Just three years ago and just 16 miles away at Derby, Clough secured his first major trophy in management – leading the Rams to their first English title in 1972.
While he led Derby to a European Cup semi-final confrontation with Juventus – a two-legged match Mired in controversy that the Rams lost, external – His dispute with the Board of Directors led to his departure in 1973.
He went on to work as manager of Brighton & Hove Albion after that, but left the then third-tier club after 32 games for an infamous 44-day spell at Leeds United – where he presented himself to the team that went on to win the title. Title in English a few months ago by saying They should throw their medals in the trash.
It showed that Clov could be as acerbic as he was charming.
In the decades that followed, it was seen as The greatest manager England has ever had –, external He interviewed for the job in 1977 and 1982, and it is widely believed that the Football Association saw Clough as too outspoken a person to hold the position.
Some at Forest were nervous for the same reasons when they pursued him as a replacement for Alan Browne – who was sacked after a 2-0 home defeat to city rivals Notts County left the Reds 13th in the Second Division at the start of the season. 1975.
“Brian Clough was a very controversial figure and a lot of committee members didn’t want him to be there,” former Forest chairman Brian Appleby said during a BBC interview before his death in 2021.
“I think they were afraid of what would happen.
“My position was simply that we couldn't be any worse off than we are now, and we needed a breath of fresh air. And that's exactly what Brian Clough was.”
The Nottingham Football Post echoed those same words in an article published after Clough oversaw his first win – which was eliminating Tottenham from the FA Cup in a third-round replay at White Hart Lane.
“It wasn't a breath of fresh air that swept through the corridors of the City Ground this week – more like a hurricane,” the article said in its opening line.
“The winds of change have blown through the club, and within an hour of his arrival, Brian Clough has made a greater impact than most managers achieve in a lifetime.”
O'Neill says he remembers his first meeting with Clough “as clear as day” as he sat with his teammates in the changing rooms at the City Ground on the day of the new manager's arrival.
While the former midfielder readily admits that many in the dressing room were relatively unknown to the new coach, the man himself was among the most famous in Britain.
His personality was well-known beyond the stands, as his wit and skill as a talk show guest made him a media darling and whose catalog of memorable quotes – whether about grass in the sky or silence to show more football – remains a part of football. Lexicon to this day.
“At the time there were very few TV stations, but he was a celebrity,” O'Neill said.
“He was appearing on Michael Parkinson's chat show, and maybe I'm exaggerating, but it seemed like every six weeks. He was big news. What he had was this great charisma.”