Circumstances were developing at a measured pace within Nottingham, during the transition from 1974 to 1975. This held true not only outdoors, where emissions from coal fires continued to taint the atmosphere, but also within the confines of the Palais nightclub.
A dance floor dating back to the 1920s, designed to rotate, transported individuals showcasing various hairstyles, fashion choices like flared trousers, and exuberant dance movements past your table at a deliberately unhurried speed, all while the DJ played the sentimental, rhythmic song Billy, Don’t Be A Hero by the local band Paper Lace.
Close to the bar area, a gathering of young men were circulating a formal request. It was presented to a 19-year-old tradesman specializing in floor coverings from Long Eaton, who examined the statement ‘We, the individuals whose signatures appear below, respectfully request that Nottingham Forest Football Club consider Brian Clough for the position of manager’, and carefully reviewed the extensive list of supporting names, before adding his own. This formal request was soon under consideration at the City Ground. The rate of change was poised to increase significantly.
Decades later, in a discussion with FFT, that same tradesman specializing in floor coverings reflected upon the transformational era that was about to engulf an unsuspecting urban center. “It defied logic,” Garry Birtles noted. “Beyond reasonable, yet spectacular. Spectacularly beyond reasonable.”
The catalyst for this change was a person named Brian Howard Clough. He was formally introduced at the City Ground on January 6, 1975, yet the state of affairs already present offered little room for further degradation.
Positioned at 13th within Division Two, Forest’s holiday offering to their dedicated followers had been a home defeat with a score of 2-0 against their local adversaries, Notts County. An up-and-coming striker, Tony Woodcock, was on the brink of being transferred to Lincoln City. Midfielders Martin O’Neill and John Robertson, both feeling disconnected, were listed as available for transfer.
According to manager Allan Brown, “The athletes demonstrated moments of high competence one week, yet they struggled to sustain this performance. The issue seemed inherent to the club’s structure.”
The City Ground, an assemblage of temporary buildings constructed from corrugated iron and lumber, boasted a single contemporary stand, a result of its antecedent structure being destroyed by fire in 1968.
Duncan Hamilton, the author of the Clough biography Provided You Don’t Kiss Me, noted, “The club possessed essentially nothing of value.” Within a half-decade, Forest would command a comprehensive collection of resources, a transformation attributable entirely to a manager overlooked by all others.
Grasping the nettle
Despite securing a title with Derby in 1972, Brian Clough’s reputation had diminished significantly by January 1975. His tenure at the Baseball Ground was marred by conflicts with the board of directors. His time at Leeds involved disputes with the team members. Between these appointments, he briefly managed Brighton, developing a disliking for the town itself, as it inconveniently declined to relocate closer to his residence in Derbyshire.
Even upon Forest’s expression of interest, it was under restrictive conditions. A decrease in compensation relative to his Leeds employment, coupled with limited financial support for player acquisitions. A stroke of good fortune attended his inaugural match. Forest achieved a significant FA Cup victory, yet this occurred only because the Tottenham Hotspur team encountered substantial delays in transit, arriving merely 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start. The new manager cautioned, “I would advise our supporters against interpreting this as the commencement of a noteworthy era,” a judgment that proved accurate in the immediate future.
Forest endured a three-month period without registering a victory, and as Clough directed criticism toward his team, his managerial capabilities appeared to be declining. The acquisition of a player from Leeds, an individual he had previously brought to Elland Road, suggested a desperate measure. Even before Clough’s tenure reached its 44th day, John McGovern had become the focus of disapproval among Leeds supporters, achieving the status of a deeply unpopular figure within the club.
The subsequent season saw only four victories in Forest’s initial sixteen matches. However, a notable improvement toward the conclusion of the season, elevating the club to eighth position, finally generated positive momentum. The critical tasks were addressed during the break between seasons. News stories, possibly encouraged by Clough, associated the undeniably controversial figure with the refined atmosphere of Highbury.
Forest hesitated, and the opening skirmish in a prolonged struggle against the increasingly marginalized leadership of the club concluded with Clough securing authorization to bring in Peter Taylor, his former colleague from Middlesbrough and assistant from Derby, who had succeeded Clough at Brighton following the latter’s move to Leeds.
Taylor’s entrance, along with the manner in which it occurred, established a pattern for periods of intense, nearly uncontrolled events. Clough maintained a constant presence in the media, consistently linked with vacancies at Manchester United, Derby, Villa, Sunderland, in Dubai and the United States, and even with the Welsh national squad. His assistant worked discreetly, adopting disguises such as a knitted hat and glasses to observe the athletes who would later constitute Forest’s outstanding team. Hamilton stated that when collaborating, the pair operated with “complete alignment of thought.”
