Brian Clough really is one of football's great characters. He had a career in the game spanning 41 years in total. He has been loved by the Forest faithful for the 18 years he was with us and is still fondly remembered some six years after his retirement. The media also loved him, whether it was for comments like calling the Polish goalkeeper a clown or for cuffing fans round the head. They just couldn't get enough of him.

I personally have no recollection of Brian Clough the player. The day his playing career ended, 26 December 1962, I was exactly 3 years and 10 months old.

My first real recollection of the man came 10 years later, in 1972, it was not one of like, it was one of dislike. Nothing to do with the fact that he was manager at Derby County, simply the fact that he was trying to sign my favourite Forest player of the time - Ian Storey-Moore. Being a naive 13 year old who didn't pay much attention to the news, I didn't realize that Storey-Moore was already on his way to Manchester United when Clough and Taylor tried to hi-jack the transfer. They even got to the point of unveiling Storey-Moore at the Baseball Ground to a packed audience. At that point the shit really hit the fan, Matt Busby was not a man to be messed around with, not even by Clough and Taylor. Once the mess was sorted out Storey-Moore went to old Trafford, leaving behind a disillusioned 13 year old, and a very embarrassed Clough and Taylor.

The next time I was to come across Clough was in the January of 1975, things were about to change at the City Ground, and boy, do I mean change.

A 41 year career is difficult to summarize in a few paragraphs, so I'm not even going to try. Instead I'm going to break it into two sections. The first part is this page, which  will be a summary of Clough's achievements, the second part is,  Clough memories a short pictorial representation of his career.

Playing Career:
21 Mar 1935 born in Middlesbrough, the fifth of eight children
Nov 1951 signs as an amateur for Middlesbrough
May 1952 signs as a professional for Middlesbrough
17 Sep 1955 debut for Middlesbrough, V Barnsley at Ayresome Park
08 Oct 1955 his first ever league goal, V Leicester City at Ayresome Park
06 Feb 1957 his only England 'B' cap against Scotland
26 Feb 1957 first of 3 England under 23 Caps V Scotland
30 Oct 1957 scores five goals for an FA XI V The Army
23 Sep 1959 scores all five goals for the Football League V Irish League
17 Oct 1959 first of only two full England caps against Wales
28 Oct 1959 second and final England cap against Sweden
July 1961 signs for Sunderland for a fee of £42,000
26 Dec 1962 receives the injury that will end his playing career
1963 - 1964 did not play at all during this season
1964 - 1965 attempts to comeback, only manages 3 appearances
05 Sep 1964 his last ever league goal, V Leeds United at Roker Park

His career record as a player is phenomenal. He made a total of 222 appearances for Middlesbrough, scoring 204 goals. He then made a total of 74 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 63 goals.

He also made nine representative appearances, including England, England 'B', England Under 23, Football League and an FA XI, scoring 13 goals.

Management Career:
Oct 1965 becomes youngest league manager (30) joining Hartlepool United
1965-66 finishes 18th in Division 4
1966-67 finishes 8th in Division 4
May 1967 leaves Hartlepool United
June 1967 takes charge at Derby County
1967-68 finishes 18th in Division 2
1968-69 Derby win promotion to Division 1 after finishing 1st in Division 2
1969-70 Derby finish 4th in their first season in the top flight
1970-71 Derby finish 9th, win the Watney Cup
1971-72 Derby win Division 1 title and the Texaco Cup
1972-73 Derby finish 7th and reach the European Cup semi-finals
Oct 1973 Clough walks out on Derby after a long running dispute with Sam Longson
Nov 1973 Joins Brighton and Hove Albion finishes 19th in Division 3
Jul 1974 Leaves Brighton
Jul 1974 Joins Leeds United for the infamous 44 days
Sep 1974 44 days after Joining Leeds he is sacked 
Jan 1975 Clough arrives at The City Ground
1974-75 Forest finish 7th in the Division 2
1975-76 finish 8th in the Division 2
1976-77 finish 3rd in Division 2, they gain promotion and win the Anglo-Scottish Cup
1977-78 wins Division 1 at first try, also wins The League Cup
1978-79 finish 2nd in Division 1, win European Cup and League Cup
1979-80 finish 5th in Division 1, win European Cup, European Super Cup and are losing finalists in World Club Championship and League Cup
1980-81 finish 7th in Division 1, European Super Cup finalists, World Club Championship finalists
1981-82 finish 12th in Division 1
1982-83 finish 5th in Division 1
1983-84 finish 3rd in Division 1, UEFA Cup semi-finalists
1984-85 finish 9th in Division 1
1985-86 finish 8th in Division 1
1986-87 finish 8th in Division 1
1987-88 finish 3rd in Division 1, win the Mercantile Credit Trophy
1988-89 finish 3rd in Division 1, win League Cup and Simod Cup
1989-90 finish 9th in Division 1, win League Cup
1990-91 finish 8th in Division 1, FA Cup finalists
1991-92 finish 8th in Division 1, win the Zenith Data Systems Cup, League Cup finalists
1992-93 finish 22nd in the Premier League. Brian Clough retires

Brian Clough also took Forest to the record unbeaten run for any League Club, when, between November 1977 and December 1978 they went 42 matches unbeaten. The equivalent of a whole season! 

For those who want to fill in any of the gaps in these pages I thoroughly recommend the following reading material:

Clough The Autobiography.

 Paperback by Corgi Books. ISBN 0-552-14003-1

His Way - The Brian Clough Story 

Author, Patrick Murphy. Paperback by Pan Books Ltd. ISBN 0-330-33687-8

The Official History Of Nottingham Forest

Author, Philip Soar. Published by The Polar Print Group Ltd. ISBN 1-899538-08-9 

 

 

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