The Damned Utd by David Peace (easy readers txt) 📕

beaten Leeds since that Easter when Revie fielded his reserves; but these were not his reserves today –

Today you have beaten Leeds United. Beaten Don Revie –

Today you go top; top of the First Division:

‘Brilliant, indefatigable and utterly ruthless; Brian Clough and Derby County did not so much beat Revie and Leeds at the Baseball Ground as massacre them …’

You have beaten Leeds. You are top of the table. You resign –

You, Peter and Jimmy. The three of you resign –

‘For want of a bit more money –’

* * *

‘Now you let me do the talking,’ says Sam Bolton when we meet. ‘You’re here to listen.’

Bremner of Leeds and Keegan of Liverpool don’t even get to listen. They are made to wait outside the FA, so it’s Brian Clough and Sam Bolton vs Bob Paisley and John Smith in front of Vernon Stokes, Harold Thompson and Ted Croker of the FA, here at Lancaster Gate, in the Corridors of Power, with the portraits on the walls:

Her Majesty the Queen and HRH the Duke of Kent; the patron of the Football Association and the President of the Football Association –

Power and money; money and power –

The Honorary Vice-Presidents; the Life Vice-Presidents; the plain old Vice-Presidents; the letters after their names, the titles before them; the Dukes, the Earls, the Air Marshals, the Generals, the Admirals, the Field-Marshals, the Majors and the Aldermen; the Right Honourable this and the Right Honourable that –

These are the men who run the game, who control English football –

These men with their money; these men with their power –

The money to appoint people. The power to sack people –

The money to select people. The power to drop them –

To fine and suspend them –

‘You’re here to listen.’

‘Both clubs agree that the conduct of certain players in the match was deplorable and cannot be tolerated. Both realize that the good name of their club is involved, quite apart from the image of the game. The FA understands that both clubs are taking strong disciplinary action against the players concerned and the two who were sent off will also be dealt with by the FA in accordance with the agreed procedure. They will also face an FA disciplinary commission on charges of bringing the game into disrepute.’

‘You’re here to listen.’

‘Our disciplinary work is costing us £30,000 a year, over and above the cost of maintaining a disciplinary department. We have better ways of spending this money.’

‘You’re here to listen.’

‘We have to show that we will take disciplinary action against misdemeanours on and off the pitch; everyone agrees this has to be done.’

‘You’re here to listen.’

‘I am not pessimistic about the future of football. We showed a slight improvement in the number of disciplinary cases last season but we have to increase that rate of improvement. No one is expecting no fouls to be committed on a football field. What we are trying to get rid of is dissent, and we want an acceptance of disciplines.’

‘You’re here to listen.’

‘Leeds’s disciplinary record was so much better last season than in the year before that they have obviously made a considerable effort to put their house in order.’

I stop listening. I start telling them, ‘Eighty-four players will miss the opening-day fixtures due to suspensions from last season. Players like Stan Bowles and Mike Summerbee. Players like Norman Hunter and Allan Clarke.’

‘I told you to listen,’ says Bolton after the meeting. ‘Told you to keep it bloody shut for once.’

‘Let me give you some friendly advice, Mr Bolton,’ I tell him. ‘Never tell me what to do and then I’ll never have to tell you what to do. Now take me back to Leeds.’

* * *

On 11 April 1972 your resignations are accepted by the Derby County board.

You’ve lost to Newcastle and drawn with West Brom. You held dressing- room inquisitions. Then you went to Sheffield and beat United 4–0 away –

You are still top. But you’re still gone –

You, Pete and Jimmy. To Coventry.

Except Coventry City are getting cold feet now; their chairman has had the champagne on ice too long and the warmer his champagne gets, the colder his feet.

Three hours after your resignations are accepted, you and Pete drive out to Sam Longson’s pile. You bring one of your tame directors with you.

‘Do you really want to be remembered as the chairman who lost the best team in football management?’ you ask Sam Longson. ‘When Derby County were top of the league? The Championship within touching distance? Derby’s first ever Championship. European glory on the horizon? Is that how you want to be remembered? As the chairman who gave it all away? Is that what you want, Mr Chairman?’

‘For want of a bit more money,’ adds Pete.

Sam Longson shakes his head. Sam Longson asks, ‘But it’s too late, isn’t it? You’ve already signed with Coventry, haven’t you?’

You put your arm around Sam and tell him, ‘It’s never too late, Mr Chairman.’

‘For want of a bit more money,’ adds Pete again.

‘I told them they couldn’t bloody have you,’ says Longson. ‘I told them hands off. But Coventry told me you wanted away from Derby –’

‘No, no, no,’ you tell him. ‘Home is where this heart is; right here beside you.’

‘They’ll tell Coventry City to go to hell,’ says your tame director –

‘For want of a bit more money,’ says Pete for the third time.

Longson dries his eyes, blows his nose and asks, ‘How much will it take?’

‘All we’re asking,’ you tell him, ‘is for you to match their offer.’

Longson takes out his cheque book and asks, ‘Which is?’

‘An extra five grand for me, three for Pete and one for Jimmy,’ you tell him.

Longson nods