I was also fortunate to spot that Clough, a documentary about the life and its impact of Brian Clough, was being shown again on Channel TV 3 yesterday.
Brian was the sixth of nine children, failed the eleven plus and left school without educational qualifications. He served in the RAF for his national service which ended in 1955 as I left school. He became a professional footballer scoring 197 goals in 213 for his home town club. He then joined Sunderland and was badly inured after scoring 57 goals in 61 games. He played only a couple of times for the national team.
In 1965 he became the youngest manager in the football league with his assistant Peter Taylor at Hartlepool. He and Peter then became manager and assistant at Derby where he won the second division championship with a record 22 consecutive wins and in 1971 1972 they took the club to the top of the First Division in the last match of the season. By this time he had become the best known manager in British Football for his outspoken views in the media and reported comments about the game and some of its personalities. He was exceptionally popular among the ordinary football supporters but there is no doubt that he alienated many others, including colleagues and the powers that be and whether they put pressure of the Chairman of Derby or they just clashed too often, he and Peter left to the horror and protests of Derby supporters, with thousands taking to the streets and some never returning to the ground again until recently.
The break also appeared disastrous for Brian and Peter as they failed to find success at lowly Brighton and Hove Albion and then lasting only 44 days at Leeds United where it is reported that leading players found his approach to management unacceptable to them. In general it has to be said that although a strict disciplinarian and rare in his praise he commanded lifelong and after life loyalty from many players who accepted and thrived on his managerial style, especially when Brian gave an indication that they had played well by his standards.
It was his move to Nottingham Forest which led to him and Peter achieving the greatest football feat outside the major clubs of Manchester, Liverpool and London. Notts Forest under Brian won the domestic Championship and four Football League Cups. However it is the winning of the European Championship Cup twice in 1979 and 1980 which made him into the legend of today.
The documentary included comments most of the great players who achieved success with him including Peter Shilton and Trevor Francis (Roy MacFarland John O’Hare John Robertson were early signings), while Lawrie McNememy and Yorkshire and England Cricketer Geof Boycott spoke of his importance and why he was not appointed manager of the national team despite 95% of the football population supporting him Brian had his flaws especially the feud which developed with Peter Taylor and which was not settled during their respective lifetimes although Brian bitterly regretted they had not reconciled before Peter’s death. He was also implicated in accepting payments and making payments to players outside the FA rules. He developed a serious drink problem which affected his marriage and relationships with his two sons who although loyal and proud of what their father achieved are also keen to emphasise that he was no saint and difficult to live with, His son Nigel became a professional footballer, playing for his father and then became a successful manager for a non league side. He was recently appointed the manager of Derby County which had resulted in former fans of the club returning having refused to do so with the departure of his father. Perhaps only the temporary appointment of Alan Shearer at Newcastle has had more emotion attached and goodwill from football supporters across the homeland. Brian would have loved all the attention that has been given to him since his death but as his sons point out it is a pity he did not remain alive to experience the recognition, if in part this was his fault. Whenever the two club play each other the Brian Clough Trophy is at stake and the proceeds go to Charity.
Brian Clough has had statues created for him in his home town of Middlesbrough, in a public park, kicking a ball, and in Nottingham City Centre Market Place where thousands greeted the return of the Team after their various victories. A statue is now being planned at Derby and a section of the road linking the two cities has been named the Brian Clough Way. When his son Nigel now leads his team out he is confronted by the Brian Clough stand. There is one book and film which the family dislike because it is fiction based on a few facts, his own writing works and hundreds upon hundreds of media articles and TV interviews and reports. It is fact that 95% of the British footballing public wanted Brian to be appointed manager of the national team and this commanded support from many professionals and managers in the game but he was stopped by the then chairman who considered him too hot to handle and a potential public relations disaster. Everyone else subsequently appointed failed of course but the British disease is that we prefer to fail than have others think badly of us. This is not a bad quality because it shows standards and character, sadly lacking among the banking profession and investors for more than a decade, but it is also a problem for a nation that likes to be top dog and hates failure.
