View source for Brian Clough

{{Short description|English football player and manager (1935–2004)}}
{{For|the writer|Bryan Clough}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Brian Clough<br><small>[[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]</small>
| image = Aankomst Nottingham Forrest op Schiphol, Ajax 1 tegenstanders voor de Europa Cup, Bestanddeelnr 930-7831.jpg
| caption = Clough as [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] manager in 1980
| alt = 
| fullname = Brian Howard Clough
| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|3|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Middlesbrough]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|9|20|1935|3|21|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Derby]], England
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}
| position = [[Forward (association football)#Striker|Striker]]
| youthyears1 = 1951–1953
| youthyears2 = 1953–1955
| youthclubs1 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
| youthclubs2 = [[Billingham Synthonia F.C.|Billingham Synthonia]]
| years1 = 1955–1961
| years2 = 1961–1964
| clubs1 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
| clubs2 = [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]
| caps1 = 213
| caps2 = 61
| totalcaps = 274
| goals1 = 197
| goals2 = 54
| totalgoals = 251
| nationalyears1 = 1957–1958
| nationalyears2 = 1957
| nationalyears3 = 1959
| nationalteam1 = [[England national under-23 football team|England U23]]
| nationalteam2 = [[England B national football team|England B]]
| nationalteam3 = [[England national football team|England]]
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalcaps3 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1965–1967
| manageryears2 = 1967–1973
| manageryears3 = 1973–1974
| manageryears4 = 1974
| manageryears5 = 1975–1993
| managerclubs1 = <!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an S, at the time -->[[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepools <!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an S, at the time -->United]]<!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an S, at the time -->
| managerclubs2 = [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]]
| managerclubs3 = [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]
| managerclubs4 = [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
| managerclubs5 = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
}}
'''Brian Howard Clough''' ({{IPAc-en|k|l|ʌ|f}} {{respell|KLUF}}; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English [[Association football|football]] player and [[Manager (association football)|manager]], primarily known for his successes as a manager with [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] and [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]. He is one of [[List of First Division and Premier League winning managers#By individual|four managers]] to have won the English league with two different clubs. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/08/20/50-greatest-football-managers-all-time | title=The 50 Greatest Football Managers of All Time | date=20 August 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/07/29/brian-clough-maverick-managers-all-time-best-xi | title=Brian Clough: The Maverick Manager's All-Time Best XI | date=29 July 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/10-best-managers-time-according-30938115 | title=10 best managers of all time according to AI as Klopp and Ancelotti snubbed | website=[[Daily Mirror]] | date=15 September 2023 }}</ref> Charismatic, outspoken and often controversial, his achievements with Derby and Forest, two clubs with little prior history of success, are rated among the greatest in football history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3673824.stm |title=Stars pay tribute to Clough |work=BBC News  |date=21 September 2004 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> His teams were also noted for playing attractive football and for their good sportsmanship.<ref>{{cite news|first=Matthew |last=Taylor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/sep/22/sport.comment |title=What they said about |work=The Guardian |access-date=14 June 2012 |location=London |date=22 September 2004}}</ref> Despite applying several times and being a popular choice for the job, he was never appointed [[England national football team manager|England manager]] and has been dubbed the "greatest manager [[England national football team|England]] never had".<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tv_and_radio/inside_sport/8824688.stm |title=Brian Clough: The greatest manager England never had? |work=BBC News |date=15 July 2010 |access-date=14 June 2012}}</ref>

Clough played as a [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]] for Middlesbrough and Sunderland, scoring 251 league goals in 274 matches; he remains one of the [[Football League]]'s [[List of footballers in England and Scotland by number of league goals|highest goalscorers]]. He won two England caps. He entered management after his playing career was ended by a serious injury at the age of 29. As a manager, Clough was closely associated with [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]], who served as his assistant manager at several clubs in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He is also remembered for giving frequent radio and television interviews in which he made controversial remarks about players, other managers and the overall state of the game. In 1965, he took the manager's job at Fourth Division <!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an 's', at the time -->[[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool United]] and appointed [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]] as his assistant, the start of an enduring partnership that would bring them success at several clubs over the next two decades. In 1967, the duo moved on to [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] Derby County who, in [[1968–69 in English football|1968–69]], were promoted as Second Division champions and, [[1971–72 in English football|three years later]], crowned [[List of English football champions|champions of England]] for the first time in the club's history. In [[1972–73 European Cup|1973]], they reached the semi-finals of the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]]. By this point, Clough's relationship with chairman [[Sam Longson]] had deteriorated; he and Taylor resigned.

An eight-month spell in charge of [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] club [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]] followed, before Clough (without Taylor) returned north in the summer of 1974 to become manager of [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]. This was widely regarded as a surprise appointment, given his previous outspoken criticism of the Leeds players and their manager [[Don Revie]]. He was sacked after just 44 days in the job, but within months, he had joined Second Division Nottingham Forest, where he was re-united with Taylor in the summer of 1976. In 1977, Forest were promoted to the top flight and the following season won the league title (the first in the club's history), making Clough one of only four managers to have won the English league with two clubs. Forest also won two consecutive European Cups (in [[1979 European Cup Final|1979]] and [[1980 European Cup Final|1980]]) and two [[Football League Cup|League Cups]] ([[1978 Football League Cup Final|1978]] and [[1979 Football League Cup Final|1979]]), before Taylor retired in 1982. Clough stayed on as Forest manager for another decade and won two more League Cups ([[1989 Football League Cup Final|1989]] and [[1990 Football League Cup Final|1990]]) and reached the [[FA Cup]] final in [[1991 FA Cup Final|1991]], but could not emulate his earlier successes. Forest were relegated from the [[Premier League]] in 1993, after which Clough retired from football.

==Childhood==
[[File:11 Valley Road, Grove Hill.jpg|left|upright|thumb|11 Valley Road, Grove Hill]]

Brian Howard Clough was born on Thursday, 21 March 1935<ref>{{Hugman|3684|access-date=26 January 2025}}</ref> at 11 Valley Road, an inter-war council house in [[Grove Hill, Middlesbrough|Grove Hill]], [[Middlesbrough]], [[North Riding of Yorkshire]],<ref>{{cite web|author=<!--lead container name-->Brian Clough |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/tees/content/articles/2007/05/15/brian_clough_feature.shtml |title=Tees – People – Brian Clough |publisher=BBC  |date=16 May 2007 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> He was the sixth of nine children of a local [[sweet shop]] worker, later sugar boiler and then manager. The eldest, Elizabeth, died on 11 February 1927<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/114203280/person/102196914970/facts|title=Elizabeth (Betty) Clough|website=www.ancestry.co.uk|accessdate=13 March 2025}}</ref> of [[Sepsis|septicaemia]] at the age of three.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=156559899:5015&d=bmd_1694426109 | title=FreeBMD Entry Info }}</ref> When talking of his childhood he said he "adored it in all its aspects. If anyone should be grateful for their upbringing, for their mam and dad, I'm that person. I was the kid who came from a little part of paradise." On his upbringing in Middlesbrough, Clough claimed that it was "not the most well-appointed place in the world, but to me it was heaven". "Everything I have done, everything I've achieved, everything that I can think of that has directed and affected my life – apart from the drink – stemmed from my childhood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.football.co.uk/derby_county/theres_only_one_brian_clough_why_we_-_and_some_leeds_fans_-_love_old_big_ead_and_his_green_jumper_rss70081.shtml |title=Theres only one Brian Clough Why we – and some Leeds fans – love Old Big Ead and his green jumper – Derby County News from |publisher=football.co.uk |date=11 March 2009 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> Maybe it was the constant sight of Mam, with eight children to look after, working from morning until night, working harder than you or I have ever worked."

Clough failed his [[Eleven-plus]] examination and attended Marton Grove Secondary Modern School.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brianclough.com/boro_statue.htm |title=Middlesbrough'S Statue |publisher=Brianclough.com |date=16 May 2007 |access-date=11 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329203552/http://www.brianclough.com/boro_statue.htm |archive-date=29 March 2009 }}</ref> He later admitted in his autobiography, ''Walking on Water'', that he had neglected his lessons in favour of sport, although at school he became Head Boy. He also said that cricket, rather than football, was his first love as a youngster, and that he would have rather scored a test century at [[Lord's]] than a hat-trick at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]]. He left school in 1950 without any qualifications, to work at [[Imperial Chemical Industries|ICI]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ltlf.co.uk/managers/clough_brian.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060504033417/http://www.ltlf.co.uk/managers/clough_brian.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 May 2006 |title=lost that loving feeling – Brian Clough, 1935–2004 |publisher=Ltlf.co.uk |date=21 March 1935 |access-date=11 July 2009 }}</ref> and did his [[National Service Act 1948|national service]] in the [[RAF Regiment]] between 1953 and 1955.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_brian_clough.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802011429/http://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_brian_clough.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 August 2012 |title=British Armed Forces & National Service |publisher=Britisharmedforces.org |access-date=11 July 2009 }}</ref>

== Playing career ==
[[File:England national football team, 28 October 1959.jpg|thumb|280px|Clough (seated, second from right) with the [[England national football team]] at Wembley Stadium, 28 October 1959.]]

{{Quote box|quote="I played with some great players and I think Cloughie was a great finisher. He was a powerful lad and both his timing and positional play were excellent. You placed him in that bracket as [[Roger Hunt]], but in more modern terms he was very similar to [[Mark Hughes]] when it came to volleying. The one thing, right or wrong, that he insisted on was that he played down the middle because, he reasoned, that was where he scored, not out wide so why should I run wide. That was his only failing. When he played for England he wanted people to play like Boro did but when you've got people around like [[Bobby Charlton]] and [[Jimmy Greaves]], you can't tell those guys I will just stop in the middle."|source=— Clough's Middlesbrough teammate [[Alan Peacock]].<ref name="robstewart">{{cite web | url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/derby-county/5060483/Brian-Clough-a-man-not-afraid-to-make-enemies.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/derby-county/5060483/Brian-Clough-a-man-not-afraid-to-make-enemies.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | title= Brian Clough: a man not afraid to make enemies| first=Rob | last=Stewart | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | date=27 March 2009 | access-date=15 April 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>|width=35%|align=right}}
Clough played for Great Broughton Juniors and, while working for ICI, [[Billingham Synthonia F.C.|Billingham Synthonia]] (scoring three goals in four games<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.synners.co.uk/history/ | title=Club history | publisher=BSFC | access-date=29 May 2021 | archive-date=6 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006221511/https://www.synners.co.uk/history/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>) before his [[national service]] in the [[RAF]] between 1953 and 1955. He combined playing football in the forces, though he was never selected for the [[RAF]] National team,<ref name = "forces">{{cite web | title=Brian Howard Clough, MBE | url=https://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_brian_clough.htm | publisher=British Armed Forces | access-date=29 May 2021}}<br />{{cite web | url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brian-clough-derby-forest-birthday-3972439.amp | title=Whip round' – Derby County fans share their favourite Brian Clough stories | work=[[Derby Telegraph]] | date=22 March 2020 | access-date=29 May 2021}}</ref> and playing for the [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Boro]] third team when on leave.<ref name = "forces"/>

===Middlesbrough===
Following this, he became a prolific striker for his home town club [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] since his debut in the [[1955–56 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1955–56 season]] and an impressive [[1956–57 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1956–57 season]] now as starter, scoring 204 goals in 222 league matches for Boro,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web | url=http://www.brianclough.com/new_page_4.htm | title=Brian Clough's career information from brianclough.com | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406162657/http://www.brianclough.com/new_page_4.htm | archive-date=6 April 2008 }}</ref> including 40 or more goals in four consecutive seasons, being [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] topscorer in two of them: [[1958–59 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1958–59]] and [[1959–60 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1959–60]]. However, Clough also regularly submitted transfer requests since the [[1957–58 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1957–58 season]] and had a tense relationship with some of his fellow players. He was especially irked by Boro's leaky defence, which conceded goals as regularly as he scored them. In the [[1960–61 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1960–61 season]] after a 6–6 draw against [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]], Clough sarcastically asked his teammates how many goals they would have to score in order to win a match.<ref name="robstewart"/> He also publicly accused some of his teammates of betting against the team and deliberately letting in goals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.middlesbrough-mad.co.uk/feat/edx5/brian_clough_21448/index.shtml |title=Brian Clough |publisher=Middlesbrough-mad.co.uk |date=31 October 2001 |access-date=14 June 2012}}</ref> While at Middlesbrough, Clough became acquainted with goalkeeper [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]], with whom he would later form a successful managerial partnership at several clubs. 

===Sunderland===

In July 1961, one of Clough's transfer requests was finally accepted and he moved to Boro's [[Tees–Wear derby|local rivals]] [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] for £55,000 scoring 34 goals in the [[1961–62 Sunderland A.F.C. season|1961–62 season]]. With Sunderland, Clough scored a total of 63 goals in 74 matches.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> In the [[1962–63 Sunderland A.F.C. season|1962–63]] season, Clough had scored 24 league goals by December as Sunderland pushed for promotion. In a match against [[Bury F.C.|Bury]] at [[Roker Park]] on 26 December 1962, in icy conditions and torrential rain, Clough was put through on goal and collided with goalkeeper, [[Chris Harker (footballer)|Chris Harker]]. Clough tore the [[medial collateral ligament|medial]] and [[cruciate ligament]]s in his knee, an injury which in that era usually ended a player's career. He returned two years later, but could manage only three games and then retired from playing at the age of 29.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0253-0d81cad2d50b-a149110db9bb-1000--in-profile-brian-clough/|title=In profile: Brian Clough|publisher=UEFA|date=28 August 2016|access-date=20 September 2018}}</ref>

Clough's manager at Sunderland was [[Alan Brown (English footballer)|Alan Brown]], a disciplinarian credited as a big influence on Clough. Brown inspired fear, imposed a strict code of conduct and would fine players for minor transgressions. He once upbraided Clough for talking to a friend during a training session. Such traits would later be adopted by Clough himself when he became a manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/championsleague/archive/2010/01/27/the-men-who-made-brian-clough.aspx |title=The men who made Brian Clough |publisher=Fourfourtwo.com |access-date=14 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629083949/http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/championsleague/archive/2010/01/27/the-men-who-made-brian-clough.aspx |archive-date=29 June 2012 }}</ref>

Of the players who have scored over 200 goals in the English leagues, Clough has the highest goals-per-game ratio of 0.916,<ref>using data from https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops-allt.html</ref> and has the second highest ratio in the [[List of footballers in England and Scotland by number of league goals|list that includes the Scottish leagues]].

===England===
Clough played twice for the [[England national football team]], against [[Wales national football team|Wales]] on 17 October 1959 and [[Sweden men's national football team|Sweden]] on 28 October 1959, without scoring, although hitting the crossbar and post against Sweden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1946-60/1959-60/M0336Swe1959.html|title=England Match No. 336 – Sweden – 28 October 1959 – Match Summary and Report|website=www.englandfootballonline.com|accessdate=13 March 2025}}</ref>

==Management career==

=== <!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an 'S', at the time -->Hartlepools United===
After a short spell coaching the [[Sunderland A.F.C. Reserves and Academy|Sunderland youth team]], in October 1965, Clough was offered the manager's job at <!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an 'S', at the time --> [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepools United]] (from 1977 the club became known as Hartlepool United). He accepted and immediately asked [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]] (then managing non-league [[Burton Albion F.C.|Burton Albion]]) to join him as his assistant. At the age of 30, Clough was then the youngest manager in the league. Hartlepools were perennial strugglers and had repeatedly had to apply for re-election to the Football League, having finished in the bottom two of the Fourth Division five times in the past six seasons. Such was the club's perilous financial state in the [[1965–66 Hartlepools United F.C. season|1965–66 season]], Clough had to tour local pubs raising money to keep the club afloat and even applied for a coach driver's licence to drive the team to away matches.

On 15 November 1966, the then chairman, Ernest Ord, who was known for playing mind games with managers, sacked Clough's assistant Peter Taylor, claiming he could not afford to pay him anymore. Clough refused to accept it so Ord sacked him as well. However, there was a boardroom [[coup d'état|coup]] where the other board members refused to ratify the two sackings and which instead saw Ord ousted as chairman. Both Clough and Taylor were reinstated. Hartlepools' fortunes gradually improved and the club finished in a creditable eighth place in [[1966–67 Hartlepools United F.C. season|1966–67]]. Their Hartlepools team featured three players who would play for Clough and Taylor at other clubs in the future: [[Les Green]], who would be goalkeeper in Derby's promotion-winning side of 1969, [[Tony Parry]] who Clough signed for Derby in 1972 in what is seen as a helpful gesture to his former club who needed funds from transfers and a 16-year-old [[John McGovern (footballer, born 1949)|John McGovern]], who would later be signed by Clough at Derby County, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, winning several major trophies in the process. On 14 May 1967, the two men then joined [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] side [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] as manager and assistant manager. They took charge on 1 June 1967. In the following season, Hartlepools were promoted for the first time in their history.

===Derby County===
[[File:Brian Clough and Peter Taylor Statue Derby.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Brian Clough and Peter Taylor Statue at Pride Park]]

Derby County had been rooted in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] for a decade before Clough's arrival, and had been outside the top flight for a further five years, their only major trophy being the [[FA Cup]] in 1946.

In Clough's [[1967–68 Derby County F.C. season|first season]], the club finished one place lower than in the previous season, but he had started to lay the foundations for his future success by signing several new players, among them [[Roy McFarland]], [[John O'Hare]], [[John McGovern (footballer, born 1949)|John McGovern]], [[Alan Hinton]] and Les Green. Of the inherited squad, 11 players departed and only four were retained: [[Kevin Hector]], [[Alan Durban]], [[Ron Webster]] and [[Colin Boulton]]. Clough also sacked the club secretary, the groundsman and the chief scout, along with two tea ladies he caught laughing after a Derby defeat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/mar/11/brian-clough-film |title=David Lacey on one of Britain's greatest football managers |work=The Guardian |location=London |date= 11 March 2009|access-date=11 July 2009 }}</ref> With the additional signings of [[Dave Mackay (footballer born 1934)|Dave Mackay]] and [[Willie Carlin]] in [[1968–69 Derby County F.C. season|1968–69]], Clough and Taylor's management led Derby to become champions of the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], establishing the club record of 22 matches without defeat on the way and the team was promoted to the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] for the [[1969–70 Derby County F.C. season|1969–70 season]].

Clough was universally seen as a hard but fair manager, who insisted on clean play from his players and brooked no stupid questions from the press. He insisted on being called "Boss" and earned great respect from his peers for his ability to turn a game to his and his team's advantage. Derby's first season back in the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] saw them finish fourth, their best league finish for over twenty years, but, due to financial irregularities, the club was banned from Europe the following season and fined £10,000.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

In [[1970–71 Derby County F.C. season|1970–71]], the club finished ninth. In February 1971, Clough bolstered his squad by signing [[Colin Todd]] for a British record £175,000 on the same day Clough had denied that Derby were about to buy Todd. In the [[1971–72 Derby County F.C. season|1971–72]] season, after tussling with [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] and [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] for the title, Derby finally topped the league table by one point after playing their final match, a 1–0 win over Liverpool. [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] did temporarily top the league after playing their last match, but had a slim chance of winning the title due to outstanding fixtures between the clubs directly below them. Peter Taylor took the players on holiday to [[Majorca]] as the clubs beneath them played their final matches. Clough was not with the squad, instead holidaying in the [[Isles of Scilly]] with his family and elderly parents. Both Liverpool and Leeds United had a chance to overtake Derby by winning their final matches (played a week later due to fixture congestion) but Leeds lost to [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]] and Liverpool drew at [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], meaning Derby were league champions for the first time in their 88-year history. The team and management were on holiday when receiving the news they were champions.

====Feud with the Derby County board of directors====

On 27 April 1972, less than two weeks before taking Derby to the league title, Clough and Taylor had briefly resigned for a few hours to manage [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]] before changing their minds after Longson offered them more money.

In August 1972, Clough refused to go on an arranged pre-season tour of the Netherlands and [[West Germany]] unless he could take his family with him. Derby chairman Sam Longson told him that it was a working trip and not a holiday, so Clough put Taylor in charge of the tour instead and refused to go. The club did not contest the [[1972 FA Charity Shield|FA Charity Shield]] that year.

On 24 August 1972, Clough and Taylor signed [[David Nish]] from [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] for a then-record transfer fee of £225,000, without consulting the Derby board.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bob.dunning/thirty27.htm |title=Thirty Years Ago – August 1972 |publisher=Dspace.dial.pipex.com |date=9 January 2005 |access-date=29 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418202326/http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bob.dunning/thirty27.htm |archive-date=18 April 2010 }}</ref> Afterwards, Jack Kirkland, a director, warned Clough and Taylor there would be no more expensive buys like Nish. Then, in early September 1972, after the team had defeated [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] 2–1 at the [[Baseball Ground]], Clough criticised the Derby County fans, stating that "They started chanting only near the end when we were a goal in front. I want to hear them when we are losing. They are a disgraceful lot". In the same interview, Clough also verbally attacked the club's board of directors for their policies. The following day, board chairman Sam Longson apologised to the fans and dissociated himself from Clough's remarks.

That [[1972–73 Derby County F.C. season|1972–73 season]], Derby failed to retain their title, finishing seventh, but reached the semi-finals of the [[1972–73 European Cup|European Cup]] in April 1973, when they were knocked out by [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] 3–1 on aggregate.<ref>{{cite news|language=it|url=http://www.archiviolastampa.it/component/option,com_lastampa/task,search/action,viewer/Itemid,3/page,0009/articleid,1499_02_1974_0093A_0025_23123597/|title=La Juve era già assolta|work=La Stampa |location=Italy|page=9|date=22 April 1974|access-date=11 April 2011}}</ref> During the first leg in [[Turin]], Clough was aggrieved by the performance of the match referee, whom he believed had been influenced and possibly bribed to favour the Italian side.<ref>{{harvnb|Clough|2002|pp=201–203}}</ref> After the game, Clough refused to speak to the Italian reporters, saying: "No cheating bastards do I talk to. I will not talk to any cheating bastards". He instructed [[Brian Glanville]] to translate what he had said to them<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/sep/21/guardianobituaries.football | title = Obituary: Brian Glanville | date = 21 September 2004 | first = Brian | last = Glanville |work=The Guardian |location=London | access-date =11 April 2011 }}</ref> and questioned the Italian nation's courage in the [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Philip |first=Robert |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2295033/Brian-Cloughs-words-and-deeds-still-stand-out.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2295033/Brian-Cloughs-words-and-deeds-still-stand-out.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Brian Clough's words and deeds still stand out |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 March 2008 |access-date=11 July 2009 | location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

It was these sorts of frequent, outspoken comments – particularly against football's establishment, such as the [[The Football Association|FA]] and club directors, and figures in the game such as [[Matt Busby]], [[Alan Hardaker]], [[Alf Ramsey]], [[Don Revie]] and Len Shipman, along with players such as [[Billy Bremner]], [[Norman Hunter (footballer)|Norman Hunter]] and [[Peter Lorimer]] – combined with Clough's increased media profile, that eventually led to his falling out with the Rams' chairman, Sam Longson, and the Derby County board of directors.

On 5 August 1973, Clough put his name to an article in the ''[[Sunday Express]]'' headlined "I Would Put Leeds in Division Two – Brian Clough lashes Soccer's bosses for letting off Don Revie's 'bad boys,'"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Definitive History of Leeds United – 1972/73 – Part 3 – The Revie-Clough wrangle |url=http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/seasons/197273part3.htm |website=www.mightyleeds.co.uk |access-date=5 May 2021}}</ref> which savaged [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]'s disciplinary record, stating that Revie should be fined for encouraging his players in their unsporting behaviour and Leeds relegated to the Second Division. Clough also said that "The men who run football have missed the most marvellous chance of cleaning up the game in one swoop" and went on to say "The trouble with football's disciplinary system is that those who sat in judgement being officials of other clubs might well have a vested interest."

Days afterwards, Clough was charged with bringing the game into disrepute, but he was cleared on 14 November after he had later resigned from Derby. In September 1973, Clough travelled to [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United's]] [[Boleyn Ground|Upton Park]] and personally made a £400,000 bid for [[Bobby Moore]], a player he long admired, and [[Trevor Brooking]]. West Ham manager [[Ron Greenwood]] informed Clough that neither was available but that he would pass his offer onto the West Ham board of directors anyway. Clough never told Derby's chairman, secretary or any other board members at Derby about the bid. Longson found out four months later during a chance conversation with Eddie Chapman, West Ham's secretary at the time, but by then Clough was no longer the Derby County manager.

====Resignation from Derby County====

During the [[1973–74 Derby County F.C. season|1973–74 season]], on 11 October 1973, Longson called for the sackings of both Clough and Taylor at a board meeting, but did not gain the support that was needed. Earlier that week, Longson had demanded that Clough stop writing newspaper articles and making television appearances, and prohibited both Clough and Taylor drinking alcohol on Derby County premises. Two days later, following a 1–0 win against [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] at [[Old Trafford]], club director Jack Kirkland demanded to know what Taylor's exact role within the club was, and instructed Taylor to meet him at the ground two days later to explain. On the same day, Longson accused Clough of making a [[V-sign]] at Matt Busby and chairman [[Louis Edwards]] and demanded that he apologise. Clough refused, and admitted later that he did make a V-sign, but it was aimed at Longson, not Busby or Edwards: he blamed Longson for providing too few tickets and seating for players' and staff's wives, including his own and Taylor's.

Clough and Taylor hoped to oust Longson as chairman, as they had done with Ord seven years earlier, but failed. Both Clough and Taylor resigned on the evening of 15 October 1973, and the resignation was accepted by Sam Longson the following morning, to widespread uproar from Rams fans, who demanded the board's resignation along with Clough and Taylor's reinstatement at the following home game against Leicester City four days later. That evening, Clough appeared on ''[[Parkinson (TV series)|Parkinson]]'' and attacked football directors for their apparent "lack of knowledge" of football.

That week, Clough, as a television football pundit, memorably called [[Poland national football team|Poland]] goalkeeper [[Jan Tomaszewski]] a "circus clown in gloves" before the crucial [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] qualifier with England at Wembley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/12/jan-tomaszewski-poland-clown|title=Jan Tomaszewski: A man haunted for ever after being called a clown|first=Maciej|last=Slominski|date=12 October 2013|website=The Guardian|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> The match, which England had to win in order to qualify for the [[1974 World Cup]] finals, ended 1–1, and Tomaszewski made numerous magnificent saves, some of them unconventionally, to ensure his nation qualified for the finals at England's expense. When commentator [[Brian Moore (commentator)|Brian Moore]] said "You call him a clown, Brian, but he saved his side", Clough insisted "Would you want him in your team every week?"{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

The six years at Derby County had brought Clough to the attention of the wider football world. According to James Lawton, "Derby was the wild making of Brian Clough. He went there a young and urgent manager who had done impressive work deep in his own little corner of the world at Hartlepools. He left surrounded by fascination and great celebrity: abrasive, infuriating, but plugged, immovably, into a vein of the nation."<ref>James Lawton, ''The Independent'', 10 January 2009</ref>

===Brighton & Hove Albion===
Such was the loyalty to Clough that, along with himself and Taylor, scouts and backroom staff completed the walk out, following the pair for their brief spell with [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1576977.stm |title=Obituary: Brian Clough |work=BBC News  |date=20 September 2004 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> He proved less successful on the south coast than with his previous club, winning only 12 of his 32 games in charge of the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] side. Whereas nineteen months earlier he led Derby County to the league title and eight months earlier Clough was managing a team playing Juventus in the European Cup, he was now managing a club who, just after his appointment as manager, lost to non-league [[Walton & Hersham F.C.|Walton & Hersham]] 4–0 at home in an FA Cup replay. On 1 December 1973, his side lost 8–2 at home to [[Bristol Rovers F.C.|Bristol Rovers]]. Brighton eventually finished in 19th place that [[1973–74 Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. season|1973–74 season]].

===Leeds United===
Clough left Brighton less than a year after his appointment, in July 1974, to become manager of [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]], following [[Don Revie]]'s departure to become manager of [[England national football team|England]], though this time Taylor did not join him. Clough's move was very surprising given his previous outspoken criticism of both Revie, for whom Clough made no secret of his deep disdain, and the successful Leeds team's playing style, which Clough had publicly branded "dirty" and "cheating".<ref>{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Paul |url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leedsunited/Leeds-United39s-John-McGovern-talks.4323434.jp |title=Leeds United's John McGovern talks about Brian Clough era |newspaper=Yorkshire Evening Post |access-date=11 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821100855/http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leedsunited/Leeds-United39s-John-McGovern-talks.4323434.jp |archive-date=21 August 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Furthermore, he had called for Leeds to be demoted to the Second Division as a punishment for their poor disciplinary record.

He lasted in the job only 44 days before he was sacked by the Leeds directors on 12 September 1974, after alienating many of Leeds' star players.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/03/27/brian-clough-in-pictures-re-live-his-44-days-at-leeds-united-115875-21232521/ |title=Brian Clough in pictures: Re-live his 44 days at Leeds United |work=Daily Mirror |location=UK |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> During one of the first training sessions he took for Leeds United, he reportedly said "You can all throw your medals in the bin because they were not won fairly."<ref>{{cite news|last=Robinson |first=Paul |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-ten-best-mass-insults-1799735.html?action=Popup&ino=8 |title=The Ten Best Mass Insults |work=The Independent |location=London |date= 9 October 2009|access-date=3 December 2013}}</ref> Until [[Darko Milanič]]'s winless six games in 2014,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29774801 |title=Darko Milanic: Leeds United part company with head coach |work=BBC Sport|date=25 October 2014}}</ref> he had the unenviable record of being Leeds United's least successful permanent manager, winning only one match from six games. Leeds were fourth from bottom in 19th position with only four points from a possible twelve, their worst start since their last relegation campaign fifteen years earlier. His pay-off was estimated at £98,000, a huge amount at the time.<ref>{{cite news|last=Allsop |first=Derick |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/leeds-united/5016364/The-Damned-United-Peter-Lorimer-Film-puts-record-straight-on-Brian-Cloughs-Leeds-reign.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/leeds-united/5016364/The-Damned-United-Peter-Lorimer-Film-puts-record-straight-on-Brian-Cloughs-Leeds-reign.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=The Damned United: Peter Lorimer: Film puts record straight on Brian Clough's Leeds reign |work=Daily Telegraph |publisher=Telegraph Media Group |date=19 March 2009 |access-date=19 August 2013 |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On the evening of his dismissal, Clough discussed his short reign at [[Elland Road]] with [[Yorkshire Television]]'s ''[[Calendar (News)|Calendar]]'' news programme. Revie also participated in the live broadcast, the two ex-managers spending as much time debating management practice with each other as with the host [[Austin Mitchell]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.itvlocal.com/yorkshire/sport/?player=YOR_Sport_15&void=105627 | title=Brian Clough & Don Revie interview, 1974 | work=ITV Local Yorkshire | access-date=29 July 2008 | archive-date=4 February 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204155928/http://www.itvlocal.com/yorkshire/sport/?player=YOR_Sport_15&void=105627 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Austin |title=Austin Mitchell / Brian Clough / Don Revie interview |url=https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2021-08-18/austin-mitchell-the-famous-brian-clough-and-don-revie-interview |access-date=2024-04-01}}</ref> Describing this televised interview as the culmination of the bitter rivalry between the two men, journalist Roger Hermiston stated: "It was like watching a bickering couple about to get a divorce."<ref>{{cite news |title=Revie and Clough: Boro boys who grew to be bitter enemies |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/books/revie-and-clough-boro-boys-who-grew-to-be-bitter-enemies-1-3269032 |access-date=23 May 2019 |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=8 April 2011 |archive-date=4 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604120012/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/books/revie-and-clough-boro-boys-who-grew-to-be-bitter-enemies-1-3269032 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Nottingham Forest===
Clough replaced [[Allan Brown (footballer, born 1926)|Allan Brown]] as manager of Nottingham Forest on 6 January 1975, just over sixteen weeks after the end of his 44-day tenure as manager of Leeds United.<ref name=miracle>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/oct/10/brian-clough-miracle-nottingham-forest-european-champions-film-jose-mourinho|title=Brian Clough and the miracle of Nottingham Forest|first=Daniel|last=Taylor|date=10 October 2015|website=The Guardian|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> Clough brought [[Jimmy Gordon (footballer, born 1915)|Jimmy Gordon]] to be his club trainer, as Gordon had been for him at Derby and Leeds.<ref name=gordon>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/17/brian-clough-jimmy-gordon-leeds-nottingham-forest-derby-county|title=The forgotten story of … Brian Clough's other right-hand man – Nick Miller|first=Nick|last=Miller|date=17 September 2014|website=The Guardian|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> Forest won Clough's first game in charge, an FA Cup third round replay against Tottenham Hotspur, with Scottish centre-forward [[Neil Martin (footballer)|Neil Martin]] scoring the only goal.<ref name=qos>{{cite web|url=https://www.qosfc.com/legends|title=QosFC: Queens Legends|website=www.qosfc.com|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref>

[[Ian Bowyer]] was already at Forest and had won domestic and European trophies with [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]. Clough signed Scottish duo [[John McGovern (footballer, born 1949)|John McGovern]] and [[John O'Hare]] in February from Leeds United, having been bought by Clough the previous year during his ill-fated 44-day managerial stint there; both players had been part of Clough's [[1971–72 Football League|title-winning]] team at Derby. He then brought [[John Robertson (footballer, born 1953)|John Robertson]] and [[Martin O'Neill]] back into the fold after they had requested transfers under Brown.<ref name=nffchist>{{cite web|url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/history-of-nffc/|title=History of NFFC – Nottingham Forest|website=www.nottinghamforest.co.uk|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> [[Viv Anderson]] had previously made his debut for the first team and became a regular under Clough.<ref name=guard>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/mar/05/viv-anderson-small-talk|title=Viv Anderson – Small Talk|first=Paolo|last=Bandini|date=5 March 2010|website=The Guardian|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> [[Tony Woodcock (footballer)|Tony Woodcock]], early in his career, was at Forest but was then unrated by Clough and was to be loaned to [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]].<ref name = "Lincoln">{{cite news|title=LINCOLN SPELL TURNED ME AROUND... says Woodcock|date=19 February 1984|access-date=17 July 2014|newspaper=New Sunday Times|publisher=New Straits Times Press|location=Kuala Lumpur|page=16|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LJJUAAAAIBAJ&pg=6640%2C3144066}}</ref> Forest were 13th in English football's second tier when Clough joined. They finished 16th at the end of the [[1974–75 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|season]]. Forest signed [[Frank Clark (footballer)|Frank Clark]] in July 1975 on a free transfer.<ref name=chronic>{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/how-newcastle-united-legend-frank-11865463|title=How Newcastle United legend Frank Clark celebrated his birthday – with a host of Geordie fans|first=John|last=Gibson|date=10 September 2016|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> The following [[1975–76 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1975–76 season]], Forest finished eighth in Clough's [[1975–76 Football League|first full season in charge]].<ref name=miracle/> It was in this season Clough made McGovern long standing club captain, taking over from a game in which [[Bob Chapman]] and [[Liam O'Kane]] were both injured.<ref name=mcg>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0kmSrRVXs0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211104/V0kmSrRVXs0| archive-date=4 November 2021 | url-status=live|title=My Forest story: John McGovern|last=NFFCTube|date=1 June 2015|access-date=3 April 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On 16 July 1976, [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]] re-joined Clough as his Assistant Manager, which he had been when winning the league at Derby.<ref name=miracle/> Taylor included being the club's talent spotter in his role. After assessing the players Taylor told Clough "that was a feat by you to finish eighth in the Second Division because some of them are only Third Division players".<ref name="T87">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=87}}</ref> Taylor berated [[John Robertson (footballer, born 1953)|John Robertson]] for allowing himself to become overweight and disillusioned. He got Robertson on a diet and training regime that would help him become a European Cup winner.<ref name="T88">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=88}}</ref> Taylor turned Woodcock from a reserve midfielder into a 42-cap England striker.<ref name="T90">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=90}}</ref> In September 1976, he bought striker [[Peter Withe]] to Forest for £43,000, selling him to [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] for £250,000 two years later.<ref name="T91">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=91}}</ref> Withe was eventually replaced in the starting team by [[Garry Birtles]] who Taylor had scouted playing for non-league [[Long Eaton United F.C.|Long Eaton United]]. Birtles also went on to represent England.<ref name="T104">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=104}}</ref> In October 1976, Clough, acting on Peter Taylor's advice, signed [[Larry Lloyd]] for £60,000 after an initial loan period.

Together Clough and Taylor took Forest to new heights. The first trophy of the Clough and Taylor reign was the [[1976–77 Anglo-Scottish Cup]]. Forest defeated [[Leyton Orient|Orient]] 5–1 on aggregate in the two-legged final played in December 1976.<ref name=miracle/> Clough valued winning a derided trophy as the club's first silverware since 1959. He said, "Those who said it was a nothing trophy were absolutely crackers. We'd won something, and it made all the difference."<ref name=espn78lc>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/story/1038054/rewind-to-1978-brian-clough-leads-forest-to-league-cup-glory|title=Old Big 'Ead ignites Forest fire|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref>

On 7 May, Alan Moore's own goal meant Forest in their last league game of the season defeated [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]] 1–0 at the City Ground.<ref name=mill76wall>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecityground.com/game.php?game_id=19770507|title=The City Ground|website=www.thecityground.com|access-date=19 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925215808/http://www.thecityground.com/game.php?game_id=19770507|archive-date=25 September 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> This kept Forest in the third promotion spot in the league table and dependent on [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] dropping points in three games in hand in the fight for third place.<ref name=res7677ult>{{cite web|url=http://stats.football.co.uk/results_fixtures/1976_1977/nottingham_forest/index.shtml|title=Nottingham Forest Results Fixtures 1976/1977|website=stats.football.co.uk|accessdate=13 April 2024}}</ref> On 14 May [[Kenny Hibbitt]]'s goal from his rehearsed free kick routine with [[Willie Carr]] gave Wolves a 1–0 win at Bolton.<ref name=mcg/><ref name=bol76ton>{{cite web|url=http://stats.football.co.uk/snapshot_tables/1976_1977/17/may/bolton_wanderers/index.shtml|title=Bolton Wanderers Historical Standings 17th May 1977|website=stats.football.co.uk}}</ref> Bolton's defeat reached the Forest team mid-air en route to an end of [[1976–77 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1976–77 season]] break in [[Mallorca]].<ref name=mcg/> Forest's third place promotion from the Second Division was the fifth-lowest points tally of any promoted team in history, 52<ref name=miracle/><ref name=nffchist/> (two points for a win in England until 1981).

Taylor secretly followed [[Kenny Burns]] and concluded Burns' reputation as a hard drinker and gambler was exaggerated. Taylor sanctioned his £150,000 July signing. Burns became [[FWA Footballer of the Year]] in [[1977–78 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1977–78]] after being moved from centre-forward to centre-back.<ref name=hooligan>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/11/nottingham-forest-brian-clough-i-believe-in-miracles|title=Signing 'a hooligan' and a Shankly team talk: how Clough set up Forest for title|first=Daniel|last=Taylor|date=11 November 2015|website=The Guardian|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="T96">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=96}}</ref> Forest started their return to the top league campaign with a 3–1 win at [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]. Three further wins in league and cup followed without conceding a goal. Then came five early September goals conceded in losing 3–0 at [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and defeating Wolves 3–2 at home.<ref name=f7778site>{{cite web|url=http://footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1977-78/ClubResults/1977-78NottinghamForest.html|title=footballsite – Nottingham Forest results 1977/78|website=footballsite.co.uk|access-date=3 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206005856/http://footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1977-78/ClubResults/1977-78NottinghamForest.html|archive-date=6 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Peter Shilton]] then signed for a record fee for a goalkeeper of £325,000. Taylor reasoned: "Shilton wins you matches."<ref name="Fuf">{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3758495.stm|title=Forest's unforgettable fairytale|last=Stevenson |first=Jonathan|date=21 September 2004|work=BBC Sport|access-date=18 May 2009}}</ref> 20 year old [[John Middleton (footballer, born 1956)|John Middleton]] was first team goalkeeper pre-Shilton. Middleton later in the month went in part exchange with £25,000 to Derby County for [[Archie Gemmill]] transferring to Forest.<ref name=worldf>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/match-report/ma575715/lineup/|title=Derby County – Leeds United 2:2 (Premier League 1977/1978, 6. Round)|website=worldfootball.net|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> Gemmill was another Scottish former 1972 Derby title winner.<ref name=hooligan/><ref name=gemm>{{cite web|url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/nottingham-forest-fc/archie-gemmill-5060/league-appearances-for-forest_a14705/|title=Archie GEMMILL – League appearances for Forest. – Nottingham Forest FC|website=Sporting Heroes|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref>

Forest lost only three of their first sixteen league games, the last of which was at Leeds United on 19 November 1977. They lost only one further game all season, an 11 March FA Cup sixth round defeat at [[West Bromwich Albion]].<ref name=f7778site/> Forest won the [[1977–78 Football League]], seven points ahead of runners-up [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. Forest became one of the few teams (and the most recent team to date) to win the First Division title the season after winning promotion from the Second Division.<ref group="nb">The others were [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] in 1906, [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] in 1932, Tottenham Hotspur in 1951 and [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]] in 1962. Forest remain the only club to achieve this feat having not been promoted as champions.</ref> This made Clough the third of four managers to win the [[List of English football champions|English league championship]] with two different clubs.<ref group="notes">The others are [[Tom Watson (football manager)|Tom Watson]], [[Herbert Chapman]] and [[Kenny Dalglish]].</ref> Forest conceded just 24 goals in 42 league games.<ref name="Fuf" /> They defeated Liverpool 1–0 in the [[1978 Football League Cup Final]] replay, despite cup-tied Shilton, Gemmill and December signing [[David Needham]] not playing.<ref name="T113">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=113}}</ref> [[Chris Woods]] chalked up two clean sheets in the final covering Shilton's league cup absence. McGovern missed the replay through injury, and Burns lifted the trophy as the stand-in captain. Robertson's penalty was the only goal of the game.<ref name=espn78lc/><ref name=lg78cup>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/tournaments/tournament.sd?tourn_id=508|title=English League Cup Betting – 1977/78 – Soccer Base|website=www.soccerbase.com|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref>

Forest started season [[1978–79 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1978–79]] by defeating [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]] 5–0 for an [[FA Community Shield]] record win.<ref name=miracle/> In the [[1978–79 European Cup]] they were drawn to play the trophy winners of the two previous seasons, Liverpool. Home goals by Birtles and [[Colin Barrett]] put Forest through 2–0 on aggregate.<ref name=forliv>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/63471--nottm-forest-vs-liverpool/|title=UCL – Matches|last=UEFA.com|website=[[UEFA]]|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> On 9 December 1978 Liverpool ended Forest's 42 match undefeated league run dating back to the November the year before.<ref name=miracle/> The undefeated run was the equivalent of a whole season, surpassing the previous record of 35 games held by [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] in 1920–21.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stevenson |first=Jonathan |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3582930.stm |title=Wenger repeats Clough feat |work=BBC News  |date=23 August 2004 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> The record stood until it was surpassed by Arsenal in August 2004, a month before Clough's death. [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] played [[The Invincibles (football)#Arsenal|49 league games without defeat]].<ref name=invince>{{cite web|url=https://www.arsenal.com/history/club-records/the-unbeaten-record|title=49 Unbeaten|website=www.arsenal.com|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref>

In February 1979, Taylor authorised the English game's first £1&nbsp;million transfer, signing [[Trevor Francis]] from [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]].<ref name="T124">{{harvnb|Taylor|1980|p=124}}</ref> In the April European Cup semi final home first leg against [[1. FC Köln]], Forest were two goals behind after twenty minutes. Forest scored three to edge ahead, but Köln equalised. Thus the German side started the second leg ahead on the away goals rule. [[Ian Bowyer]]'s goal, the only one of the game, put Forest through. [[Günter Netzer]] asked afterwards, "Who is this McGovern? I have never heard of him, yet he ran the game." Forest defeated [[Malmö FF|Malmö]] 1–0 in Munich's [[Olympic Stadium (Munich)|Olympiastadion]] in the [[1979 European Cup Final]]. Francis on his European debut scored with a back post header from Robertson's cross. In addition, Forest defeated [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] in the final 3–2 to retain the League Cup. Birtles scored twice, and Woodcock once. Forest finished second in the [[1978–79 Football League]], eight points behind Liverpool.

