Brian Clough Dies!!!

Post by **Bob_The_Engineer** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:51 pm

Sad to see him go - a football character indeed.

I'll always remember him clipping a pitch invader on the head from storming the pitch

____

Edit: Some Cloughie Golden Quotes:

"If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there." On the importance of passing to feet.

"Manchester United in Brazil? I hope they all get bloody diarrhea." On Man Utd opting-out of the FA Cup to play in the World Club Championship.

"I can't even spell spaghetti never mind talk Italian. How could I tell an Italian to get the ball - he might grab mine." On the influx of foreign players.

"I bet their dressing room will smell of garlic rather than liniment over the next few months." On the number of French players at Arsenal.

"Who the hell wants fourteen pairs of shoes when you go on holiday? I haven't had fourteen pairs in my life." On the contents of Posh Spice's missing luggage.

"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one." Looking back at his success.

"On occasions I have been big headed. I think most people are when they get in the limelight. I call myself Big Head just to remind myself not to be." Old Big 'Ead explains his nickname.

"At last England have appointed a manager who speaks English better than the players." On the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as England manager.

"If he'd been English or Swedish, he'd have walked the England job." On Martin O'Neill.

"Anybody who can do anything in Leicester but make a jumper has got to be a genius." A tribute to Martin O'Neill.

"The ugliest player I ever signed was Kenny Burns." A Clough complement for a talented player.

"Stand up straight, get your shoulders back and get your hair cut." Advice for John McGovern at Hartlepool.

"Take your hands out of your pockets." More advice, this time for a young Trevor Francis as he receives an award from the Master Manager.

"The Derby players have seen more of his balls than the one they're meant to be playing with." On the streaker who appeared during Derby's game against Manchester United.

"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.

"I'm dealing with my drinking problem and I have a reputation for getting things done." A comment which speaks for itself.

"Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes." Reflecting on England's exit from Euro 2000.

"We talk about it for twenty minutes and then we decide I was right." On dealing with a player who disagrees.

"It was a crooked match and he was a crooked referee. That was a tournament we could and should have won." On the 1984 UEFA Cup semi-final Forest lost to Anderlecht.

"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.

"You don't want roast beef and Yorkshire every night and twice on Sunday." On too much football on television.

"If a chairman sacks the manager he initially appointed, he should go as well." On too many managers getting the boot.

"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.

"He's learned more about football management than he ever imagined. Some people think you can take football boots off and put a suit on. You can't do that." On David Platt's first season as Forest manager.

"He should guide Posh in the direction of a singing coach because she's nowhere near as good at her job as her husband." Advice for David Beckham.

"Barbara's supervising the move. She's having more extensions built than Heathrow Airport." On moving house in Derbyshire.

"Don't send me flowers when I'm dead. If you like me, send them while I'm alive."

"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,"

Little Funk · Post by **Little Funk** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:17 pm

Yeah - What a sad day

Post by sm » Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:42 pm

Well I bet that's messed up his chance for knighthood.

Post by **DE-G@vnor** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 3:16 pm

A sad day, I'm sure forest will never forget him and damn what a shame he didnt get his knighthood in time

Post by **Thaedius** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 4:43 pm

Snif

Post by **MrsWintermute** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 4:58 pm

Awwww - sad to say goodbye to a true sporting legend

[PHI] Freddy152 · Post by **[PHI] Freddy152** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 5:17 pm

sad day indeed, he'll not be forgotten

Post by **Mackey** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 5:48 pm

All I can is I am gutted at this news a great manager and great character to

Post by **EagleEye** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:01 pm

shoot me but i didn't know who he was untill someone told me

Post by **JiBeRjAbEr** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:09 pm

It's sad when a fellow Boro lad passes away... I came across this text whilst looking for a picture of the plaque above is birthplace in Valley Road which spookily reads like an obituary although it was written in 2001 !

http://www.middlesbrough-mad.co.uk/news ... 5&id=21448
Original text by Reggie Holdsworth
Boro's most prolific goalscorer averaging almost a goal a game over 6 seasons, 204 in 222 starts.

Name :
Brian Howard Clough

Birthplace :
Middlesbrough

DOB :
21st March 1935

Signed From :
Great Broughton, May 1953

Sold To :
Sunderland, July 1961 for £55,000

Other Clubs :
Sunderland

Boro Record :
Played 222, Goals 204

Int. Record :
Played 2

Brian Clough was born and bred in Valley Road, Middlesbrough and watched the likes of Wilf Mannion and George Hardwick from the terraces of Ayresome Park as a child.

