I’m writing on a deadline today, unfortunately, and don’t have time to post at any length about this. But ITV has finally re-released the classic Calendar special from the night Brian Clough was fired as manager of Leeds United. This was the show that saw a swaggering, sucker-punched, tipsy-arrogant Clough face off against his rival and predecessor, the majestically rust-colored Don Revie. How they were maneuvered into the same studio on that night of all nights is a mystery that should probably be put down to the disembodied genius of the ’70s, but it makes for one of the most compelling half-hours in the history of football interviews. I’ll try to make time to say more about it soon—but ITV tends to keep this heavily under wraps while allowing it to emerge, for a few short hours, once every hundred years, like a mummy lord. So enjoy the serendipity of the Damned United cross-promotional window while you can.
And if anyone has a copy of the clip that’s escaped from the ITV catacombs, let me know.
UPDATE: And here it is! Thanks to Twohundredpercent for the discovery.
Read More: Damned United
by Brian Phillips · January 29, 2009
By the way, thanks to ursus arctos for letting me know this was back.
Also by the way, there’s a chance you’ll only be able to get this to work on Internet Explorer. The disembodied genius of the ’70s is now running the ITV website, apparently.
Just discovered via the ever excellent Two Hundred Percent that this is now up on YouTube (in three parts: 1, 2, 3.)
Just saw that myself, and have added the clips to the post. Many thanks for the tip!
I may be totally naive, but what struck me watching these is just how civil both Clough and Revie are to each other, despite the fact that what they’re actually saying is at times very harsh.
Brilliant.
I never get tired of watching this. The best part for me is the exchange at the end of part 2 that really reveals the true characters of both Revie and Clough:
Clough: “I want to win the league, but I wanted to win it better.”
Revie: “There’s no way you can do that.”
Clough’s impulsive, drawled response is so classically him: “Whaaayyyy not! It’s the only chance I’ve got!”
Similarly Revie’s clipped, factual retort: “We only lost four games” sums up his measured, cagey nature–the contrast between the two men, so stark normally, could not have been more apparent than at that precise moment.
What’s most hilarious though is watching Clough’s face listening to Revie–no one is supposed to be that cheeky without copping an epic beating, yet he gets away with it.