David Gwilliam
Well-Known Member
Brian Clough died ten years ago and it is over twenty years since he retired from football. Time passes and there is a new generation who do not remember him. There may even be some younger Leicester fans who resent him because his success was with Derby and Forest. Some may even be led astray by the dreadful inaccuracy of The Damned United book or movie. The cliché is that he is the best manager England never had. This undervalues him. In the many decades I have been watching football Clough was IMO the greatest character British football has produced.
Brian Clough took two underachieving clubs Derby and Forest and made them the best teams in the country. He went on to make Forest the best team in Europe for two years running. As Clough liked to say in retirement "Manchester United Arsenal, Liverpool we used to beat them,"
His team included John Robertson who had been booed by Forest fans as not up to Second Division football, Martin O'Neill a journeyman Second Division player, Larry Lloyd whose clumsiness was a footballing joke and bad boy Kenny Burns who turned up to meet Clough in a stolen car. They all have the equivalent of Champions League medals.
He detested the Leeds manager Don Revie. The Leeds team was noted for its fouling, diving and harassment of referees. Clough's teams symbolised everything that was good about football. They did not foul, did not dive and treated referees with respect. He was the Anti-Revie
His career ended in 1962 when he was fouled by the Bury goalkeeper. Lying in agony a Bury player accused him of diving. Derby and Forest teams were noted for their clean play and once when a Forest player dived Clough was heard to shout "Get up you cheating bastard". In retirement Clough would boast that Roy Keane never got a red card playing for Forest. Keane was asked who was the better manager Clough or Ferguson and answered without hesitation "Brian Clough".
There have been other great managers. Shankly Paisley Cullis and Busby were successful with big clubs. Although popular they never matched the affection for Clough by the general public. Sir Alex Ferguson was a great manager but made Man U unpopular. Perhaps the nearest in success to Clough was Sir Alf Ramsey but while he was respected he never had Clough's rapport with football fans. I cannot judge Herbert Chapman except to say that he was obviously a great manager.
Martin O'Neill who was not known for being timid said that "If you even dreamed of arguing tactics with Brian Clough you woke up in a sweat desperate to apologise."
The later years were disappointing for Clough. He missed his close assistant Peter Taylor - O'Neill described them as "Bad cop and Bad cop" His health began to fail partly linked to heavy drinking and his retirement came perhaps too years too late. However, IMO in 1970s and early 1980s Brian Clough was the greatest manager of my lifetime.
Brian Clough took two underachieving clubs Derby and Forest and made them the best teams in the country. He went on to make Forest the best team in Europe for two years running. As Clough liked to say in retirement "Manchester United Arsenal, Liverpool we used to beat them,"
His team included John Robertson who had been booed by Forest fans as not up to Second Division football, Martin O'Neill a journeyman Second Division player, Larry Lloyd whose clumsiness was a footballing joke and bad boy Kenny Burns who turned up to meet Clough in a stolen car. They all have the equivalent of Champions League medals.
He detested the Leeds manager Don Revie. The Leeds team was noted for its fouling, diving and harassment of referees. Clough's teams symbolised everything that was good about football. They did not foul, did not dive and treated referees with respect. He was the Anti-Revie
His career ended in 1962 when he was fouled by the Bury goalkeeper. Lying in agony a Bury player accused him of diving. Derby and Forest teams were noted for their clean play and once when a Forest player dived Clough was heard to shout "Get up you cheating bastard". In retirement Clough would boast that Roy Keane never got a red card playing for Forest. Keane was asked who was the better manager Clough or Ferguson and answered without hesitation "Brian Clough".
There have been other great managers. Shankly Paisley Cullis and Busby were successful with big clubs. Although popular they never matched the affection for Clough by the general public. Sir Alex Ferguson was a great manager but made Man U unpopular. Perhaps the nearest in success to Clough was Sir Alf Ramsey but while he was respected he never had Clough's rapport with football fans. I cannot judge Herbert Chapman except to say that he was obviously a great manager.
Martin O'Neill who was not known for being timid said that "If you even dreamed of arguing tactics with Brian Clough you woke up in a sweat desperate to apologise."
The later years were disappointing for Clough. He missed his close assistant Peter Taylor - O'Neill described them as "Bad cop and Bad cop" His health began to fail partly linked to heavy drinking and his retirement came perhaps too years too late. However, IMO in 1970s and early 1980s Brian Clough was the greatest manager of my lifetime.
Last edited: