MENTION the name of Brian Clough to anyone with even the slightest interest in football and, likely as not, a smile will cross their face.

Clough was the manager of, principally, Nottingham Forest and Derby County football clubs, and with his no-nonsense, in-your-face approach and the considerable successes, he was regarded as one of the most influential football managers of his time.

There was one huge hiccup, though, with Leeds United, the team he took charge of when Don Revie left the club to take up the position of England manager.

Clough had never hidden his feelings about what he thought of the Leeds manager and those associated with the club, so it was something of a surprise when he took the job. He lasted just 44 days at Elland Road, and that short hiatus in a long and illustrious career, is the subject of a recently released film, The Damned United, which stars British actor Michael Sheen.

The book of the same name, on which the film was based, written by David Peace, was not well received by the Clough family or by other footballers who had worked with or for him, who claimed that many of the events in the book had never actually happened.

Clough was well known for his lack of patience with any poor behaviour from his players. Equally, any fan he caught misbehaving risked a clip around the ear – although he was as likely to kiss them when he met them.

He died of stomach cancer in 2004. Clough visited Jersey on several occasions over the years, both as football manager and as holidaymaker.

In 1982 he presented the Combination Players’ Player of the Year award to Steve Dewhurst, and is pictured here with John Sherry on the left and Graeme Mourant on the right, with Rothman’s rep Mike Ormsby.

In the second picture he is seen walking along St Ouen’s beach with his right-hand man, Peter Taylor.

In March 1993, Clough brought Nottingham Forest to the Island to play against the Portuguese Club of Jersey.

Iain Mackenzie was the man who brought the Notts Forest team over and he recalled Clough’s greeting to the Portuguese Club president, Carlos Costa.

‘He walked up to Carlos, put his hands on either side of his face, and kissed him, full on the lips,’ Mackenzie said.

And the Portuguese Club’s team manager, Kevin MacCarthy, was similarly saluted.
‘We went on the coach with the Forest team to Springfield. Brian came down the aisle, put his arms around Kevin and picked him up, then kissed him too!’ Iain said. ‘I contacted Ron Fenton at Notts Forest, he was the assistant manager at the time, to invite them over to play here.’

Portuguese team manager MacCarthy, who has also been the Island team manager, remembers the occasion well.

‘Carlos Costa was Portuguese Club president and before the match he sent us off to one of his hotels to get a toilet seat because the loo in the visitors’ dressing room had no seat. We didn’t want Cloughie to walk out in a huff because the toilet in the changing room had no seat.

‘There was a brilliant atmosphere at the match. Two of the Portuguese lads were asked to play for Forest – Maurice Andrade and Ricardo Varela – because Forest was two men down because of suspensions.’

Iain said: ‘While we were in the changing room, Cloughie came in and was introduced to Maurice and Ricardo. He went straight to Ricardo and said: “You’re the ugliest man I’ve ever seen in my life!”

‘Ricardo was completely crestfallen, and he didn’t want to play for them after that. It was all a bit overpowering, especially since he was sitting next to Stuart Pearce, who was also the England captain at the time, though he didn’t play in Jersey because he was injured. But Maurice went on and played.’

The teams went out after the match, and Iain said that Clough just sat quietly, talking to no one, and when it was time to go he gave a signal and everyone immediately put their drinks down and left – all except Clough’s son Nigel, (the current Notts Forest manager) who carried on chatting.

‘His dad went up to him and, literally, booted him up the backside,’ he said.
Roy Keane was another member of the Forest team.

‘He ended up throwing a drink over a girl,’ Iain said. ‘Clough called him over and gave him a real telling off, then sent him to bed like a naughty schoolboy.
The referee for the game was the JEP’s Andy Bradshaw.

He said: ‘Clough came into the changing room before the match and told me to not to take any nonsense from his players. He said: “If any of them misbehave you give me the nod and they’ll be off.”

‘But Forest were good as gold, there was no trouble at all. The only problem I had was keeping up with them as they ran up the pitch. They were like greased lightning.’

• Words: Isobel Osmont

• Picture: Brian Clough surrounded by young fans at Springfield in March 1993 (00659563)

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