The Damned Utd (12 page)

On sixty-eight minutes, Hector turns again, leaving Strong behind again, and
passes to the overlapping Durban, who sends a low ball across the goalmouth
that O’Hare back-heels into the net. But up goes the
linesman’s
flag, followed
by 40,000 cries of injustice, but not from your team, not from your boys
–

Your boys just get on with it and, one minute later, Hector is through again
and on for a hat-trick but, with only Lawrence to beat, he rolls it to O’Hare,
who puts it into an empty net
.

‘I will win!’

‘
It is no disgrace to be beaten by Derby,’ says Shankly. ‘When they play
well, they’ll beat anybody
.’

You will beat Liverpool again at Anfield in February, but there’s only one
game on your mind, only one voice in your head from now to then
–

The return of Leeds United and Don Revie
.

* * *

‘Any discipline that might be taken will be taken in private.’

‘So you
are
saying there will be
some
disciplinary action against Bremner?’

‘I’m not saying yes, I’m not saying no,’ I tell them. ‘I’m simply saying that anything that might be done will be done in private.’

‘But, but, but …’ they stammer, stammer, stammer –

I already know their faces, already know their names and their papers; what time they have to have their copy in by and what time their presses roll; what they like to drink, when they like to drink it and how much they like to drink of it. And they already know just what to ask me and what not; what to write and what not; because I practically write their sodding copy for them; do their bleeding jobs for them –

And they bloody love me for it. Fucking love me
–

Every time I open my mouth.

* * *

These should still be the happiest days, weeks and months of your life, but
behind the scenes, upstairs and down, there is always doubt, always fear and
always trouble
–

Always trouble, round every corner, down every corridor
.

In November 1969 the club secretary resigns, unable to cope with the
demands of the First Division, unable to cope with the demands of the chairman
and the board, the manager and the assistant manager
.

The manager and the assistant manager
–

Mistakes have been made. Books not balanced. Contracts not signed
–

On promotion to the First Division, you and Peter were offered new contracts,
new contracts that included no incentive clauses, new contracts that
remain unsigned
–

You have taken Derby County to the First Division
–

You have been named as Manager of the Month
–

‘
But I am still interested in any job going,’ you tell the press, and the press
know there is a vacancy at Barcelona. The press know Barcelona are interested
in you. The press put two and two together. The press write another headline
:

Clough and Taylor in Barcelona talks.

You confirm nothing. You deny nothing
.

Coventry City are interested in you. Birmingham City are interested in you
–

‘
We want a dynamic young manager,’ says the Birmingham chairman. ‘And
Brian Clough obviously comes into that category
.’

Birmingham offer you three times your Derby salary. Peter has already packed
his bags and bought his ticket to Birmingham. Or Coventry. Or Barcelona
–

But there is always doubt. There is always fear. Always Uncle Sam
–

Sam Longson reads the headlines. Sam Longson shits his pants. Sam
Longson locks you and Peter in the boardroom
–

Sam Longson promises you whatever you want
–

You and Peter sign the new contracts. Different contracts
.

‘
The understanding, kindness, honesty and trust you have shown Peter and
I since we came to Derby makes it impossible for us to leave the club,’ you tell
Uncle Sam. ‘And I am looking forward to many years of good relationship and
success (not forgetting the hard work) with you
.’

Uncle Sam pulls you closer. Tighter. His wings around you
–

‘
I will do anything necessary to keep you here,’ he tells the son he never had
.

‘
Then get bloody rid of that board; Bradley,
Payne
, Turner and Bob
Kirkland. Those men are against us, against our ways, stood in our way
.’

Uncle Sam nods his head. Uncle Sam stuffs banknotes into your pockets
–

The board give you a new contract. The board give you a pay rise (and about
bloody time too). Not Peter. But Peter doesn’t know that. Doesn’t know that
you now get an annual salary of
£15,000
; double that of the Archbishop of
Canterbury
–

‘
I can only say that the Derby ground is full, but the churches are empty
.’