Brian signed as a professional in 1955 after he returned from National Service, he had previously been on Boro's books as a junior.

Even in his early days Brian was regarded as arrogant and cocky by his tem-mates. He regularly submitted transfer requests, his first after just nine games. There on in they were frequent and it became habitual for him to submit a request at every close season.

In his first full season he found opportunities limited behind the established stars like Charlie wayman and Lindy Delapenha but in the 1956-57 season he hit the headlines by scoring 40 goals in the season.

Brian was the first to hit the magic 40 since the great George Camsell back in 1926-27. He went on to notch 40 or more goals in the following three seasons.

He was Boro's top scorer five seasons in a row from that 1956-57 season, the Second Division's top scorer on three occasions and the country's top scorer in 1958-59.

One highlight of his career was when he netted five against Brighton in a 9-0 romp that still remains Boro's record league victory.

As Boro struggled to get promoted year after year Brian publicly accused his fellow team-mates of illegal betting against themselves and deliberately conceding goals. On more than one occasion it led to Brian exchanging blows with his colleagues. It was believed in some quarters that the accusations were true.

I don't suppose he was the first and certainly not the last player to cause friction in the dressing room.

Eventually Boro conceded to his constant transfer requests and allowed him to move to Sunderland for a club record £45,000 in the summer of 1961. There was a public outcry that he should be allowed to move to Boro's closest rivals, particularly when he continued to knock the goals in at almost a goal a game.

Sadly Brian never achieved the international recognition his talent so richly deserved but perhaps it was his off the field behaviour that cost him the big chance on the international stage.

His career was short lived at Sunderland, he managed only 61 games for the Wearsider's before injury forced him out of the game.

He took up management at Hartlepool alongside ex-Boro team-mate Peter Taylor and subsequently went on to become one of the greatest managers in history winning the league title with Derby County and Nottingham Forest, where he also won the European Cup.

His arrogant outspoken attitude carried on throughout his managerial career, he left Derby after a dispute with the chairman and later spent just 44 days in charge at Leeds United where he was alledgedly forced out by 'player power'.

He still remains Boro's most prolific goalscorer who went on to achieve more off the field than on it, albeit enforced by injury, and hence will be remembered more for his managerial career than his playing career.

PAYNEY · Post by **PAYNEY** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 7:19 am

bad shit this!

Post by **bigalex** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:13 pm

RIP Cloughie.

I remember he once told me (and many more kids no doubt) when I got his autograph

'Be good young man'

Bullet · Post by **Bullet** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:50 pm

EagleEye wrote:shoot me but i didn't know who he was untill someone told me

even i knew and i dont follow football

Post by **Wintermute** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:25 pm

Genuinely gutted, what a character

I've followed Forest since the 70s (yes I'm that old) and can't imagine anyone coming close to what he achieved with a couple of unfashionable teams (the other being Derby).

I even stayed up until 1am last night watching some midlands TV documentary on his time at Derby - a real insight into his transition from player to manager.

...and I knew he was a decent player before his knee was knackered, but I didn't realise until this week that he was actually the most prolific league goal scorer of all-time (in terms of goals per game).

Sadly missed although I never met him.

Post by **Woz** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 4:28 pm

Wintermute wrote: I've followed Forest since the 70s (yes I'm that old) and can't imagine anyone coming close to what he achieved with a couple of unfashionable teams (the other being Derby).

Everyone in my Junior School thought he was a genius. I was lucky enough to live near nottingham at the time he was taking Forest to the top and beyond. Not really a footy fan, apart from the Internationals, but I've always had a soft spot for Forest.

Post by **Wintermute** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 4:50 pm

BTW, Forest vs West Ham is live on Sky Sports on Sunday - gonna be a sad start to the game - I just hope they bloody win for once !

Post by **Thaedius** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:15 pm

I hope to be there

Little Funk · Post by **Little Funk** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:42 pm

EagleEye wrote:shoot me but i didn't know who he was untill someone told me

Post by **EagleEye** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:48 pm

Little Funk wrote:
EagleEye wrote:shoot me but i didn't know who he was untill someone told me

i thought u were at work till 11 mate i know maccies closes at 10 but u have to clean up n that doh ya?

Post by **Mackey** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:51 pm

don't close at 10 round these parts