BRIAN
CLOUGH
A
Football Genius
21st
March 1935 - 20th September 2004
Brian Clough was the greatest manager of modern times.
Always outspoken. Always controversial. There'll never be another football manager like Brian Clough. He took two small provincial clubs and made them world-beaters. His achievements will never be repeated. He was the best manager England never had. He had an unrivalled ability to motivate players. A working class hero whose achievements earned him a fortune. He represented everything good about football. His teams were exciting, skilful and clean. He turned players who'd been labelled "average" into international stars. His teamtalks were simple: He'd hold a football in his hand and say "Gentlemen, this is a football. Any chance of us getting it?" He led Derby County and Nottingham Forest out of the depths of the Second Division and made them world beaters. Yet his playing career at Middlesbrough and Sunderland was equally outstanding, with 251 goals in 274 games, before a knee injury cut short his success as a goalscorer. His partnership with Peter Taylor was incredible. "The chemistry was absolutely brilliant," Clough has said. His one regret is that they never buried the hatchet after falling out. Cloughie remains a footballing legend.
Rest in Peace Brian. We will always miss you and never forget.
He
was famous for his footballing quotes, and some
are reproduced below. There is also a resume of
his career.
"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the
business. But I was in the top one."
Looking back at his success.
"At last England have appointed a manager who
speaks English better than the players." On
the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as England
manager.
"I only ever hit Roy the once. He got up so I
couldn't have hit him very hard." On dealing
with Roy Keane.
"Walk on water? I know most people out there
will be saying that instead of walking on it, I
should have taken more of it with my drinks. They
are absolutely right." Reflecting on his
drink problem.
"Don't send me flowers when I'm dead. If you
like me, send them while I'm alive." After
the operation which saved his life.
"We talk about it for twenty minutes and then
we decide I was right." On dealing with a
player who disagrees.
"I want no epitaphs of
profound history and all that type of thing. I
contributed - I would hope they would say that,
and I would hope somebody liked me,"
On how he would like to be remembered.
"I'm sure the England
selectors thought if they took me on and gave me
the job, I'd want to run the show. They were
shrewd, because that's exactly what I would have
done." On not getting the England manager's
job.
"I thought it was my
next door neighbour, because I think she felt that
if I got something like that, I'd have to
move."
Guessing who nominated him for a knighthood.
"For all his horses,
knighthoods and championships, he hasn't got two
of what I've got. And I don't mean balls!"
Referring to Sir Alex Ferguson's failure to win
two successive European Cups.
"I like my women to be
feminine, not sliding into tackles and covered in
mud." On women's football.
''That Seaman is a handsome
young man but he spends too much time looking in
his mirror, rather than at the ball. You can't
keep goal with hair like that." On
England goalkeeper David Seaman.
"I've missed him. He
used to make me laugh. He was the best diffuser of
a situation I have ever known. I hope he's
alright." On the late Peter Taylor.
CLOUGHIE'S CAREER
Brian Howard Clough, Born: 21st March, 1935, Valley Road, Middlesbrough. Mother: Sarah. Father: Joseph.
Player
Middlesbrough FC: 1955-1961. 197 goals in 213 league games.
Sunderland FC: 1961-1964. 54 goals in 61 league games.
England caps: 1959. v Wales (Ninian Park); v Sweden (Wembley)
Management
Hartlepool: October 1965 - May 1967.
Derby County: June 1967 - October 1973.
1968-69: Div 2 Champions; 1971-72: League Champions; 1972-73: European Cup semi-finalists.
Brighton And Hove Albion: November 1973 - July 1974; Leeds Utd: 44 days in 1974.
Nottingham Forest: January 1975 - May 1993.
1976-77: Div 2 promotion; 1977-78: League Champions, League Cup winners; 1978-79: European Cup, League Cup, League runners-up; 1979-80: European Cup, European Super Cup, World Club finalists, League Cup finalists; 1980-81: European Super Cup finalists, World Club finalists; 1988-89: League Cup winners, Simod Cup winners; 1989-90: League Cup winners; 1990-91: FA Cup finalists; 1991-92 Zenith Data Cup winners, League Cup finalists.
"If anyone wants to see my O-Levels and A-Levels, I'll get my medals from upstairs and put them on the table. They're my O-Levels and A-Levels."
Brian Clough OBE, MA.