Trivia / The Damned United

• Acclaimed Flop: Despite grossing only $4 million worldwide on a $6 million budget, the film was highly praised, with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Actor-Shared Background: Martin Compston plays Scottish footballer John O'Hare. He himself had played professionally in Scotland prior to getting into acting.
• Approval of God: While many of the real-life people slammed the film for inaccuracies, most of them praised Michael Sheen's performance.
• California Doubling: Scarborough, Yorkshire doubled for Brighton, helped by CGI to show the pier.
• Cast the Expert: The players without speaking parts were played by actual footballers, with the requirements for casting being that they had to have played in the Northern Counties East League, Northern Premiere League or higher.
• Creator-Chosen Casting: Stephen Frears wanted Michael Sheen as Brian Clough from the start.
• Dawson Casting: Colm Meaney was a full ten years older than Don Revie actually was at the time the film depicts, but this was deemed fine because, when viewing the archive footage of him and Brian Clough together, producer Christine Langan decided that the 47-year-old Don Revie "could pass for 60".
• Disowned Adaptation:
  • The Clough family themselves were not happy with the film, stating it was inaccurate.
  • Dave Mackay sued over his portrayal in the film, specifically the implication that he had betrayed Clough in taking the Derby manager job.
  • Roy McFarland likewise agreed with the lawsuit and said he "did not particularly like" the film.
• Fake Brit: Colm Meaney (Irish) as Middlesborough native Don Revie.
• Fake Scot: Scottish Leeds captain Billy Bremner is played by Scouser Stephen Graham.
• Real-Life Relative: Leeds' Eddie Gray is played by Gray's son Stuart, also a footballer.
• Separated-at-Birth Casting: Michael Sheen and Colm Meaney look uncannily like the real Brian Clough and Don Revie.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Stephen Frears was originally going to direct, and spent months in pre-production, but pulled out before the shooting dates; having too much trouble with the logistics. Tom Hooper replaced him.
  • Kenneth Branagh was in strong consideration to play Don Revie, as he was closer in age to the real man at the time the events take place.