Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You: The Biography

It's hard to think of a parallel personality to Brian Clough (as in rough) in American sports. First he was a child prodigy goal scorer. He was so prolific scoring goals that he became a full fledged English International, just missing out on the 1958 World Cup squad. Even in those early days he had his critics who said he was nothing special, he just scored goals at the detriment of he team (wait, it will get worse).A sudden injury ended his career. With little education he pursues his next career in club management with a bottom club in the lowest division (with Hartlepools United). And he begins his partnership with Peter Taylor. They achieve promotion in their 2nd season and then everything falls apart in a series of feuds and accusations (a familiar pattern). And it's off to Derby. Under their leadership the team is rebuilt, wins promotion to the First Promotion, wins the Championship, and reaches the Semi Finals of the European Cup (which ends in controversy and a memorable blow up at the Italian Press), before unraveling in accusations and feuds (sound familiar?).44 Days at Leeds United (without Peter Taylor) and a television feud with former Leeds Boss (and then England National Team Manager) Dan Revie captivates the nation and the infamous British Tabloids. By now Clough has crossed the line into full blown alcoholism. And then after reuniting with Taylor, it's off to Nottingham Forrest where they jump to the First Division and then win back to back European Cups (along with a couple of domestic Cups) before everything falls apart and Forrest is relegated.What a ride.Along the way Clough never gets the one jobs he always that he was destined for, the English National team. He never learned that the people he antagonized on the way up, can still be there on the way down, and they often have short memories.One more reason to recommend this book is that the great Jonathan Wilson wrote the story. There are a number of books on/about "Cloughie" including at least 3 autobiographies but none of them work the way this book does.I vividly remember sitting in the stands at the great Azteca Stadium at the 1986 World Cup Quarter-finals between England and Argentina (yes, the Hand of God game). Next to me were 2 English fans who had flown over night from London to Miami to Mexico City just to see this game). While the teams were warming up before the match, I asked them a simple question, how did you pronounce his last name? For the next 2 hours they regaled me stories of Cough's career, his feuds, and his larger than life personality. And I thought to myself "this would make a great book." Thanks to Jonathan Wilson, it has.

A biography as close as it can get to the real life of one of the greatest people in football history. No greater compliment to its achievements than presenting him with good and bad, because every man, no matter how great, has also a darker side (sometimes its egotistic decisions and its stuborness led to those moments that placed him in the history of football).

Wilson has written an interesting and exhaustively researched book. Brian Clough was a titan in the world of European soccer in the latter half of the 20th century and this book provides all the details of his supremely successful yet surprising simple methods. It also depicts a highly ambitious, extremely intelligent and deeply flawed individual: equal parts devoted husband and father, megalomaniac, footballing genius and severe, chronic alcoholic.Brian Clough was a modern day Robin Hood? Read the book and you might agree; those two European Cups he stole for Nottingham are among the most inspiring accomplishments in the history of European soccer.

This is a good read for one interested in coaches in pro soccer. Does a good job referencing other books to give a sense of contrast.I concur with others about the overemphasis on details such as game scores, etc. For this reason, it took me longer than normal to read.

I really enjoyed this book. A good insight into one of the most fascinating characters of football.

Felt like it was written by someone with very little inside knowledge. I don't need to know the score against Southampton on 3 october 1975 or whatever. BC was a special guy - infuriated some, loved by others, but always someone with something to say. Maybe the best manager England never had. But to be honest, you can get better insights on Brian by going to You Tube or Wikipedia.

This does a fairly decent job in providing a summary of Brian Clough's life and career.His achievements, together with Peter Taylor were truly incredible.The author can write and he certainly has done a lot of research. I did think he spent too much time in providing details of matches that didn't really matter that much and conversely not enough in describing events that were a lot more important. At times he seemed to Judge Clough somewhat harshly whilst making allowances for all the other people accused of bribery and bungs etc. An example of this is the European cup semi-final against Juventus or the former Middlesbrough players who went on to serve time for corruption.He does quite a good job in describing the good and not so good sides of Brian. Though I did think that " Provided you don't kiss me" did a better job in showing how he could be both amazing generous and also an appalling bully.

There have been too many books about Brian Clough. And - like many, I think - I've read quite a few of them. I only bought this because it is by Jonathan Wilson: Inverting the Pyramid really is that good. While this one is not a wholly satisfactory experience, it is certainly worth reading. But for me there is a quite superb (and much shorter) book hiding inside it. Wilson has structured his book in five chronological sections, but for this reader it resolved itself into three ... the second of which is excellent:The first couple of hundred pages cover Clough's childhood, playing career and management up to the Derby title win in 1972. It's done well, with some elegant and pithy writing: the reference to the "triangle of loathing" between Clough, Don Revie and Bob Stokoe is a good example. But all this is well-worn ground, and to be honest Wilson seems to add little to what's already out there, while relying heavily on contemporary press reporting. It has to be said, though, that having set out to write a full-length biography, it is difficult to see what else he could have done here.The book really takes off with the 110-odd pages covering the final period at Derby to the end of the Leeds affair. Equally well-worn material of course, but Wilson produces the most even-handed, entertaining and convincing treatment I've read in a section that reads like a good novel while dispassionately sticking to the evidence. Quite a feat.The third section - the rest of the book - doesn't quite hit that standard, but it keeps you reading. The handling of the break with Taylor, and of the final events at Forest in 1993, are particularly illuminating. Rather oddly, though, the book pretty much ends there. Aside from a perceptively analysed description of a 1995 Clough TV appearence, the last 11 years of his life are covered in a couple of paragraphs. It would have been interesting to know if - and, if so, how - Clough looked back critically on his career and his persona in that time. Maybe there's just nothing to say?In sum, then, this is a very good biography. If I'd been Wilson's editor, I might have been tempted to suggest that he should publish just the 1972-74 section as a monograph. And, if I were a reader who's pushed for time, I might be tempted to start the book at page 229. All that said, though, I'm glad I read it.

A boring Brian Clough biography,who'd have thunk it ?Far to many match reports,started skimming then just gave up I'm afraid

Personally I followed Clough's career from 78 onwards closely and as a result have read several accounts of his life before.So much of the content did not tell me anything new.The analysis of what might have been going on inside his head was the best part of this book.There was perhaps too much content in terms of going over all of the games from each season but to be fair it put into context the overall story.Whilst there are quotes from various people involved, I'd have liked to have seen more in depth interviews included with people still with us as opposed to relying too much on match accounts and text from various autobiographies.A good book, probably the best biography there can ever be of the man as the key people like Taylor are not around to add anything new to the story. Sadly no one now will ever get the chance to understand the man in full as I feel sure there was another side to him that he managed to keep private that might just have been coaxed out of him had he lived longer.

As always with books from Jonathan Wilson a really enjoyable read from start to finish.Every aspect of the journey of Brian Clough, from his days as a player, to managerial glory, are told in great detail and in a very balanced manner. Great insight and opinions from key people at every stage.As with all the books I have read from Jonathan Wilson you are drawn into the book and the flow keeps you gripped all the way through. Such a great author.

Excellent book, very interesting