Quotes From Brian Clough

He led Nottingham Forest to their European glory and considered one of the best British managers. He sadly passed away 2 years back but his legacy lives on

Especially with quotes like these:


If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there." On the importance of playing football on the ground.

"Manchester United in Brazil? I hope they all get bloody diarrhea." On Man Utd opting-out of the FA Cup to play in the World Club Championship.

"I can't even spell spaghetti never mind talk Italian. How could I tell an Italian to get the ball - he might grab mine." On foreign players.

"I bet their dressing room will smell of garlic rather than liniment over the next few months." On the number of French players at Arsenal.

"Who the hell wants fourteen pairs of shoes when you go on holiday? I haven't had fourteen pairs in my life." On Posh Spice's missing luggage.

"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one." On success.

"On occasions I have been big headed. I think most people are when they get in the limelight. I call myself Big Head just to remind myself not to be." On his nickname.

"At last England have appointed a manager who speaks English better than the players." On the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as England manager.

"If he'd been English or Swedish, he'd have walked the England job." On Martin O'Neill.

"Anybody who can do anything in Leicester but make a jumper has got to be a genius." On Martin O'Neill.

"The ugliest player I ever signed was Kenny Burns." A compliment to Kenny Burns.

"Stand up straight, get your shoulders back and get your hair cut." Advice for John McGovern at Hartlepool.

"Take your hands out of your pockets." Advice to Trevor Francis as he received an award.

"The Derby players have seen more of his balls than the one they're meant to be playing with." On the streaker who appeared during Derby County v Manchester United.

"I only ever hit Roy the once. He got up so I couldn't have hit him very hard." On Roy Keane.

"Walk on water? I know most people out there will be saying that instead of walking on it, I should have taken more of it with my drinks. They are absolutely right." On his alcohol problem.

"I'm dealing with my drinking problem and I have a reputation for getting things done." On his alcohol problem.

"Don't send me flowers when I'm dead. If you like me, send them while I'm alive." After an operation.

"Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes." On England's exit from Euro 2000.

"We talk about it for twenty minutes and then we decide I was right." On dealing with players who disagree.

"I want no epitaphs of profound history and all that type of thing. I contributed - I would hope they would say that, and I would hope somebody liked me," On how he would like to be remembered.

"It was a crooked match and he was a crooked referee. That was a tournament we could and should have won." On the 1984 UEFA Cup semi-final Forest lost to Anderlecht.

"I'm sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I'd want to run the show. They were shrewd, because that's exactly what I would have done." On being rejected for the England manager's job.

"You don't want roast beef and Yorkshire every night and twice on Sunday." On too much football on television.

"If a chairman sacks the manager he initially appointed, he should go as well." On too many managers getting the boot.

"I thought it was my next door neighbour, because I think she felt that if I got something like that, I'd have to move." Guessing who nominated him for a knighthood.

"For all his horses, knighthoods and championships, he hasn't got two of what I've got. And I don't mean balls!" Referring to Sir Alex Ferguson's failure to win two successive European Cups.

"I like my women to be feminine, not sliding into tackles and covered in mud." On women's football.

''That Seaman is a handsome young man but he spends too much time looking in his mirror, rather than at the ball. You can't keep goal with hair like that." On England goalkeeper David Seaman.

"I've missed him. He used to make me laugh. He was the best diffuser of a situation I have ever known. I hope he's all right." On the late Peter Taylor.

"He's learned more about football management than he ever imagined. Some people think you can take football boots off and put a suit on. You can't do that." On ex-England player David Platt's first season as Forest manager.

"He should guide Posh in the direction of a singing coach because she's nowhere near as good at her job as her husband." On David Beckham.

"Barbara's supervising the move. She's having more extensions built than Heathrow Airport." On moving house in Derbyshire, England.