Bear with me on these, I am doing them largely from memory but I will be as accurate as I honestly can be.

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One of my very favourites centres around BC's 1st half season with us in 1975. We were in a bit of a relegation battle, though never really seriously threatened. Anyway John McGovern goes up to BC and explained he was struggling badly with a groin strain. He saw himself as the slowest player in the team anyway but this was making things worse... Cloughie's retort "We've got 10 games to go & you're playing in all of them" ... J.M "I can't run boss" BC "It doesn't matter you never could. think about some of the others, they can't play"

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Another one with McGovern (who he loved by the way) when playing against Alan Ball ... JM had obviously had a good game making Ball. BC to JM  "Well done today son, the wayyou played against Alan Ball because he's a good player and you're not"

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Colin Walsh's debut (at Charlton I believe) ... coming on as substitute ... BC "Son, all you need to do is get the ball and pass it to someone in the same colour shirt as you who's better than you so that gives you 9 to chose from"

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David Currie, a poor signing from Barnsley & early in his Forest career ... BC "Son, have you bought your house in Nottingham yet?" DC "No boss" ... BC "don't bother!"  he was very soon on his way.

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Stuart Pearce on his call up to the England squad ... BC "Do you think you are good enough to be playing for England?" SP "Hope so boss" ... BC "Well I dont, now get out of my office"

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Having signed Stuart Pearce & Pearce having then subsequently  informed BC of his driving ban, BC says "Have I signed a drinker? Shall I get you a bucket to drink out of?"  He went on to advise SP he would not have signed him had he known! Anyway, the conversation continues ...BC "Are you going on holiday" ... SP "I'm going to Disneyland in America" ... BC "Are you taking your girlfriend?"  SP "No I'm going with a mate"  BC "What's the matter son, Are you a queer or something"

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Then there would be times when he did hilarious things like in the Charity Shield at Wembley v Ipswich in 1978. Martin O'Neill had scored 2 goals when BC suddenly ordered the bench "Get him Off" .... Bench "He's scored 2 goals boss"  BC "get him off" BC later said that they needed 2 balls for the game, 1 for Martin and 1 for the rest, that's why he substituted him!

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He clashed a fair bit with O'Neill but Martin tells the stories in a way far better  than I ever could.

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I've then read some of the books written by the likes of Duncan Hamilton "Provided You Don't Kiss Me- 20 years with Brian Clough" & Jonathan Wilson "Nobody Ever says thank You"  full of many hilarious stories which are well worth a read.

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Whether the book is by a Journalist, BC's autobiographies or past players, you always seem to stumble over a new BC story, quite amazing really when you consider it is getting on for 9 years since his death.

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When he was at Hartepool he used to clash with the owner regularly, one Ernest Ord... BC quote "He was the shortest fella I've ever met. So small that when he got behind the wheel of his Rolls Royce, you'd have thought no one was driving it"

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On his time at Nottm Forest "We played the game the way it ought to be played, our passes brushed the grass"

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Upon joining Forest "There is only one thing in the club's favour. it has got me"

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To the Trent End ... "Gentleman, no swearing please"  a sign he had erected in front of the old Trent End. He fell out with us in there sometimes from time to time, the Charlie Nicholas scenario v Arsenal, the bad language, the "scufffles" etc but always kissed and made up!

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When he was being interviewed later that season for the England job ... "Brian, No leaving please, the Gentleman"  

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BC "No one will ever do what I did at Nottingham Forest. Now that's something to keep you warm at night"

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To Peter Withe who had just scored 4 against Ipswich ... "When you learn to play with it, you can have the matchball"

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1st words to John McGovern at Hartleool - "Stand up straight, get your shoulders back and get your hair cut, you look like a girl"

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Ahead of the 91 Cup Final on Gazza "I think he's got a lot of talent. And I've asked our coach driver, if he sees him in the tunnel at Wembley, to try and knock him down"

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To Robbo "You were a tramp when I came here, and now you're the best winger in the game"

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To O'Neill about Robbo "What is the point of giving you the ball when there is a genius on the other wing?"