* * *

Under the stand, through the doors. I’m walking round that bloody corner again, down that fucking corridor again, towards Syd Owen and Maurice Lindley. They walk past me without a word. Then Syd says behind my back. Under his breath. Behind his hand. Through gritted teeth, Syd says something that sounds like, ‘
So long as they were
kept, the daughters of the house would have no suitors for their hands
… ‘

I stop. I turn round. ‘Pardon?’

‘Your phone is ringing.’

‘What? When?’

‘Just now,’ Syd says. ‘Just as we were walking past the office. Maurice was all for nipping in and answering it for you, and he would have as well, but I told him that you told us not to, didn’t you?’

‘Still might be ringing though,’ says Maurice Lindley. ‘If you hurry, you might just catch it.’

Round the corner, down the corridor, I walk towards the office. I can hear the phone still ringing. Ringing and ringing and ringing. I get out my keys. I unlock the door. I get to the desk –

I pick up the phone –

The line is dead.

* * *

You can’t sleep a wink. You have been waiting for this day since 25 October last
year. You’ve been waiting for this fixture all season
–

Easter Monday; 30 March 1970; Derby County vs Leeds United
.

You have not lost since QPR in February. Not since you signed Terry
Hennessey from Nottingham Forest for
£100,000
. You are right up there now,
a top-five finish on the cards. Fairs Cup place. You are doing well
–

But not as well as Leeds United. Not as well as Don Revie, OBE
–

Leeds United are second in the league, in the semi-finals of the European
Cup against Celtic, in the FA Cup final against Chelsea and on the verge of
an unprecedented treble
–

Leeds, Leeds, Leeds; marching on together:

David Harvey,
Nigel
Davey
, Paul Peterson, Jimmy
Lumsden
, David
Kennedy, Terry Yorath, Chris
Galvin
, Mick Bates, Rod
Belfitt
, Terry
Hibbitt
,
Albert
Johanneson
–

It is their reserve side and the 41,000 fans jeer as the Leeds team is
announced; the Baseball Ground has been cheated and they want their money
back, and you’d bloody well give it to them if only you fucking could
–

You are seething, fuming and looking for Revie. You find him in a huddle
with Les Cocker, Lindley and Owen and you let him have it, both barrels
:

‘
Listen to that fucking crowd,’ you tell him. ‘They came here to see the
League Champions. Paid their hard-earned brass to see the fucking
Champions. Not Leeds United fucking reserves. You’ve cheated these folk. The
people of Derby. My team
.’

‘
Take it up with the FA,’ says Revie. ‘Day after bloody tomorrow, we play
Celtic in the semi-final of the European Cup and if you were in my shoes
you’d do the same
.’

‘
Never,’ you tell him. ‘Never
.’

You field your strongest side. You easily beat them 4–1, but the crowd continues
to jeer for the full ninety minutes. They even slow
-
hand-
clap your Derby
–

And you don’t bloody blame them. You can’t and you won’t
.

The FA will fine Leeds and Revie £5,000 for this, for failing to field their
strongest side, and your hate will be as crisp and complete as Leeds
United’s
season will be barren and bare, finishing second to Everton, losing to Celtic in
the semi-finals of the European Cup and to Chelsea in an FA Cup final
replay
–

‘
But if you were me,’ says Revie in the tunnel, ‘you’d have done the same
.’

You ignore his hand and tell him, promise him, ‘I’ll never be you, Don
.’

Two months later, Revie is named Manager of the Year
–

For the second successive season
.

* * *

The door is locked and the chair against it; a cig in my mouth and the phone in my hand:

‘Mr Nicholson?’ I ask. ‘Brian Clough here.’

‘Afternoon, Mr Clough,’ says Bill Nicholson. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘Well, it’s about John Giles –’

‘What about him?’

