ForeverInLoveWithJus

Brian Clough.

Credit:canada.com

Brian Clough, who led Nottingham Forest to back-to-back European Cup titles in 1979 and 1980 but became known as the "best manager England never had," died Monday at age 69, Derby City Hospital said.

Clough, who also managed Derby, had been suffering from stomach cancer, the hospital said. He battled alcohol addiction toward the end of his career and had a liver transplant in January 2003. Regarded by many as the greatest English manager, Clough never managed the national team and never won the FA Cup.

He played only twice for England, in 1959, as knee injuries ended his playing career at the age of 29. He scored 251 goals as a centre-forward for Middlesbrough and Sunderland.

Clough began his managerial career in partnership with Peter Taylor at Middlesbrough before moving to Hartlepool (1965-7). He managed Derby from 1967-73, steering the side to the second division title in 1969 and league championship in 1972.

After brief spells with Brighton and Leeds, Clough managed Nottingham Forest from 1975 until his retirement in 1993. Forest won the English league title and League Cup in 1978, the European Cup and League Cup in 1979, and the European Super Cup and European Cup in 1980. Forest also won the League Cup in 1989 and 1990.

Famous for pithy quotes and heavy drinking, Clough once said. "If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there."

If you wish to post your own tributes to Brian Clough, you can do this at www.brianclough.com

Rest in Peace. You were a true legend. You will never be forgotten.

Duffyboy

Legendary former Nottingham Forest and Derby County boss Brian Clough has died from stomach cancer at the age of 69.
Clough, who suffered ill-health for many years and had a liver transplant in 2003, died in Derby City hospital.

Clough won successive European Cups with Forest in 1979 and 1980, and also won the League with Forest and Derby.

He was famous for his eccentric approach, but Clough was one of the most respected bosses in the game, bowing out of management in 1993.


A spokeswoman for Derby City Hospital said: "It is with the deepest sadness that we announce that Brian Clough has died peacefully at the age of 69.

"Brian was an in-patient at Derby City General Hospital, and his family were with him when he passed away in hospital on September 20."

On behalf of the Clough family, she said: "The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Dr Jan Freeman and the staff of Ward 30 for the wonderful care they gave him.

"They would also like to thank the donor family for allowing Brian to have 21 months of health and happiness.

"The family would naturally appreciate privacy at this sad time, and kindly ask members of the media to respect this."

Nottingham Forest chairman Nigel Doughty said it was a sad day for the club.

"The success he had here goes down as one of the great football achievements of all time," he told Forest's official website.

"Wherever you go in the world, the city of Nottingham has become synonymous with Robin Hood and Brian Clough and there is no doubt he has touched the lives of so many people in the area.

"His record of success is quite staggering and when he first took over as manager in 1975 no-one could begin to even dream at the levels of success he was about to bring to this club.

"Our thoughts at this time are with his family but everyone at Nottingham Forest will have memories of a man who brought unprecedented success to this club."

Derby County chief executive Jeremy Keith said Clough was part of the heritage of the club.

"He was this club's greatest-ever manager and, in the eyes of Rams supporters, the best the world has ever seen," he told Derby's official website.

"Under Brian, Derby County were crowned champions of England and we welcomed top-class European opposition to the Baseball Ground.

"The contribution he made, not just to Derby County, but to the county itself will remain as a lasting legacy to the man who had made Derby his home for the past 30 years."

Clough began his football career at his home-town club Middlesbrough and later joined Sunderland.

In a successful career, he scored an amazing 251 goals in 274 games, also winning two caps for England.

A knee injury forced him to retire early from playing, but Clough enjoyed a rapid rise as a manager.

After becoming Hartlepool boss at 30 - then the youngest manager in the league - Clough moved to Derby, taking them to the Division One title in 1972.

Clough moved to Forest in 1975, after short spells at Leeds and Brighton, and it was at the City Ground that he cemented his reputation as a brilliant, unconventional manager during an 18-year reign.

Another league title in 1978 was followed by two successive European Cups and four League Cups.

Clough remained with Forest until 1993, stepping down after their relegation from the top division.

His later years were blighted by ill-health, and Clough adopted a much lower profile - although he did make occasional appearances in the media which proved he had lost little of his vitriolic tongue and eccentric manner.

And he remained a tremendously popular figure in the game, even two decades after his prime.
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Credit BBC

ForeverInLoveWithJus

Its so sad. I keep thinking about him. Such a sad loss.

ForeverInLoveWithJus

Sidenote: can the title of the thread to read never? sorry about that.

Duffyboy

A professional
A talent
A gentleman
A genius
An inspiration

The best manager England never had.

RIP Brian Clough.