The good news of the day came first through the post with not one but two invitations and then England unexpectedly won the final one day match in the West Indies, foreshortened match to 29 overs from 50 because of rain earlier in the day. England reached a winning total only through excellent work from Pietersen 48 supported by Durham’s Paul Collingwood 35 not out and Bopara 45 and then just when the West Indies appeared to be closing in on the total of 172 for 5 two key batsman were removed when the total was 124 and then Flintoff dismissed three men in three balls thus joining a select band of two bowlers who have achieved the hat trick in the one day game. It brings a lighter end to what has been a disastrous Winter series in India and the West Indies. There has been two problems which touch on what has been said in relation to Brian Clough and British Sports managements.
Captain Kevin Pietersen was determined to have his own way about Team selection and he fell out with the team manager coach, allegedly over the wish to have his predecessor in the squad because of his knowledge and moral support for the team. The row became public and the English Management attempted to resolve by parting company with the coach and removing Pietersen as the Captain replacing him with Andrew Strauss who although performing well as a batsmen, could not ignite the players back into a team and a series of humiliating performance dampened spirits in advance of this seasons Ashes contest with Australia. The situation was not helped by the appointment of a temporary manager coach, no doubt waiting for the preferred option to become available.
The win yesterday will help but the cracks remain. International cricket is in crisis fro a number of reasons. Tthere is the extent of commercialization and changing the game to meet the aspirations of the players and deal with declining attendances.
Cricket has always been a game of sportsmen enjoying what they do and learning from playing three and four day championship matches in preparation for the five day Test match. Until the 1960’s many of the cricketers were called Gentlemen players because they earned their living through other occupations while the Players were the professionals because they were unable or unwilling to undertake other occupations. Crowds for championship games were limited in the midweek, to old men and a their ladies; some who took an afternoon off or early late afternoon leaving including school children in term time; the school holiday times and weekends. There were always games which attracted Greater interest in Yorkshire playing Lancashire, Surrey playing Middlesex, four teams which tended to monopolise the county championship. The exception was Test Matches especially against Australia. The game cut across racial and political boundaries among the Commonwealth and former Commonwealth countries although problems arose with South Africa and Apartheid, Southern Rhodesia before it became Malawi. between Indian and Pakistan and more recent Zimbabwe.
Attempts to jazz up the game and make more money for sponsors and players have had mixed results especially the Kerry Packer initiative in the Sothern Hemisphere. The development for the one innings limited over game first sixty, then fifty then forty had positive results domestically but England failed at international level. Traditionally there was one touring side that played a mixture of games against Championships sides and Test Matches during the English Summer season and then national teams toured during the winter months in warmer climates. Our problem si that the home countries are the only professionals playing in the Northern hemisphere with all the other major teams playing in the South. This encouraged the development of two touring teams here and our national team making two tours one before and one after Christmas. The growth of one day tournaments also added to the creation of an all year season and players finding the way of life a challenge in terms of their fitness, playing consistency and family life. The division of the main domestic championship into two leagues has meant fewer championship games and the international players being given full time contracts has meant they only play for their counties at the discretion of the national management.
The development of the 20 20 game has changed everything again. This short game with lost of razzamatazz creating at time a football/USA style atmosphere with music, partisanship, and extras from dancing girls to hot tubs and specific entertainment for children. This brought in the crowds and big money with a group of India entrepreneurs creating a $100 dollar short competition which threatened the authority of the international and national federations. They attempted to creates rival tournaments with the disastrous Stamford series in the West Indies. The subsequent bombings in India and the attacks on officials in Pakistan has all helped to create a situation of worry, unrest and uncertainty. Some major players have also started to appear as prima donnas with deposed captain Kevin Pietersen appearing upset and team disruptive and constant talk of friction and rivalry with England’s other international star Andrew Flintoff who has had his own set of problems on and off the field. Both players were auctioned to play for $1 million dollars in the forthcoming Indian tournament now to take place in South Africa. England’s win does not help to solve any of the problems and conflicts but it is a moral booster before the Ashes and where the Australia Team is in the process of rebuilding after the retirement of its longstanding great players.
Over the last two nights I watched the next round of American Idol with some fine and interesting performers and performances emerging. Tonight the wrong person was voted out but not one the likely winners but given everything else that happened I would not lose sleep over this. I found it difficult to sleep however having fallen asleep at the desk and then going over all the things are needed to do. On the bright side I did not snack and my weight to be checked again before becoming the benchmark for the reduction challenge of getting below sixteen stone before the end of the year is under 17 and half stone having been about 17.10 a month ago which was as high as the worst reached in 2007 before the successful reduction that year.
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