‘Well, about him coming to you –’

‘I hope you’re joking with me? After Saturday?’

‘Saturday?’

‘I was at Wembley, Mr Clough. Giles was worse than Bremner. Ten times worse. He should never have stayed on that pitch.’

‘That’s your final word, is it?’

‘You can take it as that, aye.’

I hang up. I get out my address book. I pick up the phone –

‘Brian Clough here,’ I tell Huddersfield. ‘Can I speak to Bobby Collins please?’

* * *

There is always doubt, always fear, and always trouble
–

Round every corner. Down every corridor. Behind every door. In every drawer
.

Four days after you beat Leeds United reserves, four days after that win
guarantees you a place in the Fairs Cup, a place in Europe, the joint League
and FA commission into the bookkeeping at Derby County makes its report;
the Derby County books have been inspected by the joint League and FA
commission because there have been administrative blunders. Big bloody blunders.
Huge fucking blunders
–

Tickets oversold. Books unbalanced. Contracts unsigned. Illegal payments
made
.

The joint League and FA commission find Derby County guilty of eight
charges of gross negligence in the administration of the club; of failing to lodge
the contracts of three players with the League; of varying the contracted payments
to players during the season; of paying £2,000 to Dave Mackay
Limited for programme articles; and of paying lodging allowances to your
apprentices instead of their landladies
–

Every technicality. Every little thing
–

‘
The offences enumerated in the charges were admitted by the representatives
of the club. The commission, therefore, finds the club guilty of the offences with
which they have been charged and, as a result of the investigation of the
charges, the commission has reached the conclusion that there has been gross
negligence in the administration of the club, for which the members of the board
must accept some responsibility. Taking the offences as a whole, the commission
has imposed a fine of £10,000 and has further decided that the club be prohibited
from playing in European competition during the season 1970/
71
and also
from playing any friendly matches against a club under the jurisdiction of any
other National Association prior to April 30, 1971
.’

The FA and the League have thrown the book at you – with a vengeance
– and have imposed the heaviest penalties in the history of English football: a
£10,000 fine and a one-year ban from European football and the loss of
£100,000
in European revenue
–

‘
A terrible injustice,’ says the Mayor of Derby
.

But this is personal, you know it is; because of the things you’ve written
–

Because of the things you’ve said, in the papers and on the telly
:

‘
Trouble has blown up because I’ve been so open in my criticism of Alan
Hardaker
, the League Secretary. It seems you cannot say that he has too much
power
.’

But every cloud has its silver lining and this is just the ammunition
Longson needs
:

‘
For some time now,’ Sam Longson tells the local press and the national
press, ‘I have not agreed with the policy and approach of some of the directors.
In fact, I asked the chairman to resign last November and told him we wanted
a stronger man. He talks of a united board, but the truth of the matter is
that three of them, Mr Paine, Mr Turner and Mr Kirkland, have not spoken to
me for about six months
.’

Longson asks for the resignations of Paine, Turner and Kirkland
–

Payne
, Turner and Kirkland ask for the resignations of Longson, Peter and
you
–

You phone Birmingham City. Birmingham City rub their hands
–

The very first Keep Clough at Derby campaign begins
–

There can only be one winner
–

Harry Paine resigns. Ken Turner resigns. Bob Kirkland resigns
:

‘
When I became a director of Derby County Football Club,’ writes Bob
Kirkland, ‘I assumed certain responsibilities. To discharge these responsibilities,
it is necessary to be kept informed of all major decisions within the club. I regret
to say that I feel that I have not been kept informed and particularly with
regard to the matters which gave rise to the recent inquiry by the Football
Association and the Football League. I must make it quite clear that these matters
only came to my knowledge at the conclusion of the investigation. I felt it
my duty to remain on the board so as not to prejudice the result of the inquiry,
but in view of the deep divisions on the board which have now been revealed,
I feel that I must now tender my immediate resignation as a director
.’