Birtles had an intimate understanding of their synergistic approach. “Peter seemed to possess a subtle intuition for how individuals felt,” stated the forward, who was recruited from the non-league team Long Eaton United in 1976. “Brian would consider Peter’s insights and then probe into the psychological structure of an athlete to uncover the most effective motivational strategies.” Despite amassing the foundation for an exceptional team, comprising the fortitude of seasoned players Larry Lloyd and Frank Clark, the tactical intelligence of Robertson and O’Neill, and the scoring ability of Woodcock, promotion was far from assured.
By May 14, 1977, as Forest’s league engagements concluded and Bolton required either a victory or a draw from their final two contests, Clough had dismissed any prospect of his team advancing and retreated to Mallorca, informing the press, “Arrangements have been finalized to receive updates regarding Bolton’s performance, and I plan to enjoy a glass of champagne at 3pm, with another at 5pm, irrespective of the outcomes.”
Ultimately, multiple glasses were necessary, as Bolton faltered at their first challenge, suffering a defeat at home against Wolves. Forest secured promotion with 52 points, recording one of the lowest tallies in history for a promoted team, having been defeated in 11 of their 42 games.
Even then, the notion of gradual advancement was absent from Clough’s plans. “I don’t simply seek to sustain our position among teams such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal,” he declared to journalists at the commencement of the season. “My objective is to surpass them all, comprehensively.”
Following a significant loss at Highbury, Clough acted according to his ambition, assisted by two significant acquisitions. Peter Shilton was acquired from Stoke, who had been relegated, for £270,000, setting a global benchmark for goalkeeper transfers. Taylor additionally persuaded Clough to acquire Birmingham’s striker, Kenny Burns, whom Clough had previously described in unflattering terms. Upon joining, Burns was reassigned as a central defender, after initially reassuring Clough of his adaptability by accompanying the manager on a visit to a horticultural exhibition.
During that era, before Clough became a parody of himself, he was known for his eccentricity. Costly signings would be directed to retrieve sporting equipment from thorny vegetation. Underwhelming performances led to reflective walks along the banks of the River Trent, followed by consuming refreshments from a catering vehicle. Team briefings might consist of the entire squad fixating on a soccer ball for a period of five minutes, while Clough engaged in extended monologue.
The team might, with little advance notice, find themselves accommodated in hotels in coastal towns or Clough’s preferred location in Mallorca.
Social cohesion was frequently encouraged through shared alcoholic beverages, with the squad designating Uriah Heap’s wine bar as their after-practice venue and conducting post-match evaluations at Madison’s nightclub. Birtles remarked, “We perceived nothing atypical in our routines. Only upon leaving did you recognize that other teams did not operate in the same manner.”
‘Sweden is boring’
Separated from the unusual environment, Forest’s performance on the field was thrilling.
A flexible configuration permitted Robertson to move deep on the flank and deliver bending crosses toward Woodcock and Peter Withe. Gemmill moved from the left in the center of the field, while O’Neill drifted in from the opposing side, with McGovern functioning as a ball-winner and distributor. Behind them, the perspective was resolute: Clark to the left, Lloyd and Burns centrally, and Anderson on the right. This compelling synthesis of practical strategy and skilled execution rivaled the accomplishments of Anfield’s finest. By October, Forest, having been recently promoted, topped the league, and their manager assured journalists that in spite of Liverpool’s status as reigning league and European champions, “Liverpool are not the dominant force in the country, we are.”
Bob Wilson, formerly a goalkeeper for Arsenal and now a BBC pundit, informed viewers that “Forest’s success is unsustainable”, while another publication characterized them as “temporary leaders”. Subsequently, in December 1977, Clough was summoned to Lancaster Gate for an interview concerning the England manager position.
The interview, lasting three hours, occurred within the former headquarters of the FA. Peter Swales, the chairman of Manchester City, remembered it as a predetermined scenario orchestrated by FA chairman Sir Harold Thompson, aimed at securing the position for interim manager Ron Greenwood. Others propose that Clough displayed attributes of reflection, assurance, and inspiration.
It is established that Clough demanded the discontinuation of the team’s newly introduced Admiral strip as a prerequisite for accepting the role, and he criticized Ted Croker, the FA’s secretary, for what he viewed as irrelevant discussion of commercial considerations. Clough remarked with optimism, “I considered it progressed well.” He did not, of course, acquire the position he sought, but his team channeled any resulting annoyance into their athletic efforts. Manchester United was defeated with a score of 4-0 at Old Trafford, which Shilton recalls as “the initial occasion when we definitively believed in our ability to secure the title”.
Robertson’s decisive penalty secured the League Cup against Liverpool. The manager celebrated by placing the trophy on his television set for his children’s viewing. In conclusion, with Forest engaged in what would extend to a 42-game unbeaten series, they clinched their inaugural title with four matches remaining. Clough celebrated by intimating that he and Taylor were contemplating a move to Sunderland.
Read Also:
