The Damned UnitedDirected by Tom HooperColumbia Pictures, 2009, £19.99David Peace’s work has been a modern day staple of visual adaptations for the past year or so and the author is one of those writers whose books can often be found on the shelves of those who, as The Daily Telegraph might term it, “don’t read books”, an explorer of yoof issues to cast alongside Irvine Welsh, Howard Marks and Nicholas Blincoe. In truth, and without wishing to denigrate those authors, Peace’s ambition extends beyond this. His GB84 in particular is an exercise in wilful complexity, and the earlier Red Riding…
All posts tagged Derby
Plot strands coming together
As we have hinted at in our new series Championship Letters, the resemblance between a league season and a great work of literature is marked, and the form with which the easiest parallels can be drawn is the long, winding novel, full of unexpected developments and richly portrayed characters. Bearing this in mind, the events of Tuesday January 26 would appear to constitute the beginning of the home straight for most “readers” of the second tier – it was a day pregnant with significant happenings and telling results and one can begin to see the varying strands of a complicated…
Tonge’s no longer stoking the fire
Michael Tonge’s loan move from Stoke to Preston after Tony Pulis’s unsuccessful attempt to establish the languid midfielder as a Premier League player comes as little surprise; his spell at the Britannia Stadium having been as excitement packed as a Cabinet meeting to discuss the Lisbon treaty. Tonge is one of a special breed of players who look the part – and his formative years in some dramatic Sheffield United cup runs were impressive.Tonge falls into that category of players who have the talent but are outshone by the roundheads surrounding them. Even early on, the likes of Nick Montgomery,…
Messy Ferguson
Darren Ferguson’s inconceivable departure from London Road is a sad indictment of the times. Chief among those feeling sympathy for the departed Scot will be another son of famous heritage, Nigel Clough. “A talented Dad doth not a talented son make” will be the mantra and just as Ferguson Junior’s sterling work in shepherding Posh through the divisions will now be forgotten, so will those golden Burton Albion days be if young Nigel goes the same way soon.In truth, the cases are different. Derby have little excuse to be where they are. Unlike at Peterborough, money has sloshed around the…
Steve: @Lanterne Rouge
All the players were born on the island or have moved...
Lanterne Rouge: Fascinating post Chris. Reading this, I found my hostility to the proj...
Frank Heaven: LR – I think 'one club' counties besides Norfolk would include Heref...
Wimb: Ahhh Zico-Black! watched him play for Lancaster many times during my s...
