<font color="#7c9bc4"> Vale Brian Clough (soccer legend)



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 took Forest to successive European Cups in 1979 and 1980, and also won the League title twice.

His eccentric approach became legendary but Clough was one of the most respected bosses in the game, bowing out of management in 1993.

A Premier League spokesman said: "It is a sad and tragic loss for football. Brian Clough was in many people's eyes a football genius and one of the greatest managers who ever lived."

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. After resigning from Derby, Clough had brief - and unsuccessful - spells at Brighton and Leeds. But he then moved to Forest where he cemented his reputation as a brilliant, unconventional manager in an 18-year reign. One league title in 1978 was followed by two successive European Cups and four League Cups. Only one other British manager won more European Cups - Liverpool boss Bob Paisley - but Clough's reputation as a manager remained unmatched. </font>

(from the BBC)

This guy was such a breath of fresh air in football and commentry. As far from the cliche ridden robots than exist in sports as you could imagine

RIP Brian Clough

I shouldn't be bitching about the dead, but personally i found this the most obnoxious, arrogant, self centered man i've ever seen in any interview.

That's a good achievement I say. Greatest manager England never had they say.

[ 09-20-2004, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: Kakero ]

Fair enough :D

Well he was certainly arrogant, but I thought he disarmed it with humour. And I guess those qualitys (!) you mention made for intresting listening.

One of his greatist feats that often goes unmentioned was his ability as a player. 251 goals in 274 games for Sunderland and Middlesbrough !!! :eek: