On Sunday, Nottingham Forest will take on Derby County in the East Midlands derby at the City Ground, Nottingham. In a show of respect to ‘The Best Manager England Never Had” both sets of supporters, normally the most bitter of rivals, will join in a minutes clapping upon the tenth minute of the match, in recognition of the 10^th anniversary of his death.

For those of you who may not know, Brian Clough joined Derby County as their manager in 1967, taking them from the second division to become English champions and, in 1973, to the European Cup (now Champions League) semi-final. After a dispute with the Derby Chairman (Sam Longson), Clough and his assistant, Peter Taylor resigned from their positions. Clough joined Leeds Utd and lasted a mere 44 days before being sacked. In 1975, he became manager of Nottingham Forest, to be joined by Taylor in 1976 and then mirrored his achievements at Derby by taking Forest from the second division to become English champions in 1978. Clough and Taylor bettered their Derby performance by going on to win the European Cup with Forest, then retained it the next season and all this without an ‘Oligarch’ or an ‘Oil Sheik’ in sight.

A quote attributed to Brian Clough “"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one."

It should also be remembered that, as a player, Brian Clough scored 251 goals in 274 appearances for Middlesbrough and Sunderland, before a knee injury ended his playing career at the age of 29.

Perhaps Brian should be descibed as the original "Special One".

I liked old Cloughy, Is this a league game , hopefully will be on the box , 2 great teams of the 70s and early 80s

A better manager than the likes of the dour Moronhos, and my favourite quote:

“If God had wanted us to play football in the sky, He'd have put grass up there.”

He was a hard b*****d as well. A relative of mine,who was a fringe player for the Derby first team,spotted a young lady waiting outside the offices in the pouring rain. It turned out she was a reporter and was told to wait outside by Clough until he was ready for the interview. "You can wait inside the porch, I'm sure the boss won't mind." said my relative. He did, of course, and tore him off a strip for going against his instruction. "When you get to my position and are able to give the orders,that's fine but,until then, everybody does what I tell them. Bugger off."

Filmed on the Forest training ground: "Oi, you fatty and you bighead". Kenny Burns & Larry Lloyd respectively. There'll never be another like him. He wasn't as successful on his own, when not in partnership with Peter Taylor. They were certainly a dynamic duo.

He may have only stayed 44 days at Leeds, but it gave the script to a really good football film - "The Damned United" with the excellent Martin Sheen as Cloughie.

He may have only stayed 44 days at Leeds, but it gave the script to a really good football film - "The Damned United" with the excellent Martin Sheen as Cloughie.

MICHAEL Sheen, not Martin

My favourite Cloughie story was one told by Martin O' Neill when he was at Forest. He was struggling to get in the first team and was playing in the reserves. O'Neill got a bit fed up about it and decided to pluck up the courage and talk to Cloughie about it.

Knocks on his door, approaches Clough and demands to know why he keeps getting played in the reserves team.

Cloughie replies..." Because, young man, you are too good for the Third team"

Legend.

He got fired from Leeds because the players objected to him calling them a bunch of cheats.

But he was right.

He got fired from Leeds because the players objected to him calling them a bunch of cheats.

But he was right.

yes chicog i remembered it all,i can still see trevor francis scoring that goal for forest apart from him[francis] who was the first million pound player he built them from just good old fashioned boot boys.

as for when he went to leeds he told them you play how i want you to otherwise get out[more likely he said f-off] but there was a players mafia there then and let them [leeds] get all whats coming to them IS THAT NOTHING ?

they the FA.wouldnt give him the job because they knew he would do his way and he was no yes man.

as for the greatest manager never to get the england job that will always be in the history books.

and my feelings for him ARISE SIR BRIAN.you were the GREATEST.

taff.

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but I have just watched a new Forest dvd called "I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES"

http://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2015/sep/15/i-believe-in-miracles-trailer-documentary-nottingham-forest-video

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5098836/

I saw it described elsewhere as a "nostalgia fest" and being 35 odd years ago that is undoubtedly true. As someone who almost doubted their faith, in a club I have supported for nearly 50 years, it was a vivid reminder of why I am a Forest fan. That particular phase of success came over 10 years after I started supporting them but it was a welcome reminder of the good times.

Leicester City's position reminded me of Forest's success in that promotion year (in fact I think their fast, fluent breakaway style reminds me a little of Forest at that time).

I do not believe that it is possible for ANY team to EVER repeat what Clough and Taylor achieved - promotion to the top league followed by winning the title and successive European cups.

The dvd is a must for die-hard Forest fans but I can also recommend it to genuine football supporters everywhere.

Been trying to find a download of that documentary "I believe in miracles". But nothing around yet.

What a legend.

What a legend.

NEVER TO BE BETTERED.

to do what he done at derby and notts.forest with the bunch of players they had was behond their dreams.

and all those at leeds who didnt like to be told how to play,they were nothing but a bunch of what yorkshire folks call PILLOCKS.

It's worth pointing out that Clough was only ever at his very best when he was in partnership with Peter Taylor: at Derby & the glory years at Forest. On his own at Leeds, Clough never stood a chance.