/screen/74/2005330_92773074.jpg

It's a great book. I'm skeptical as to whether it'll work as a film. The trailer seems a bit too 'Britcom' for what is essentially a pretty dark and paranoid novel.

Dark and paranoid, paranoid and dark. Dirty, dirty, dirty Leeds

And, as I understand it, the Jonny Giles character has been removed from the film

You hate the Irishman, the Irishman hates you

As for Leeds, it probably won't paint a pretty picture. But then why should it? Leeds wasn't a nice place in the mid-70's, not if the work of David Peace is anything to go by. I doubt it will dwell on anything negative, though

And I thought the book was as much about Derby County as it was Leeds Utd. I'd say the Derby stuff is the more interesting of the two narratives

As a lad in the 60s and 70s I thought that Leeds was an exciting place. No major English city was particularly pretty. Mind you, I'll take the new Leeds any day, notwithstanding the football team.

Anybody going to see the Bronson film ? it opens this week and is a biography about the nortorious long term prisoner Charles Bronson. Bronson as spent decades in prison for attacks on prison staff and roof top protests. I am not sure of the actors name who plays him, but he as been getting rave reviews for his performance.

^^ Saw the trailer for that, hoping to go see it, looks good. First i've heard of this Bronson geezer though. Was he originally from Yorkshire or something?

No, he's Welsh.

^^ Saw the trailer for that, hoping to go see it, looks good. First i've heard of this Bronson geezer though. Was he originally from Yorkshire or something?

No he is just banged up in Wakefield nick, spending all his life in solartary confinement.

In Dave Haslam's book on the '70s he describes Leeds as a 'hardnut city' where 'pissed up racists attacked students in bars'. However, my parents came to Leeds in the 1970s as students, were never attacked by pissed up racists, and decided to stay because they considered it to be a 'happening' and , whisper it, prosperous place.

With all the attention due to the Damned United, it has reminded me of something that has always really annoyed me.

It really annoys me that we (Leeds United) have this ‘dirty’ Leeds tag. I know in the 80s we had our problems in the stands (like many teams), but I’m talking about on the pitch. It was the way of football at the time and Leeds was singled out by a very biased and jealous anti-Leeds media. Unfortunately the name stuck. Even younger supporters, who were not around in the 70s say it.

The ‘dirty’ tag could have been used on several teams. Liverpool had Tommy Smith, Chelsea had "Chopper" Harris, Man United had Nobby Stiles, and Arsenal had Peter Storey. I have singled out 1 player from each side but these sides were littered with tough uncompromising players and in my opinion Leeds players were no different. During this era, the Leeds United squad was unique: 1) Four players who captained four of the British Isles and Irish teams - Cherry (England), Bremner (Scotland), Giles (Ireland) Yorath (Wales) - playing for them at the same time, and 2) 12 full internationals at one time in the squad of around 14-15 players. If Norman Hunter was so "dirty", why was he voted players player of the year?

The alleged use of the word "cheat" or "cheating" is a disgrace!! Of course the players were hurt by his insults. If Leeds won by cheating then what about all the cups and trophies won by a host of other clubs!! It’s ridiculous, especially when you consider the fact how many times Leeds were in fact cheated – in the last league games of 71 and 72, and the 73 and 75 finals in Europe when the Refs admitted bribery. One of the greatest football sides ever in Europe (look at the 7-0 v Southampton, 5-1 v Man Utd, 6-1 against Forest, 16-0 agg. against Lyn Oslo), Sir Don has gone down in many football loving eyes as a cheat (alleged in the Mirror at the time – legal action was taken and allegations were found to be made up and Leeds won) and as a bottler for walking out on England (although he was going to be sacked anyway), not as the great and innovative manager he was. He should be up there with Clough, Shankly, Busby and Ferguson, but he has been written out of history as damaged goods.

Between 1965 and 1975, Leeds won six trophies but finished runners-up in a staggering 11 competitions
1964-65 Second in league, FA Cup finalists
1965-66 Second in league
1966-67 Fairs Cup finalists
1967-68 League Cup winners, Fairs Cup winners
1968-69 League champions
1969-70 Second in league, FA Cup finalists
1970-71 Fairs Cup winners, second in league
1971-72 FA Cup winners, second in league
1972-73 FA Cup finalists, Cup Winners’ Cup finalists
1973-74 League champions
1974-75 European Cup finalists

In Dave Haslam's book on the '70s he describes Leeds as a 'hardnut city' where 'pissed up racists attacked students in bars'. However, my parents came to Leeds in the 1970s as students, were never attacked by pissed up racists, and decided to stay because they considered it to be a 'happening' and , whisper it, prosperous place.

Haslam has the so-typical insecure need to hype Manchester that nearly always manifests itself with attacks on other cities. All a bit sad really. Even Manchester isn't that bad.

Looks like The Damned United is getting a US release, complete with a suitably ill-informed trailer

In 1973 England's most beloved soccer manager was Don Revie...

DzM05TDid5o

It's also coming out in Australia, Spain, NZ, France, Portugal, Singapore and Belgium
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226271/releaseinfo

Dvaid Peace was giving a talk at Waterstones in Leeds yesterday, along with Kester Aspden and Andy Beckett, the Guardian journalist who wrote this about Leeds a couple of years back and has the cheek to try and flog a few books here. I really wanted to go down there and quote that line back at him, but I'm too busy right now. Darn.

For all the caution and solidity in Leeds' image of itself, it is a city with mock-Italian towers attached to Victorian mills, and a current retail and housing boom based on personal debt of almost Leeds United proportions.