[[File:Nottingham Forest FC (Amsterdam, 1980) - Francis, Clough, Robertson.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Trevor Francis]], Brian Clough and [[John Robertson (footballer, born 1953)|John Robertson]] in 1980]]

In the [[1979–80 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1979–80 season]] Forest declined to play in the home and away [[1979 Intercontinental Cup]] against Paraguay's [[Club Olimpia]]. Forest defeated [[F.C. Barcelona]] 2–1 on aggregate in the [[1979 European Super Cup]] in January and February 1980. [[Charlie George]] scored the only goal in the home first leg. Burns scored an equaliser in the return in Spain.<ref name=esc79>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/season=1979/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140929165926/http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/season=1979/|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 September 2014|title=UEFA Super Cup – 1979: Burns' night for Forest|last=UEFA.com|website=[[UEFA]]|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> In the [[1979–80 Football League Cup]], Forest reached a third successive final. A defensive mix up between Needham and Shilton let Wolves' [[Andy Gray (footballer, born 1955)|Andy Gray]] tap in to an empty net. Forest missed numerous scoring chances and lost 1–0.<ref name=lc80f>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5pLX1RA1vg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211104/L5pLX1RA1vg| archive-date=4 November 2021 | url-status=live|title=15/03/1980 Wolverhampton W v Nottingham Forest|last=gr8footy|date=21 December 2013|access-date=3 April 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In the [[1979–80 European Cup]] quarter final, Forest won 3–1 at [[Berliner FC Dynamo|Dynamo Berlin]] to overturn a 1–0 home defeat. In the semi-final they defeated [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] 2–1 on aggregate. They defeated [[Hamburger SV|Hamburg]] 1–0 in the [[1980 European Cup Final]] at Madrid's [[Santiago Bernabéu Stadium]] to retain the trophy. Robertson scored after exchanging passes with Birtles.<ref name="ue80fa">{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/52681--nottm-forest/ |title="Nottingham Forest 1979/80" uefa.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205194729/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1979/clubs/club=52681/matches/index.html |archive-date=5 December 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> Forest finished fifth in the [[1979–80 Football League]].

The next [[1980–81 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1980–81 season]] in the [[1980–81 European Cup|European Cup]] first round, Forest lost 2–0 on aggregate, losing 1–0 both at home and away to CSKA Sofia.<ref name="sofia">{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/52681--nottm-forest/ |title=Nottingham Forest FC 1980/81 uefa.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205201726/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1980/clubs/club=52681/matches/index.html |archive-date=5 December 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> McGovern subsequently said the double defeat by CSKA affected the team's self-confidence, in that they had lost out to "modestly talented" opponents.<ref name=mcg/> Forest lost the [[1980 European Super Cup]] on away goals after a 2–2 aggregate draw against [[Valencia C.F.|Valencia]], with Bowyer scoring both Forest goals in the home first leg.<ref name=vcf>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/season=1980/#/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228092217/http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/season=1980/#/|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 February 2017|title=UEFA Super Cup – 1980: Valencia profit from Felman's fortune|last=UEFA.com|website=[[UEFA]]|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> On 11 February 1981, Forest lost 1–0 in the [[1980 Intercontinental Cup]] against Uruguayan side [[Club Nacional de Football]]. The match was played for the first time at the neutral venue [[National Stadium (Tokyo, 1958)|National Stadium]] in [[Tokyo]] before 62,000 fans.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/toyota80.html
| title = Intercontinental Club Cup 1980
| first = Osvaldo
| last = Gorgazzi
| date = 13 February 2005
| website = [[RSSSF]]
| access-date = 5 December 2017
}}</ref>

The League and European Cup winning squad was broken up to capitalise on player sale value. Clough and Taylor both later said this was a mistake.<ref name=gordon/> The rebuilt side, comprising youngsters and signings such as [[Ian Wallace (footballer, born 1956)|Ian Wallace]], [[Raimondo Ponte]] and [[Justin Fashanu]], did not challenge for trophies. Taylor said in [[1981–82 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1982]],<ref name=taylorret>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVWksGGpSMk| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420154453/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVWksGGpSMk&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=20 April 2020 | url-status=dead|title=Peter Taylor Leaves Nottingham Forest 1982|last=Forest TV|date=31 December 2016|access-date=3 April 2018|via=YouTube}}</ref>{{blockquote|"For many weeks now I don't believe I've been doing justice to the partnership and I certainly haven't been doing justice to Nottingham Forest the way I felt. And consequently after a great deal of thought, there was no option. I wanted to take an early retirement. That's exactly what I've done."}} Jimmy Gordon retired in the same close season.<ref name=gordon/>

After clinching a decent fifth place in the [[1982–83 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1982–83 season]], the next campaign [[1983–84 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1983–84]] the club -returning to the continental competitions after two years- was defeated by [[R.S.C. Anderlecht|Anderlecht]] in the [[1983–84 UEFA Cup|UEFA Cup]] semi finals in controversial circumstances. Several contentious refereeing decisions went against Forest. Over a decade later it emerged that before the match the referee Guruceta Muro received a £27,000 "loan" from Anderlecht's chairman [[Constant Vanden Stock]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/42383.stm |title=Forest sues Anderlecht over '84 bribery scandal |work=BBC News |date=24 December 1997 |access-date=14 June 2012}}</ref> In 1997 UEFA subsequently banned Anderlecht for one year from European competition. Muro died in a car crash in 1987.<ref>{{cite news|first=Catherine |last=Riley |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-after-13-years-anderlecht-are-punished-by-uefa-1240826.html |title=Football: After 13 years Anderlecht are punished by Uefa |work= [[The Independent]] |date=23 September 1997 |accessdate= 7 June 2013}}</ref>

After three seasons ([[1984–85 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1984–85]], [[1985–86 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1985–86]] and [[1986–87 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1986–87]]) without trophies, Forest defeated [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] on penalties in the [[Football League Centenary Tournament]] final in April 1988 after drawing 0–0.<ref name=cent>{{cite web|url=http://www.itsroundanditswhite.co.uk/articles/the-mercantile-credit-football-festival|title=The Mercantile Credit Football Festival|date=24 January 2013|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> Forest finished third in the league in the [[1987–88 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1987–88 season]] and reached the [[1987–88 FA Cup|FA Cup semi-finals]]. [[Stuart Pearce]] won the first of his five successive selections for the [[PFA Team of the Year]].

On 18 January 1989, Clough joined the fray of a City Ground pitch invasion by hitting two of his own team's fans when on the pitch. The football authorities fined Clough and issued him with a touchline ban.<ref name=qpr>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/may/22/seven-deadly-sins-football-lust-part-two|title=Seven deadly sins of football: Lust – from Antonio Cassano to a Dutch pool party|date=21 May 2009|website=The Guardian|access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> Forest defeated QPR 5–2 in that [[1988–89 Football League Cup]] tie.<ref name=for8889est>{{cite web|url=http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1988-89/ClubResults/1988-89.NottmForest.html|title=footballsite – Nottingham Forest results 1988/89|website=www.footballsite.co.uk|access-date=3 April 2018|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051540/http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1988-89/ClubResults/1988-89.NottmForest.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Forest defeated Everton 4–3 after extra time in the 1989 [[Full Members Cup]] final. They came back to defeat Luton Town 3–1 in the [[1989 Football League Cup Final|League Cup final]]. [[Nigel Clough]] scored two and [[Neil Webb]] one. Forest chased a unique cup treble in the [[1988–89 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1988–89 season]], but tragedy struck a week after the League Cup win. Forest and Liverpool met for the second season in a row in the FA Cup semi-finals. The [[Hillsborough disaster]] claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool fans, and the match was abandoned after six minutes. When the rescheduled game took place, Forest struggled and Liverpool won 3–1. Forest finished third in the First Division for a second successive year. However, they were unable to compete in the [[UEFA Cup]] as English clubs were still banned from European competitions following the [[Heysel Stadium Disaster]]. [[Des Walker]] won the first of his four successive selections for the PFA Team of the Year.

[[Nigel Jemson]] scored as Forest defeated [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]] 1–0 to retain the League Cup in 1990. Clough reached his only [[1991 FA Cup Final|FA Cup final]] in 1991. Pearce put Forest ahead after sixteen minutes, direct from a free kick against Tottenham Hotspur at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]]. Spurs won 2–1 after an extra-time own goal by Walker. [[Roy Keane]] declared himself fit to play in the final and was selected in preference to [[Steve Hodge]]. Keane later admitted he was not fit to play and that was why he had such an insignificant role in the final.<ref>"Keane; The Autobiography". Roy Keane, Penguin Publishing Group, {{ISBN|9780718193997}}</ref> English clubs were re-admitted to Europe for the [[1990-91 in English football|1990–91 season]]. English places in the competition were initially limited. 1990 League Cup winners Forest were not included. The only [[UEFA Cup]] place that season went to league runners-up [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]].

In the summer of 1991, [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]'s league top scorer [[Teddy Sheringham]] set Forest's record signing fee at £2.1&nbsp;million. In that [[1991–92 in English football|1991–92]] season Forest defeated Southampton 3–2 after extra time in the Full Members Cup Final. [[Brian McClair]]'s solitary Manchester United goal defeated Forest in the [[1992 Football League Cup Final]]. Forest had played in seven domestic cup finals at Wembley in five seasons, winning five. Forest finished eighth in the league that season to earn a place in the new [[FA Premier League]].

Walker transferred in the summer 1992 to Italian side [[U.C. Sampdoria|Sampdoria]]. On 16 August 1992, Forest defeated Liverpool 1–0 at home in the first ever televised live Premier League game. Sheringham scored the only goal against Liverpool. Only one week later, Sheringham transferred to Tottenham. Forest's form slumped, meaning Clough's 18-year managerial reign ended in May 1993 with Forest relegated from the inaugural Premier League.<ref name=mole>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/liverpool/on-this-day/feature/otd-sheringham-nets-historic-goal_171318.html|title=On this day: Teddy Sheringham nets first televised Premier League goal – Sports Mole|website=amp.sportsmole.co.uk|date=16 August 2014 |access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> In the final game of the season away to [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich]], Forest lost 2–1, with Clough's son, [[Nigel Clough|Nigel]], scoring the last goal of the Brian Clough era at Nottingham Forest.<ref name=nffchist/> Relegation was followed by Keane's £3.75&nbsp;million then-British record fee transfer to Manchester United.

===Links with other jobs===
Clough was a popular choice to be appointed [[England national football team manager|England manager]] throughout the 1970s and 1980s. However, it was widely felt that the FA were unwilling to consider appointing him on account of his numerous outspoken comments about the English football authorities. He was interviewed for the job twice, in 1977 and 1982, but lost out to [[Ron Greenwood]] and [[Bobby Robson]] respectively. Such was the demand for Clough to be given the job that incumbent manager Robson told then-FA chairman Sir [[Bert Millichip]]: 'I'm having a rough time and everybody wants Brian – give the job to him. If he's successful, everybody's happy. If he fails, that's the end of the clamour for Brian Clough to be England manager'."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3691056.stm |title=Players lead Clough tribute |work=BBC News |date=26 September 2004 |access-date=14 June 2012}}</ref>

Clough was still a popular choice to be given the job of England manager before [[Graham Taylor]]'s appointment in 1990.<ref name="Brian Clough Obituary">{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1472206/Brian-Clough.html| title=Brian Clough | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=21 September 2004}}</ref> Clough himself quipped: "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."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3674210.stm |title=Clough in his own words |work=BBC News |date=20 September 2004 |access-date=14 June 2012}}</ref> He has been called the "greatest manager England never had."<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/> In 1977, Clough was reportedly interested in the [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] manager's job, but [[Gordon Lee (footballer)|Gordon Lee]] was appointed instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/david-prentice-brian-clough-greatest-3458090|title=DAVID PRENTICE: Brian Clough was the greatest manager Everton never had|last=Prentice|first=David|date=27 March 2009|website=liverpoolecho|access-date=14 January 2019}}</ref>