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On Trevor Francis scoring the winner in the 1st European Cup Final "Our Elizabeth could have put it in"

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What he actually said about Stuart Pearce on his England call up " I said to him I didn't think he was good enough for International Football. I was just trying to make sure we didn't have a cocky bastard on our hands for the next month"

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Asked similarities with Nigel ... "He loves his Mum"

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on Thatcher "The only thing she hasn't outlawed is voting labour"

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And finally for now, "When I go, God's going to have to give up his favourite chair"

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That last one was underlined with one of the flags on display at the CG following his death. it simply said "Move over God, Cloughie's coming ... RIP Brian"

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Having now 'completed' this section (at least for the time being), some of the above are my personal memories, others I have had to remind myself of with a bit of research. That said, there are thousands more, such was the legend of Brian Clough.

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The amount of times he would just say to his players (when they had wanted to discuss things with him in his office) "Good, right now Get out of My Office"  There are stories I can't quite remember or even where I  read them like one when Steve Sutton went to ask him about having a goalkeeping coach but I hope the ones I have recited have at least raised a smile or two.

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One thing you can be sure of, there will never be another quite like him. When he died he said something like "When I'm gone I hope they will say I contributed & that some people liked me"

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He certainly contributed, gave me some wonderful times & memories. I, like millions of others, loved him... my all time hero! 

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Clough - Includes Cloughie, the player also.

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I would also like to refer to an extract from one of Cloughie's autobiographies - 'Cloughie - My Life - Walking on Water' page 161.

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It was during his time at our arch rivals Derby. In short Derby had just been cheated out of The European Cup Semi-Final against Juventus. The Italian's antics and a 'homer' referee had seen to it that Juventus won the 1st leg 3-1 & the 2nd leg which ended 0-0 had followed a similar pattern. It just happened to be on B.C's birthday, just to make things worse. (He would suffer a similar fate in the EUFA Cup Semi-Final in 1984 ,where Forest would lose 3-2 to Anderlecht on aggregate courtesy of a bent bribed referee ... sadly it took some 16 years for the truth to emerge but that's another story.)

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Anyhow here is the extract ... 'Just when you think things can't get any worse, they invariably do. We'd been knocked out of the European Cup on my birthday but a phone call reduced all that, even the things that happened in Italy, to meaningless trivia. The late night call was from our Joe breaking the terrible news that Mam had died. We had all realised that she was dying from cancer but it was still a devastating blow. You don't need reminding yet again about my feelings for my mam & the influence she had on my life. Knowing all that, you still can't begin to imagine how I felt when I picked up that phone & heard our Joe's voice. I was empty - thankful, oh so thankful, that Barbara & my family were around me but I still had a feeling, strangely, of being alone. Your mam is someone who's always been there and should always be there. She's a guide, a reassurance, your best friend and the finest teacher you'll ever come across. I know mine was. I also know I haven't always lived my life in the way she showed me I should. She was 73 at the end. Dad was 81 when we lost him 4 years later. Time doesn't end the sense of loneliness; it just helps to make you a little less lonely.'

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I lost my Mum on the 1st May 1999, also to the scourge of the planet, cancer. She was a couple of weeks short of her 64th birthday. I know exactly how Cloughie felt.

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Bill Shankly, famously once said 'football is not a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that' ... We all know (Bill included, no doubt), that simply is not true.

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20/9/13 - On the 9th anniversary of the death of the great man, added a few more clips. RIP Brian, I hope you are O.K.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szDtu9EENQA  - ITV Documentary Part 1 of 7

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAi8KIe3Uro  - Part 2 of 7

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV-RFQSwxfQ  - Part 3 of 7

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TREui2kvpl4  - Part 4 of 7

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z9yHt8c_LQ  - Part 5 of 7

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AKWhma4Dzk  - Part 6 of 7

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCQrA5vO_vg  - Part 7 of 7

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28iv-dudi8  - Brian Clough, greatest manager England never had.

 

 

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAi8DW5wZxg - Clip including part of Barry Davies interview following our relegation in May 1993 - very emotional. BD says 'As a commentator you are supposed to be unbiased but I couldn't help wanting Nottingham Forest to win, they had to, to stand any chance of staying up'

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGRG3JEcVO0  - Incrediby emotional clip including the end part of the Barry Davies / Brian Clough Interview ... BC, 'Barry, would you excuse me & thank you for asking me to be interviewed & I'll go and find Barbara & my grandchildren' ... BD 'It's been a pleasure knowing you Sir' ... Cloughie's reaction just finishes you off. All so genuine and never fails to raise a tear or two. ** UPDATE - 30/10/13 - Unfortunately video deleted **

 

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