Dan Harris is the producer of Tosh, the forthcoming EatSleep Media/Focus Shift Films documentary film charting Swansea City's irresistible rise through the ranks under the management of the mercurial John Toshack.

Hi Dan, thanks for joining me today. So the first thing I’d like to know is how the opportunity to make Tosh came about?

The opportunity to make Tosh happened when a mutual friend connected myself and Pete Griffiths (the director) together. Pete has been a lifelong Swansea fan, I think he was 8 years old when Tosh arrived at the Vetch Field, and I think he’s been kind of infatuated with that period ever since.

So a friend put us together and said that Pete had been trying to get this film off the ground with another production company, but would I be interested in having a chat with him. We kind of talked about the period, talked about Tosh, the story and I said I think it’s absolutely fantastic, I’d love to work on it.

I think it’s a real ‘Roy of the Rovers’ story as they rose from the fourth to first division between 78’ and 82’, and some of the players and characters that were there were amazing, and a lot of them were local boys, whether they came through the Swansea system or whether they returned to the area, being brought in by Tosh, it was just an incredible story. 

What first spoke to you about Tosh’s story, which made you want to produce it?

You have to remember that, at the time, Swansea City were this really unfashionable team down in the old fourth division of the English football league. 

The stadium was falling apart, it was all a bit rough and ready, a post-industrial city in the late 70’s, early 80’s. 

It just wasn’t where top class professional footballers went to play. It wasn't one of the glamour clubs of the era so Tosh’s arrival was a shock to the football world.

Not only was he a Cardiff boy that had played for Cardiff City, but he’d gone on to do amazing things for Liverpool. Then he came to Swansea, instantly had an impact and took this club up the divisions. It's a one of a kind story.

To go from the fourth to the first division, to do it in the period they did and the way they did it; Tosh as that central figure with his charisma and character, the arrogance, the kind of professionalism he brought in the way he played and managed, was just brilliant.

If you see any of the news clippings of him at the time, he was just an incredible character and him, the club and the story together just makes it a brilliant story to tell.

When you’re dealing with such a big story like this, it must require a lot of planning! But where do you start with the production process and how does it work?

With a project like this, there’s a lot of research! I did a lot of talking to Pete, who’s an expert on the subject, to understand the characters and the story, to talk about the different styles of documentary, different ways you can approach this.

Talking about the people that we wanted to interview, the key points in the history and things we wanted to cover. You start to get a sense of where this story can start and finish and what can be included.

You start to see it taking shape, first in your head, then writing everything down, the different elements, piecing together the structure and then deciding who you want to talk to about what and when.

The story starts to develop. The more people you talk to and get on camera, the more the structure starts to fill out and the more those amazing little anecdotes and legends which define Tosh’s time in charge come to life.

Why is EatSleep Media a great fit for this story?

EatSleep Media works all across Welsh football. We run a massive facebook page called Welsh Football Fans, we work with the FAW, Sport Wales, we work with clubs all across the country, so it’s a natural fit for a story like this. 

We understand the audience, we understand the club, we understand some of the personalities involved, and we’ve got an audience who would be interested in this. So it fits perfectly with EatSleep Media and it’s a great opportunity to tell a story on a larger scale, engage with a wider audience and make the move from digital content and radio, into TV and film.

What do you think are the key takeaways from this documentary?

I think the audience are going to enjoy the style in which Swansea rose up the ranks, as well as Tosh’s personality! The way he interacted with his players, the sense of nostalgia people get from seeing football of that period, the interviews, kits, memorabilia and the stories that take place outside of football.

Football in the 70s and 80s was very different to now. They were working class boys who didn’t earn huge amounts of money. There was a strong drinking culture and they were bonded through the social side of playing for Swansea.

They all got on really well and I think football is quite different in some respects now. There’s a level of professionalism which nobody had thought of back then. An understanding of dietary requirements and sports science; you didn’t have so much of that during the Tosh era.

So for a lot of people it’ll be a great time reminiscing about the past. For a lot of others it’ll be a look back at a sport they couldn’t imagine now.

Can you reveal when we might be able to watch the full version of the movie?

No.

[Laughs]

Hopefully if all goes to plan, it should be available in May 2022 which would be the 40th anniversary of the end of Swansea’s first season in the First Division.

They finished 6th which is still their highest ever league position.

What have been the highlights for you during production?

The highlights for me have been working with some of the players, the fans, the club staff and being able to hear them talk so fondly about that period in their lives; being a part of that club during its meteoric rise, as well as all their personalities.

Some of them remember it so fondly, and allowing them to tell their stories has been fantastic. They are so excited, their faces light up like a Christmas tree when they talk about that period and to see their love and fondness of that time. I think it’s brilliant.

Are there any challenges you’ve faced?

Many, many, many challenges!

With a film like this, we’re relying so much on archive film.

You’ve either got to pay a lot of money for it, or find a partner with access to that archive and who allows you to use it.

There are still challenges with that. We’re in talks with some potential partners about access and somewhere to show the film. I can’t say too much about it right now, but we’ll hopefully be able to reveal more soon.

There are other challenges around distribution, DVD sales, international rights and so on. Making the film is really only part of the job!

What doors do you hope this will open for the company?

This project would be our first feature-length documentary.

It would give us a TV film, a movie that premieres in cinemas and a DVD sold into other territories outside of the UK.

So for a small production company which only started a few years ago, it's a massive opportunity.

If/when we get all those things, make the film and have it reach international markets, that would be a big step up it would show everyone we’re capable of delivering something of that level of quality.

Then for our next conversation with a commissioner about the next project, we’re coming from a stronger position where we can say ‘we’re the company which delivered this, we can do something similar for you too.’

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