Legendary manager Brian Clough has sadly passed away at the age of 69.
The man who guided Nottingham Forest to two European Cup triumphs commanded enormous respect within the game and always insisted he should have been given the chance to manage England.
During his playing days, Clough was a prolific scorer in the North East for Middlesbrough and Sunderland before a knee injury curtailed his career.
Often controversial, 'Old Big 'Ead', as he said he should be called after landing an OBE, also took Derby County to the title and worked superbly in tandem with his assistant Peter Taylor.
In his final season in charge at Forest, Clough was unable to prevent the club slipping out of The Premiership in 1993 but retired gracefully and kept involved in the game with various aspects of media work.
He also took a keen interest in his son Nigel's attempts to follow in his footsteps by managing a club at non-league Burton Albion.
"He should have been England manager," former Forest striker Garry Birtles told Sky Sports News.
"It's the biggest disgrace he didn't get that job as he deserved it thoroughly.
"He was just one of those all-time greats."
Clough, who was also Leeds United manager for a short spell in 1974, had a liver transplant in January, 2003, after suffering from ill health.
"It is with the deepest sadness that we announce that Brian Clough has died peacefully at the age of 69," said a hospital spokeswoman.
"Brian was an in-patient at Derby City General Hospital, and his family were with him when he passed away in hospital on September 20."
The hospital spokeswoman confirmed that stomach cancer was the cause of death.
http://skysports.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=226801
Rip to a true legend.
The man who guided Nottingham Forest to two European Cup triumphs commanded enormous respect within the game and always insisted he should have been given the chance to manage England.
During his playing days, Clough was a prolific scorer in the North East for Middlesbrough and Sunderland before a knee injury curtailed his career.
Often controversial, 'Old Big 'Ead', as he said he should be called after landing an OBE, also took Derby County to the title and worked superbly in tandem with his assistant Peter Taylor.
In his final season in charge at Forest, Clough was unable to prevent the club slipping out of The Premiership in 1993 but retired gracefully and kept involved in the game with various aspects of media work.
He also took a keen interest in his son Nigel's attempts to follow in his footsteps by managing a club at non-league Burton Albion.
"He should have been England manager," former Forest striker Garry Birtles told Sky Sports News.
"It's the biggest disgrace he didn't get that job as he deserved it thoroughly.
"He was just one of those all-time greats."
Clough, who was also Leeds United manager for a short spell in 1974, had a liver transplant in January, 2003, after suffering from ill health.
"It is with the deepest sadness that we announce that Brian Clough has died peacefully at the age of 69," said a hospital spokeswoman.
"Brian was an in-patient at Derby City General Hospital, and his family were with him when he passed away in hospital on September 20."
The hospital spokeswoman confirmed that stomach cancer was the cause of death.
http://skysports.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=226801
Rip to a true legend.
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