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Finding Jack Charlton

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    Finding Jack Charlton

    Just after finishing on Virgin Media here in Ireland - a mixture of tragedy, as the impact of heading sodden leather balls and their contribution to Big Jack's dementia is laid bare, but also celebration, as the highlights of his tenure with the Republic are replayed. It'll be shown on BBC Two tomorrow night, directly after University Challenge, and it really is an unmissable 105 minutes of documentary.

    #2
    It was wonderful. Difficult to watch him suffering, but constant reminders of what a wonderful human being he was.
    Paul McGrath's contributions were equally as poignant, and it was noticeable that McGrath was the only person he was still able to instantly recognise.

    There was also a bit of unexpected full frontal Big Jack nudity from his Middlesbrough days.

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      #3
      It was considered de rigeur. The bit where Charlton was watching the video and said 'Paul McGrath' with that look in his eyes nearly broke me.

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        #4
        I'd like to have seen/heard a bit more from his playing days, but a very fine and touching doc indeed.

        Yes, he obviously cared very much for Paul McGrath - whose own story is worthy of a documentary. The final scene with Jack singing to his own rendition of The Blaydon Races is moving beyond words: mere fragments of a life well-spent finding their way to the surface.

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          #5
          Many thanks for making me aware of this DR, It's left me in bits in the best possible manner.
          What a man, what a life.

          I saw this video in the days that followed his passing, it's of Jack Charlton visiting Steve Strange's blitz club. It's two worlds colliding in the loveliest way.

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            #6
            Ooh, it didn't like that, I'll post the link below:

            https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/video/201101/

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              #7
              I can't recall seeing a documentary so fair and balanced. It celebrated Jack Charlton and all his unique qualities, but it really demonstrated how cold he could be if didn't like you. Mind you, can't say I've got much time for O'Leary or Dumphy.

              I loved the clips of him coaching the kids in the field, "Rubbish!" as a tiny kid slices the ball in knee high grass. Then, with all the kids watching him, "so, one, two and get rid of it" (ball gets booted by Jack into another field, he looks on proudly).

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                #8
                I enjoyed the tactical diagram, shortly after they'd almost tried to suggest that Jack's "put 'em under pressure/don't let 'em settle" was him inventing pressing.

                It showed an arrow indicating a ball into the goalmouth, the curve of the arrow suggested it was in the air. There were two arrows meeting the trajectory of the ball, labelled "big lads".

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                  #9
                  It was a great watch. My wife is almost completely indifferent to football and she thoroughly enjoyed it. A film full of love.

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                    #10
                    I put it on and was about 20 seconds in when Miss NS crashed into the lounge demanding attention and conversation so that was that.

                    I'll try again tomorrow.

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                      #11
                      Ms NS taking the Beely Bingham role?

                      Thanks all, looking forward to watching this

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                        #12
                        It's on RTE player so I might catch up later in the week, though I'm loath to watch anything with that colossal prick Dunphy in it.

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                          #13
                          There's not a huge amount of Dunphy - contemporary footage of his comments after the Egypt game, and Jack's treatment of him at the press conference, with a bit of present day Dunphy not saying anything controversial. It was presented, alongside his treatment of O'Leary, as an example of Charlton's tough side, as well as illustrating that Dunphy was almost a lone voice of dissent among the euphoria.

                          I was interested to learn (or be reminded) that Jack left it entirely up to the players to sort out penalty takers v Romania, which is probably why they ended up with David O'Leary taking the 5th penalty, having never taken a penalty in his career.

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                            #14
                            The penalties against Romania weren't helped by the two main penalty takers, Aldridge and Staunton, had gone off at that stage, so a bit of reorganisation was needed.

                            I actually didn't mind Dunphy's frustration at the Egypt game, we were shit. It was turning up in Italy at the press conference as cheap theatre, and a lot of his career since that I don't like about him.

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                              #15
                              Interesting that amongst the various bristles between the brothers, there was no mention of Jack’s feelings at the time of Munich. An incredible piece of filmmaking nonetheless.

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                                #16
                                Wow, just checked, and it is Gabriel 'football reporter' Clarke who co-directed it!
                                Good work fella.

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                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by sw2borshch View Post
                                  It was considered de rigeur. The bit where Charlton was watching the video and said 'Paul McGrath' with that look in his eyes nearly broke me.
                                  A lovely movement in an extremely engaging and moving documentary.

                                  If this was Gabriel Clarke’s directorial debut I think he’s found his true calling. This was a beautifully put together piece of work, and a couple of overhead/drone shots of Charlton towards the end of his life - particularly one fishing on a small jetty with his son - were wonderful.

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                                    #18
                                    Originally posted by Mr Delicieux View Post
                                    Wow, just checked, and it is Gabriel 'football reporter' Clarke who co-directed it!
                                    Good work fella.
                                    That's Gabriel Clarke, football reporter and son of renowned filmmaker Alan.

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                                      #19
                                      I was just reading a little further into Mr Clarke's recent work and this is his seventh documentary, and as I've also just discovered, his father is the late Alan 'director of Scum, made in Britain and the firm' Clarke

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                                        #20
                                        Or, what NHH said...

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                                          #21
                                          I didn’t realise Clarke had so much directorial experience. It showed.

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                                            #22
                                            It really did. His wikipedia page lists the seven that's he's directed/co-directed, but the only other documentary he's made that has its own accompanying wiki entry is Bobby Robson: more than a manager, which appears to be as highly-rated. I'm going to have to see if I can watch that somewhere.

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                                              #23
                                              Finally watched it and yes, is was very good and I'd echo much of what was said upthread.

                                              He was such a self-confident and charismatic individual: I'd love to have just a fraction of it. But humble too, funny and friendly, decent and caring.

                                              His falling out with Bobby featured heavily and seemed to make a lot of people unhappy.

                                              As for his dementia, the unseen doctor's words were rather painful for those of us who know, or have known, or perhaps will know, fellow-sufferers. He said something like that for the individual involved the mental decline isn't just like a cognitive blank or void, it's a painful emotional dissipation. Which is worth bearing in mind, (no pun, obviously, intended).

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                                                #24
                                                Oh, and the wake following the defeat to Italy in 1990 was good, as the mood turned from sombre to quite upbeat, though I notice Jack headed off to bed when Chris de Burgh started singing.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Originally posted by Nocturnal Submission View Post

                                                  As for his dementia, the unseen doctor's words were rather painful for those of us who know, or have known, or perhaps will know, fellow-sufferers. He said something like that for the individual involved the mental decline isn't just like a cognitive blank or void, it's a painful emotional dissipation. Which is worth bearing in mind, (no pun, obviously, intended).
                                                  That came across really well - it's not just "I can't remember, and so don't care", there was a real rage behind his voice when Pat prompted him with "They think a lot of you in Ireland, don't they Jack?"
                                                  And he responded with his stock: "I HAVE NO IDEA".

                                                  There are fragments remaining, but the brain can no longer put them together.

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