The Damned United

Not long now until the film adaptation of David Peace's Brian Clough book The Damned United hits the cinemas.

I've read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it, mainly because as a Forest fan it's funny to see someone laying into Dirty Leeds and reading how Derby basically p***ed all over their chips.

But, it's very hard to read the book and remember that it is a complete work of fiction.

I don't know whether that's down to the excellent writing, down to earth, gritty, real, or the human brain's insistence on filling in knowledge gaps wherever possible.

Johnny Giles has already taken legal action over the book;

David Peace has taken a 44-day period, and put in real names and conversations between me and Clough that never happened. In the book I am plotting against Clough, which never happened.

leading to passages being removed from the second edition (more here).

I'll probably go see the film, if only to remember that Forest's illustrious history I'm so rightfully proud of could quite easily have belonged to Leeds or Derby.

But I'll have to keep pinching myself while it's on.