Following [[Mike England]]'s dismissal as manager of [[Wales national football team|Wales]] in February 1988, Clough was offered the position as manager of Wales on a part-time basis, something later done with [[John Toshack]]. Clough was keen on the chance to become an international manager, but the directors of Nottingham Forest refused to let him split his loyalties.<ref name="Brian Clough Obituary"/> According to Hamish Woodward writing in ''Atletifo Sports'', Clough used the Wales job to earn himself an improved contract with Nottingham Forest.<ref>{{cite web|last=Woodward|first=Hamish|date=2 July 2021|title=When Brian Clough Almost Took Charge of Wales|url=https://atletifo.com/football/brian-clough-wales/|access-date=8 July 2021|website=Atletifo Sports}}</ref> In April 1986, Clough had declared that he intended to spend the rest of his managerial career with Nottingham Forest.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clough to end career at Forest|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7ZNUAAAAIBAJ&pg=3575,962803&dq=brian-clough&hl=en|date=4 April 1986|newspaper=New Straits Times}}</ref> In June 1986, Clough was linked with the job of Scotland manager, but the vacancy was filled by [[Andy Roxburgh]] (a long-serving member of the Scotland coaching set-up) instead. Clough had also been linked with the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] job the previous year, before it was filled by fellow Englishman [[Jack Charlton]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YNJAAAAAIBAJ&pg=6630,3393659&dq=manchester-united+ferguson&hl=en|title=Fergie steps down|newspaper=Evening Times|location=Glasgow|date=16 June 1986}}</ref>

===Rift with Peter Taylor===
[[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]], Clough's friend and long-time assistant at <!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an S, at the time -->
Hartlepools<!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an S, at the time -->, Derby, Brighton and Forest, retired from football in 1982, bringing to an end their partnership. Several events had strained their friendship in the past: while at Derby, Taylor was riled when he learned that Clough had accepted a pay rise from Sam Longson without telling him; Taylor did not get one. Then, in 1980, Taylor released a book, ''With Clough, By Taylor'', which detailed their partnership, but he had not told Clough that he was writing the book.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/an-ode-to-peter-taylor-a-man-who-history-has-done-a-great-disservice/|accessdate=8 September 2021|title=An ode to Peter Taylor, a man who history has done a great disservice |website=Planet Football | date=15 August 2019 | first=Seb |last=Stafford-Bloor}}</ref> Six months after retiring, Taylor was appointed Derby County manager. When their teams met in the FA Cup third round on 8 January 1983 at the Baseball Ground, the two managers ignored each other and did not speak. Derby County won the match 2–0.

When Taylor signed [[John Robertson (footballer born 1953)|John Robertson]] from Forest without informing Clough on 21 May 1983, it was, according to Robertson, "the straw that broke the camel's back"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Robbo-Clough-Taylor-rift-fault/story-13503051-detail/story.html |title=Robbo: Clough, Taylor rift not my fault |publisher=Thisisderbyshire.co.uk |date=7 October 2011 |access-date=14 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505113257/http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Robbo-Clough-Taylor-rift-fault/story-13503051-detail/story.html%23axzz2SPuqlyzo |archive-date=5 May 2013 }}</ref> and the two men would never speak again. In a tabloid article, Clough called Taylor a "snake in the grass" and declared that "if his car broke down and I saw him thumbing a lift, I wouldn't pick him up, I'd run him over."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Partnership-Clough-Taylor/story-12175063-detail/story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120917131436/http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Partnership-Clough-Taylor/story-12175063-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 September 2012 |title=The Partnership: Clough and Taylor |publisher=Thisisnottingham.co.uk |date=30 March 2009 |access-date=14 June 2012 }}</ref> Taylor retorted that Clough's outbursts were "the sort of thing I have come to expect from a person I now regard with great distaste."<ref>Wilson, Jonathan. ''Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You: The Biography''</ref>

The rift had not been repaired by the time Taylor died in October 1990, but Clough and his family attended Taylor's funeral. According to Taylor's daughter Wendy, Clough was "deeply upset" by Taylor's death and telephoned her when he heard the news.<ref>{{cite web|first=Wendy |last=Dickinson |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2009/04/14/peter_wendy_taylor_feature.shtml |title=Peter Taylor, my father |publisher=BBC |date=17 April 2009 |access-date=14 June 2012}}</ref> Clough dedicated his autobiography in 1994 to Taylor, and he also paid tribute to him when he was given the freedom of Nottingham, as he did in September 1999 when a bust was unveiled of Clough at the [[City Ground]].

===Corruption allegations===
Clough was implicated in the 1990s "bungs" scandal in [[Football in England|English football]]. A "bung" was a euphemism for illicit payments made between parties to ensure player transfer deals went through.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/what-is-a-bung-why-is-it-illegal-eight-premier-league-managers-accused-illegal-payments-sam-a7334431.html|title=What is a bung? Eight Premier League managers accused of receiving alleged illegal payments|date=28 September 2016|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=14 September 2019}}</ref> In 1995 [[George Graham (footballer, born 1944)|George Graham]], then [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] manager, lost his job over payments during the transfer of two Scandinavian players in 1992.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/mar/18/newsstory.sport1 | title=Rune Hauge, international man of mystery | work=The Guardian | access-date=27 June 2006 | location=London | first=Roy | last=Collins | date=18 March 2000}}</ref>

Clough became involved in the scandal in June 1993 when he was [[Absolute privilege in English law|named in court]] by [[Alan Sugar]], then chairman of [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]. Sugar, who was the club's major shareholder, was taking legal action to sack [[Terry Venables]], the club's chief executive. Sugar testified in court that during the 1992 transfer of [[Teddy Sheringham]] from Nottingham Forest to Tottenham, Venables had told him that Clough "liked a bung".<ref>{{cite news|first=Henry |last=Winter |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/clough-wanted-cash-bung-sugar-claims-1490823.html |title=Clough wanted cash 'bung', Sugar claims |work=The Independent |date=11 June 1993 |access-date=14 June 2012 |location=London}}</ref> Sugar said he sanctioned a cash payment of £58,750, which he believed would be paid to an agent, but instead was handed over to [[Ronnie Fenton]], Clough's assistant at Forest.<ref name="Parry puzzled by Clough 'bungs'">{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/09/23/sfnbos23.xml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070529043450/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/09/23/sfnbos23.xml | url-status=dead | archive-date=29 May 2007 | title=Parry puzzled by Clough 'bungs'  | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | first=Mihir | last=Bose | date=23 September 2004 | access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref>

After an inquiry by the FA, Clough was charged with misconduct but the case was dropped due to his ill health. Former Premier League chief executive [[Rick Parry]], who led the investigation into Clough, said: "On the balance of evidence, we felt he was guilty of taking bungs. The evidence was pretty strong."<ref name="Parry puzzled by Clough 'bungs'"/> A former Forest chief scout Alan Hill confirmed Clough had made illegal payments to players and backroom staff in breach of [[The Football Association|FA]] rules.<ref name="Parry puzzled by Clough 'bungs'"/><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+bung+culture+that+will+tarnish+football+legend+Clough+for+ever.-a060706892 | title=The bung culture that will tarnish football legend Clough for ever | work=Daily Mirror | date=23 January 1998 | access-date=31 March 2012}}</ref> Clough always denied the allegations, saying "Asking me what it's like to make money out of transfers is like asking 'What's it like to have [[Sexually transmitted infection|VD]]?' I don't know, I've never had it."<ref name="Parry puzzled by Clough 'bungs'"/>

==Later life==
[[File:Brian Clough Nottingham Statue 1.jpg|thumb|upright|A statue of Clough in Nottingham. The statue was funded by fans of Nottingham Forest and unveiled in 2008.]]

Much of Clough's retirement was spent concentrating on his fight against [[alcoholism]], ill-health and corruption allegations. His battle with alcoholism dated back to the 1970s and was chronicled in part by [[Duncan Hamilton (journalist)|Duncan Hamilton]] in his award-winning book ''Provided You Don't Kiss Me: 20 Years With Brian Clough''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/provided-you-dont-kiss-me-by-duncan-hamilton-763980.html |title=Provided You Don't Kiss Me, by Duncan Hamilton  |work=[[The Independent]] |first=Simon |last=Redfern |date=9 December 2007 |access-date=26 November 2012 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/nov/29/literary-news |title=The week in books |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=John |last=Dugdale |date=28 November 2007 |access-date=26 November 2012 |location=London}}</ref> He considered applying for the job as manager of [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] on the sacking of [[Graham Taylor]] on 13 November 1995. Nothing came of it, however, and Clough's managerial career was over.

In November 1994, Clough caused controversy over comments he made about the [[Hillsborough disaster]]. He wrote in his autobiography: "I will always remain convinced that those Liverpool fans who died were killed by Liverpool people. They brought the tragedy on themselves—they were drunk, unruly and disorderly." He defended the comments in an interview with [[Clive Anderson]]. In 2001, he said: "I now accept the investigations have made me realise I was misinformed. I wasn't trying to be vindictive or unsympathetic, but my opinion has altered over the years. It was never my intention to hurt anyone."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/brian-clough-see-light-over-3457927|title=Brian Clough DID see the light over Hillsborough – but it took him 12 years|first=Paddy|last=Shennan|date=25 March 2009|work=Liverpool Echo}}</ref>

Nottingham Forest honoured him by renaming the [[City Ground]]'s largest stand, the Executive Stand, the Brian Clough Stand. Clough was made an inaugural inductee of the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] in 2002 in recognition of his success and influence as a manager. In 1993, he was awarded the [[freedom of the city]] of [[Nottingham]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1472206/Brian-Clough.html |title=Brian Clough |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 September 2004 |access-date=14 June 2012 |location=London}}</ref> In 2003, the city of [[Derby]] followed suit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/features/2003/05/clough/overview.shtml |title=Cloughie's big day |publisher=BBC |date=4 May 2003 |access-date=14 June 2012}}</ref> He wrote a column for ''[[FourFourTwo]]'' magazine up until his death.

==Personal life and family==
Clough was a lifelong [[socialism|socialist]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00ny04k/the-frost-interview-brian-clough|title=The Frost Interview|date=13 November 1974|website=BBC iPlayer|access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Turner |first=Mark |title='A slice of bloody cake for all! ...That's what Brian Clough says!' |url=https://www.socialist.net/bloody-cake-brian-clough.htm |access-date=10 October 2022 |website=Socialist Appeal |date=6 January 2009 }}</ref> often appearing on [[UK miners' strike (1984–85)|miners' picket lines]], donating large sums to trade union causes, canvassing for his local MP, and being the chairman of the [[Anti-Nazi League]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whenwetouchedthesky.com/anl_arts.html |title=the Anti-Nazi League 1977–1981 |publisher=When we touched the sky |access-date=11 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226035948/http://whenwetouchedthesky.com/anl_arts.html |archive-date=26 February 2009 }}</ref> On two occasions, he was approached by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] to stand as a parliamentary candidate in general elections, but he declined in order to continue his managerial career in football.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1472206/Brian-Clough.html |title=Brian Clough |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 September 2004 |access-date=1 January 2009 | location=London}}</ref> To accusations that he was a [[champagne socialist]], Clough responded: "Of course I'm a champagne socialist. The difference between me and a good [[Conservative Party (UK)|Tory]] is he keeps his money while I share mine."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/posts/what-have-labour-got-to-say |title=What have Labour got to say? |work=Biteback Publishing |date=23 September 2013 |access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref>

On 4 April 1959, Clough married Barbara Glasgow in Middlesbrough; he later said that marrying Barbara was "the best thing I ever did". They went on to have three children: Simon, born on 15 June 1964, [[Nigel Clough|Nigel]], born on 19 March 1966, and Elizabeth, born on 31 May 1967. During the 1980s the Clough family went on to mentor a couple of underprivileged youngsters from Sunderland, brothers Craig and Aaron Bromfield after a chance encounter in the North East prior to a Forest fixture. Craig at one point ended up living with the Cloughs for a significant period of time, coming to see Brian as a second father—the arrangement ending when Craig was found to have been stealing from the family. Craig later published a book on his experience.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/30/brian-clough-and-me-if-it-wasnt-for-him-id-be-in-prison|title=Brian Clough and me: 'If it wasn't for him, I'd be in prison' &#124; Brian Clough |work= The Guardian|date=30 October 2021 |accessdate=13 April 2024 |last1=Hattenstone |first1=Simon }}</ref> Nigel also became a professional footballer and played under his father at Forest in the 1980s and 1990s. He then moved into management and, in January 2009, followed in his father's footsteps when he was appointed manager of Derby County.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/jan/10/nigel-clough-derby-county |title=Richard Williams: Nigel Clough, new manager of Derby County, keeps his message streamlined and simple |work=The Guardian |location=London |date= 10 January 2009|access-date=11 July 2009 }}</ref>

In 2011, his family and friends contributed memories to a book entitled ''The Day I Met Brian Clough'', which also included recollections from fans and journalists.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.brianclough.com/theday.htm |title=The Day I Met Brian Clough |year=2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731111347/http://brianclough.com/theday.htm |archive-date=31 July 2013 }}</ref>
His widow, Barbara, died on 20 July 2013 at the age of 75. Her death was revealed to have been the result of a head injury sustained when she fell over in a car park of a hospital where she was being treated for cancer.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nottinghampost.com/Barbara-Clough-died-fall-hospital-s-car-park/story-20634870-detail/story.html |title=Barbara Clough, wife of late Nottingham Forest boss, died after fall in hospital's car park |work= Nottingham Post |access-date=11 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714114823/http://www.nottinghampost.com/Barbara-Clough-died-fall-hospital-s-car-park/story-20634870-detail/story.html |archive-date=14 July 2014 }}</ref>

A lover of [[cricket]], Clough was good friends with [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] and England cricketer [[Geoffrey Boycott]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/oct/22/football.paulkelso|title=Old Big 'Ead does it his way to the end|work=The Guardian|date=22 October 2004|accessdate=21 February 2022}}</ref>

Clough was appointed an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the [[1991 Birthday Honours]] for services to association football.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52563 |date=15 June 1991 |page=9 |supp=y}}</ref>

==Death==
Clough died of [[stomach cancer]] on 20 September 2004, on Ward 30,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3673568.stm |title=Football legend Clough dies |work=BBC News  |date=20 September 2004 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> in [[Royal Derby Hospital|Derby City Hospital]], at the age of 69, having been admitted a few days earlier.<ref name="autogenerated2" /> Such was his popularity, fans of Derby County and Nottingham Forest, usually fierce rivals, mourned together following his death. A memorial service was held at Derby's [[Pride Park Stadium]] on 21 October 2004 which was attended by more than 14,000 people. It was originally to have been held at [[Derby Cathedral]], but had to be moved because of demand for tickets.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3738032.stm |title=Clough memorial service switched |work=BBC News  |date=12 October 2004 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Brian Clough statue in Albert Park, Middlesbrough (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Brian Clough Statue, Middlesbrough|220px]]

In August 2005, the stretch of the [[A52 road|A52]] linking Nottingham and Derby was renamed [[A52 road#Derby – Nottingham|Brian Clough Way]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/content/image_galleries/brian_clough_way_signs_gallery.shtml |title=Derby – In Pictures – Brian Clough Way |publisher=BBC  |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> His widow Barbara expressed her gratitude to Nottingham City Council, saying: "Brian would have been amazed but genuinely appreciative". Since the opening of the [[Nottingham Express Transit]] system, tram No.&nbsp;215 has been named ''Brian Clough''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.photo-transport.co.uk/trams/nottingham/nottingham.htm |title=Nottingham Trams – NET – photos |publisher=Photo-transport.co.uk |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref>

After a long process of fundraising, Clough's home town of Middlesbrough commissioned a statue of him, which was unveiled on 16 May 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitmiddlesbrough.com/venues/albert-park |title=Albert Park |publisher=Middlesbrough Council |work=Love Middlesbrough |access-date=19 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624001445/http://www.visitmiddlesbrough.com/venues/albert-park |archive-date=24 June 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although there was a movement to erect a statue in his birthplace at [[Grove Hill, Middlesbrough|Grove Hill]], the site chosen was the town's [[Albert Park, Middlesbrough|Albert Park]], through which he usually walked on his way from home to [[Ayresome Park]], Middlesbrough's former stadium.<ref>[http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ccm/content/news/middlesbrough-council-press-releases/clough-statue---cash-secured.en Press release]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} from Middlesbrough council</ref>

In August 2008, a tribute website was set up in honour of Clough with the backing of his family. This helped to raise money for a statue of Clough, which was erected in Nottingham's Old Market Square on 6 November 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3610 |title=Brian Clough Statue : Nottingham City Council |publisher=Nottinghamcity.gov.uk |date=8 May 2009 |access-date=11 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523105506/http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3610 |archive-date=23 May 2009 }}</ref> In December 2006, the Brian Clough Statue Fund in Nottingham announced it had raised £69,000 in just 18 months for a statue of Clough in the city. The winning statue was selected from a choice of three designs in January 2008. The site chosen for the statue was at the junction of King Street and Queen Street in the centre of Nottingham. On 6 November 2008, the statue was unveiled by Clough's widow Barbara, in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.brianclough.com/statue_unveil.htm |title=Brian Clough Statue Unveiled |publisher=brianclough.com |date=6 November 2008 |access-date=6 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113141104/http://www.brianclough.com/statue_unveil.htm |archive-date=13 January 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7206228.stm |title=England &#124; Panel picks Clough statue design |work=BBC News  |date=24 January 2008 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref>
The tribute website brianclough.com is still attracting visitors from around the world and was praised by Barbara Clough on its tenth anniversary in 2010. Barbara Clough said she hoped it would "continue to be a success for many years".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.brianclough.com |title=Brian Clough Tribute Website  |publisher=brianclough.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://brianclough.com/barbara_message.htm |title=Barbara's Message; |publisher=brianclough.com |date=August 2010 |access-date=1 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918055932/http://www.brianclough.com/barbara_message.htm |archive-date=18 September 2010 }}</ref>
In 2007 and 2008, a redevelopment scheme building new houses on the old Middlesbrough General Hospital site named roads after famous former Middlesbrough F.C. players, including [[Willie Maddren]], [[George Camsell]] and Clough.

Derby County and Nottingham Forest competed for the inaugural [[Brian Clough Trophy]] at Pride Park on 31 July 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6270170.stm |title=Rivals to play for Clough trophy |work=BBC News  |date=4 July 2007 |access-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> In future, any league, cup or friendly game played between Derby and Forest will automatically become a Brian Clough Trophy game. Proceeds from the games will go to charities in the [[East Midlands]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcfc.co.uk.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1067545,00.html |title=Derby County &#124; THE BRIAN CLOUGH TROPHY |publisher=Dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk |access-date=11 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403180805/http://www.dcfc.co.uk.p.preprod.performgroup.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~1067545,00.html |archive-date=3 April 2018 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brianclough.com/trophy.htm |title=The Brian Clough Trophy |publisher=brianclough.com |access-date=1 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020745/http://www.brianclough.com/trophy.htm |archive-date=17 November 2015 }}</ref>

[[File:NFFC The Brian Clough Stand Full HD.jpg|thumb|The Brian Clough Stand, City Ground. Named after Brian Clough.]]

In April 2009, Derby County announced that they would erect a statue of Clough and Peter Taylor at [[Pride Park Stadium|Pride Park]], with sculptor [[Andy Edwards (sculptor)|Andy Edwards]], who previously produced the [[Steve Bloomer]] bust already in the stadium, commissioned for the statue.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130114050831/http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Derby-County-Clough-Taylor-statue-Pride-Park/article-952087-detail/article.html Derby County: Clough and Taylor statue for Pride Park], Derby Telegraph, 30 April 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2010.</ref> The Brian Clough and Peter Taylor Monument was officially unveiled in a family service on 27 August 2010 and publicly on 28 August 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11107388 |title=Derby unveil Brian Clough and Peter Taylor statue |work=BBC News  |date=27 August 2010 |access-date=20 September 2011}}</ref>

==''The Damned United''==
The story of Clough's turbulent 44-day spell in charge of Leeds United was the subject of a novel by [[David Peace]] titled ''[[The Damned Utd]]'', published in 2006, which focuses on the rivalry between Clough and Don Revie. Despite critical acclaim, the novel was also the subject of controversy for its perceived negative portrayal of Clough as an obsessive, and for some historical inaccuracies. The publishers of the novel were successfully sued by Irish midfielder and former Leeds player [[Johnny Giles]]. He wrote: "Many of the things Peace talks about in the book never happened and, for that reason, I felt it necessary to go to the courts to establish that this was fiction based on fact and nothing more".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/publish-and-be-damned-giles-fights-back-for-revie-and-clough-2132719.html| work=The Independent | title=Publish and be Damned: Giles fights back for Revie and Clough|date=13 November 2010|access-date=27 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/exclusive-clough-portrayal-helped-drive-giles-s-libel-bid-1-3025001| work=Yorkshire Post| title=Exclusive: Clough portrayal helped drive Giles's libel bid| date=12 November 2010| access-date=27 January 2020| archive-date=27 January 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127170325/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/exclusive-clough-portrayal-helped-drive-giles-s-libel-bid-1-3025001| url-status=dead}}</ref> 
The Clough family expressed disappointment at the publication of the book.<ref>{{cite news|last=Nikkah|first=Royah|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/4952562/Football-manager-Brian-Cloughs-family-to-boycott-film-about-his-life.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/4952562/Football-manager-Brian-Cloughs-family-to-boycott-film-about-his-life.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The Damned United: Football manager Brian Clough's family to boycott film about his life|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=7 March 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It includes a scene with Clough in the Elland Road car park burning Revie's old desk, for which there is no factual source.<ref name =film/>

The book was later adapted into a film called ''[[The Damned United]]'', starring [[Michael Sheen]] and released in 2009. It too was successfully sued for defamation, this time by Dave Mackay, who in 2010 received an apology and an undisclosed sum from the producers. The Clough family declined to co-operate with the film, despite efforts by the film-makers to lighten the dark tone of the novel.<ref name = film>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/mar/07/2 |title=Damned: Clough family boycott film of legendary manager's life |first=Owen |last=Gibson |work=The Guardian |date=7 March 2009 |access-date=15 February 2013 |location=London}}</ref>

==''Bloody Southerners''==
In 2018, a book chronicling Clough and Taylor's hitherto unwritten time in management at Brighton & Hove Albion, 'Bloody Southerners: Clough and Taylor's Brighton & Hove Albion Odyssey', was written by Spencer Vignes and published by [[Biteback Publishing]]. Clough and Taylor had joined Brighton in November 1973, and Vignes speaks to the Brighton players who played under them. Clough himself only stayed for a few months, before heading to Leeds United at the end of the season. Taylor, meanwhile, chose to honour his contract with club chairman [[Mike Bamber]], and stayed on as sole manager until the end of the 1975/76 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/history/new-book-sheds-light-brian-2077082|title=New book sheds light on Brian Clough's ill-fated spell in charge at Brighton|last=Smart|first=Andy|date=8 October 2018|work=Nottingham Post|access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===As a player===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref name="ENFA">{{ENFA}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2016}}
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|FA Cup
!colspan="2"|League Cup
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="7"|[[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]
|[[1955–56 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1955–56]]
|[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]
|9||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||9||3
|-
|[[1956-57 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1956–57]]
|Second Division
|41||38||3||2||colspan="2"|—||44||40
|-
|[[1957-58 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1957–58]]
|Second Division
|40||40||2||2||colspan="2"|—||42||42
|-
|[[1958-59 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1958–59]]
|Second Division
|42||43||1||0||colspan="2"|—||43||43
|-
|[[1959–60 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1959–60]]
|Second Division
|41||39||1||1||colspan="2"|—||42||40
|-
|[[1960–61 Middlesbrough F.C. season|1960–61]]
|Second Division
|40||34||1||0||1||2||42||36
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!213!!197!!8!!5!!1!!2!!222!!204
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]
|[[1961–62 Sunderland A.F.C. season|1961–62]]
|Second Division
|34||29||4||0||5||5||43||34
|-
|[[1962–63 Sunderland A.F.C. season|1962–63]]
|Second Division
|24||24||0||0||4||4||28||28
|-
|[[The Football League 1963-64|1963–64]]
|Second Division
|0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|[[The Football League 1964-65|1964–65]]
|[[Football League First Division|First Division]]
|3||1||0||0||0||0||3||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!61!!54!!4!!0!!9!!9!!74!!63
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!274!!251!!12!!5!!10!!11!!296!!267
|}

===As a manager===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
|-
!rowspan=2|Team
!rowspan=2|From
!rowspan=2|To
!colspan=5|Record
|-
!{{abbr|P|Matches played}}!!{{abbr|W|Matches won}}!!{{abbr|D|Matches drawn}}!!{{abbr|L|Matches lost}}!!{{abbr|Win %|Win percentage}}
|-
|align=left|<!-- READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING TO HARTLEPOOL Known as Hartlepools, with an S, at the time -->[[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepools United]]
|align=left|29 October 1965
|align=left|5 June 1967
{{WDL|85|37|14|34|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]]
|align=left|5 June 1967
|align=left|15 October 1973
{{WDL|332|161|78|93|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]
|align=left|1 November 1973
|align=left|20 July 1974
{{WDL|34|12|9|13|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|align=left|30 July 1974
|align=left|12 September 1974
{{WDL|8|1|4|3|decimals=2}}
|-
|align=left|[[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
|align=left|3 January 1975
|align=left|8 May 1993
{{WDL|994|464|263|267|decimals=2}}
|-
!colspan=3|Total<ref name="ENFA"/>
{{WDLtot|1453|675|368|410|decimals=2}}
|}

== Honours ==
===Player===
'''Middlesbrough'''
*[[North Riding Senior Cup]]: [[1954–55 in English football|1954–55]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.yorkcitysouth.co.uk/xdb-nrsc.htm | title=North Riding Senior Cup | publisher=York City South | access-date=27 May 2021}}<br />{{cite web | url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/7982349.n | title=North Riding Cup final glory beckons for City youngsters | work=York Express | date=2 May 2006 | access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>

'''England'''
*[[British Home Championship]]: [[1959–60 British Home Championship|1959–60]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersC/BioCloughBH.html | title=Brian Clough | publisher=England Football Online | access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>

'''Individual'''
*[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] top goalscorer: [[1958–59 in English football|1958–59]], [[1959–60 in English football|1959–60]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engtops.html | title=Football League Div 1 & 2 Leading Goalscorers 1947–92 | date=30 July 2020 | website=[[RSSSF]] | access-date=21 May 2021}}<br />{{cite web | url=https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/middlesbrough-fc-pay-tribute-to-teesside-legend-brian-clough-on-the-10th-anniversary-of-his-passing | title=Middlesbrough FC pay tribute to Teesside Legend Brian Clough on the 10th anniversary of his passing | publisher=Middlesbrough FC | date=20 September 2014 | access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref>
*''[[Northern Echo]]'' [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]'s Greatest XI (1876–2017)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/15397811.decide-middlesbrough-fcs-greatest-ever-xi/ | title=Who did you decide is in Middlesbrough FC's greatest ever XI? | date=8 July 2017 | work=[[Northern Echo]] | access-date=27 May 2021}}<br />{{cite web | url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/middlesbrough11/ | title=Middlesbrough's Greatest XI Nominees | work=[[Northern Echo]] | access-date=9 May 2021}}</ref>

===Manager===
'''Derby County'''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/derby-county-club-honours | title=DERBY COUNTY CLUB HONOURS, RECORDS + MANAGERS | publisher=DCFC | access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref> 
*[[Football League First Division|First Division]]: [[1971–72 Football League First Division|1971–72]]
*[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]: [[1968–69 in English football|1968–69]]
*[[Texaco Cup]]: [[1971–72 in English football|1971–72]]
*[[Watney Cup]]: [[1970–71 in English football|1970]]

'''Nottingham Forest'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history/honours.aspx |title=Honours |access-date=9 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922192427/http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history/honours.aspx |archive-date=22 September 2012 }}</ref>
* [[Football League First Division|First Division]]: [[1977–78 Football League|1977–78]]
* [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]: 3rd place [[1976–77 Football League|1976–77]] (Promoted)
* [[EFL Cup|League Cup]]: [[1978 Football League Cup Final|1977–78]], [[1979 Football League Cup Final|1978–79]], [[1989 Football League Cup Final|1988–89]], [[1990 Football League Cup Final|1989–90]]
* [[Full Members Cup]]: [[1988–89 Full Members Cup|1988–89]], [[1991–92 Full Members Cup|1991–92]]
* [[FA Community Shield|FA Charity Shield]]: [[1978 FA Charity Shield|1978]]
* [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]]: [[1979 European Cup Final|1978–79]], [[1980 European Cup Final|1979–80]]
* [[UEFA Super Cup|European Super Cup]]: [[1979 European Super Cup|1979]]
* [[Anglo-Scottish Cup]]: [[1976–77 in English football|1976–77]]
* [[Football League Centenary Tournament]]: 1988

'''Individual'''
*[[LMA Manager of the Year|Manager of the Year]]: [[1977–78 in English football|1977–78]]
*[[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]]: [[1991 Birthday Honours|1991]]<ref name = "museum">{{cite web |title=Brian Clough Hall Of Fame profile |url=https://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/brian-clough/ |website=www.nationalfootballmuseum.com |access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref>
*[[League Managers Association|LMA]] Hall of Fame inductee: 1989<ref>{{cite web | url=https://leaguemanagers.com/managers/hall-of-fame/ | title=LMA Hall of Fame | publisher=[[League Managers Association|LMA]] | access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref>
*[[PFA Merit Award]]: [[PFA Merit Award#1990's|1992]]
*[[English Football Hall of Fame]] inductee: 2002<ref name = "museum"/>
* [[Freedom of the City]] of [[Derby]] 3 May 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIBfSifYVYM|title=Brian Clough Given Freedom of Derby|last=WOODDDDDDDYASOCCER2|date=25 May 2022|via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Photograph of Brian Clough Receiving the Freedom of the City of Derby Scroll |url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-brian-clough-freedom-of-the-city-award-107751830.html |website=Alamy |access-date=25 May 2022 }}</ref> 
*[[ESPN]] 3rd Greatest Manager of All-Time: 2013<ref>{{cite news |first=Gabriele |last=Marcotti |author-link=Gabriele Marcotti |title=Greatest Managers, No. 3: Clough |work=[[ESPN]] |date=8 August 2013 |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/news/story/_/id/1516434 |access-date=2025-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425151818/https://www.espn.com/soccer/news/story/_/id/1516434 |archive-date=2023-04-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[France Football]] 15th Greatest Manager of All-Time: 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.givemesport.com/1462037-france-football-have-ranked-the-50-greatest-managers-of-all-time|title=France Football have ranked the 50 greatest managers of all time|date=19 March 2019 |publisher=GiveMeSport|access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref>
*[[World Soccer (magazine)|World Soccer]] 17th Greatest Manager of All-Time: 2013
*Made in [[Derby]] [[Walk of Fame]]: 2018<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/made-in-derby-walk-fame-1561844.amp | title=A second Made in Derby walk of fame is on its way to city streets | work=Derbyshire Live | date=14 May 2018 | access-date=21 May 2021}}<br />{{cite web | url=https://www.visitderby.co.uk/things-to-do/virtual-made-in-derby/brian-clough-and-peter-taylor | title=Clough and Taylor | publisher=Visit Derby | access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>
*[[Nottingham Forest F.C.|NFFC]]NA Hall Of Fame inductee: 2019<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nffcna.com/nffcna/nffc-na-hall-of-fame/class-of-2019/ | title=Class of 2019 | publisher=NFFCNA | access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of English football championship winning managers]]
* [[List of longest managerial reigns in association football]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=notes}}

{{reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last1=Clough|first1=Brian|title=Cloughie: Walking on Water|publisher=Headline|year=2002|isbn= 0747265682|ref={{harvid|Clough|2002}}}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/history-of-nffc/|title=History of NFFC – Nottingham Forest|website=www.nottinghamforest.co.uk|access-date=24 December 2017}}
* {{cite book|last1=Taylor|first1=Peter|first2=Mike |last2=Langley|title=With Clough|publisher=Sigdwick and Jackson|year=1980|isbn=0-283-98795-2|ref={{harvid|Taylor|1980}}}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
*[http://www.brianclough.com Brianclough.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090719044719/http://www.brianclough.com/new_page_2.htm Classic Brian Clough Quotes]
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3674294.stm Brian Clough timeline]
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1576977.stm BBC Obituary]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130731161939/http://brianclough.com/books.htm Brian Clough Books]
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3674210.stm BBC quotations by Clough]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090901182741/http://www.brianclough.com/memorial1.htm Brian Clough Memorial Service]
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/tees/content/articles/2007/05/15/brian_clough_feature.shtml Brian Clough on BBC Tees]
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3758495.stm Nottingham Forest's double European Cup win]
*{{soccerbase (manager)|id=243|name=Brian Clough}}
*[https://archive.today/20070927230648/http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/Inductees/brianclough.htm English Football Hall of Fame Profile]
*[http://www.midfielddynamo.com/gaffers/gaffers_cloughie_quotes.htm Brian Clough Quotes]
*[http://www.wafll.com/leeds-managers/brian-clough.html Full Managerial Stats for Leeds United from WAFLL]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130731135407/http://brianclough.com/new_page_7.htm Your Tributes]
 
{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|list1=
{{English Second Division top scorers}}
{{European Cup winning managers}}
{{UEFA Super Cup winning managers}}
{{English Football First Tier League Championship winning managers}}
{{EFL Cup winning managers}}
{{FWA Tribute Award}}
{{English Football Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Brian Clough managerial positions
|list1=
{{Hartlepool United F.C. managers}}
{{Derby County F.C. managers}}
{{Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. managers}}
{{Leeds United A.F.C. managers}}
{{Nottingham Forest F.C. managers}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clough, Brian}}
[[Category:Brian Clough| ]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Billingham Synthonia F.C. players]]
[[Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in England]]
[[Category:Derby County F.C. managers]]
[[Category:England men's B international footballers]]
[[Category:England men's under-23 international footballers]]
[[Category:English Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:English Football League representative players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:England men's international footballers]]
[[Category:English socialists]]
[[Category:Footballers from Middlesbrough]]
[[Category:Hartlepool United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) people]]
[[Category:Leeds United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players]]
[[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Premier League managers]]
[[Category:Sunderland A.F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:UEFA Champions League–winning managers]]
[[Category:English autobiographers]]
[[Category:English football coaches]]
[[Category:20th-century British autobiographers]]
[[Category:21st-century British autobiographers]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]