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 Founded 1865 |
Forest Profiles |
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Brian Howard Clough In the 1977-1978 season Clough won a then record of 4 manager of the month awards, then he also won the manager of the year award. When Forest had won the first division title there was a feeling from the Liverpool fans that Forest were simply the caretakers of the title and it had been a lucky win, they may have been correct in the title aspect but the fans of Forest couldn't have dreamed what was just around the corner. Forest signed the striker of the day Trevor Francis for a reported million pound the first of its kind although Clough claimed that he paid a pound short of a million as a matter of principle. It was an inspired buy when Francis scored the only goal in the European Cup Final against Malmo a few months later. One year later the Red's retained the treasured trophy with another 1-0 win Vrs Hamburg in Real Madrid's Bernabeau Stadium. In two amazing years Forest had won a League championship, League Cup and two European Cups. It was dreamworld for the Forest fans. One of the most important factors in all this success was the methods that Clough employed towards his teams. He ordered his players to take all European trips as mere breaks, and encouraged drinking and enjoyment of the sun. Over the next few years the European teams were broken up and in 1982 Taylor returned to manage Derby County and Robbo became the player that seperated Clough and Taylor forever. Also in 1982 Clough was awarded the Nottingham Evening Post's Citizen of the month award when he talked a man out of committing suicide from the top of Trent Bridge. By that time the journalists of England clambered around Clough for the fantastic soundbites he would give them with his witty repostes to all the 'shithouses' questions. Although Forest never reached the heights of 79-80 again the Red's remained a force to be reckoned with in England as they regulary reached the final of the League Cup and finished in the top half of the First Division. The sheer amount of talent that Clough nurtured from trainee stages is well documented throughout this site and to do it time and time again is testament to the fact that the man was indeed a football genius. |