Cloughie: Walking on Water

by Brian Howard Clough

Brian Clough, arguably Britain's greatest ever football manager, died in September 2004 at the age of 69. His passing was marked by a minute's silence at both the Derby County and Nottingham Forest grounds and provoked a wave of tributes from across the sporting spectrum. A memorial service due to be held at Derby Cathedral had to be moved to Pride Park to accommodate the fans' demand for tickets. This overwhelming affection and respect was fully deserved for the man who was often described as being controversial, outspoken and opinionated. His achievements in football speak for he took two lowly Midlands sides to the very top, winning two consecutive European Cups, with unfashionable Nottingham Forest, in a feat that will surely never be matched by a club of similar stature. This special edition contains two new chapters, written shortly before he died, which offer his candid and entertaining views on club directors and chairmen and on Newcastle's treatment of Sir Bobby Robson, as well as his scathing analysis of England's recent performances. Cloughie also talks honestly about his battles with alcohol and the liver transplant that gave him 21 months of health and happiness.

Genres: Football, Biography, Sports, Nonfiction, Soccer, Autobiography

335 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Brian Howard Clough, OBE

(21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was a successful footballer and subsequently football manager, most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

Reviews

[Henry Ozogula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The late Brian CLOUGH is one of the managerial legends in English and European football. He conquered England and Europe with relatively small unheralded sides. This autobiography gives us glimpses into how he did it. An excerpt here:

"...There was the small matter of 270,000 pounds for Peter Shilton (goalkeeper) from Stoke. We were 'mad' in many people's eyes to spend a record fee on him...History now tells us that Shilton was worth twice the price. We were not mad at all; we were magic...

"...there was a familiar, tried and trusted formula - a goalkeeper, two centrehalves in this instance, and a centre forward. There they are. There's the framework, the backbone, those are the key components in the skeleton of any side"

I love the succinct tribute of Sir Alex Ferguson to CLOUGHIE here: "To win back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham forest has to go down as one of the finest managerial achievements of all time"

And so it is.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big head strikes again - Brian Clough was somewhat of an enigma as well as being a charismatic football manager of some repute and definitely a force to be reckoned with. This tells his story in his own words and makes for quite an interesting and entertaining read for the football fan and non-football fan alike.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an African "literary aficionado" (whatever this means!)one can only always cast envious looks at the western scenario as regards books; the way western world honours its icons via books et al makes the mind boggle this side. Like Brian Clough - always celebrated. Whereas (to take just one sporting example in Africa), the great Adegboye Onigbinde, football icon and coach for decades, does not even appear at all on goodreads! But back to this book and Cloughie - what a Coach and Manager during his time! His exploits at Derby and Nottingham Forest (especially winning the European Cup twice in succession) are on record forever. As an African, knowing this work has been extensively reviewed abroad, I shall make only two tawdry comments here. Firstly, this work shows that despite having traveled the world in his pomp, Brian Clough remained essentially an insular individual as his comments indicate here. Secondly, he amazingly ensured that his teams were disciplined, never really cheated or conned referees et al...this shows the man had great integrity! Suke

[Jonathan Tabreham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still a fascinating read today

[Matic Telic · Rating 4 out of 5]

An autobiography about an interesting character in English football history. Was fortunate to visit Nottingham due to my Gf studying there. Even to this day, people remember those NFFC days very fondly, especially the older generations.

[Andrew Ives · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always liked Brian Clough from vague memories of him with Forest in the late 1970s and early 1980s. However, when I started reading this book, the part about his upbringing wasn't particularly well-written, was repetitive, slightly tiresome in its Northernness, then he mentioned something about shooting grouse and egg collecting which put me right off after only about 30-40 pages.

I persevered and gradually everything improved. The whole Hartlepool, Derby, Leeds, Forest sagas are very interesting (especially regarding how certain transfers came about), then the bitter parts about being overlooked by England and the FA, other famous players, prominent managers, the Sky era, all give some insight and are easy to agree with. As he says: "you're entitled to your own opinion as long as you realise mine is right" which is true enough here.

It's difficult not to feel a little sorry for him in the way his playing days ended, his Forest career ended and how his life ended. The book is an easy read - interesting, slightly melancholy, extremely football-oriented and not particularly long. As autobiographies go, I quite enjoyed it, but it's some way short of amazing. 3.75/5

[Ramaditya · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the best book i've ever read, story about brian clough one of the most succesfull football manager in Britain,this book told us from his child life, beginning his carrer in Middlesbrough which he very dissapointed because although he scores many goals Boro never got promotion. Sunderland trasferred him and unfortunately at 29 years of age he got knee injury that made him hung up his boots. he is very sad but found himself a new beginning as a manager. With Peter Taylor his best mate he brought provincial team Nottingham Forest conquering Europe by won European Champions Cup two times in a row, things that Fergie can't achieved with Manchester United!!

[Trevor Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book about Brian Clough, as he charts the highs and the lows. The alcoholism that fuelled his demise was a sad demise, a tragic period of his life, which we mustn't allow to overshadow the incredible achievements. This guy won, after all, two European Cups with a tenth of the budget of most of the clubs competing at the time - and most of all, he won them in style. I once played against Nigel while his dad was watching on the touchline - what an honour.

[Neil Arrowsmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written autobiography. One of the better ones I’ve read. It was published in 2002 and so I will base my review as if I was in 2002 due to the fact that football has changed considerably in the 21 years since this book was released.
My old man loved Brian Clough and so I naturally presumed Cloughie was a legend, without actually following or researching his career. My football obsession started in the late 80’s and I am an avid Manchester United fan.
What struck me with this book was how self obsessed Brian Clough was. He said he was a great English forward and yet he never played in the top division. He said he was one of the great English managers, and yes he won the European Cup twice, but he beat Malmo and Hamburg. European football at that time wasn’t the strongest.
He viewed everyone as mediocre unless he managed them and developed them. He viewed other managers as unworthy and far less than himself. He was extremely bitter, especially because of him not getting the England managers job.
He had no desire to evolve with the game and ultimately this was probably a big reason why he was relegated with Forest. How can a legendary manager be relegated? Maybe he just wasn’t so great after all. His obsession with Sir Alex is laughable and he continually referenced that he won the European Cup twice in succession. At the point of publishing Sir Alex had won three European trophies, Scottish League titles, Scottish Cups, FA Cups, Premier League titles and League Cup titles. How he could even compare himself to Sir Alex is beyond me.
The fact is that Brian Clough was stuck in age that helped him succeed but he could never progress as the game progressed and that was his downfall. He could never have continued as a manager after the relegation and I probably think he knew that deep down. And if he didn’t realise that, every football club knew that as he never returned to top level management.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a little bit of a tragic story with Brian Clough.Despite all he achieved in club football he was never offered the England job.In most part due to politics.As a supporter of the English game from abroad I knew a little about Cloughie but it was interesting to read some of the regret he had in certain aspects of his life.He certainly knew the game and by the sound of things had a certain old school approach to management.
The movie about him the Dammed United has his character down pat but more focuses on his time at Leeds or at least the build up to it.
Not to many dull moments in his reflection and would definitely recommend this one to any lovers of English football.

[Jacob Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny, down to Earth and opinionated in the best way, Clough makes this book an enjoyable read. In order to appreciate this book fully it helps if you’re a football fan (as you’d expect). Clough is honest about his struggles with alcohol and how it undermined him in his final years at Nottingham Forest, and often criticises himself and other managers. The narrative structure could have been better- at times it feels slightly incoherent. Overall though, a great read for an autobiography and a fitting tribute to one of the greatest managers that English football has ever seen.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The autobiography of a great, that doesn't do justice to his greatness.

[Alfred Nobile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb biography of a brilliant character.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A legend!

[Emma Brooks]

Loved it

[Darren Beech · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting insight into a football age long gone

[Jonny Brick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight from the horse's mouth. Unreliable narrator.

[Andrew Cumming · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a 42 year old American who is only familiar with Brian Clough through the book and movie of The Damned United. A friend lent me this biography and I'm glad he did. Although I was a bit lost in the discussion of some of the players and matches, I was able to take away a nice message from this book. Clough, when discussing his coaching style and how he came into the game, made some nice unintentional parallels with everyone's struggle with work, where they fit into the world and what kind of mindset you might try to adopt to put everything in perspective. He seemed like quite a character and am glad I was handed this book on a whim.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best football autobiographies I've ever read, indeed probably one of the best autobiographies I've ever read in any category.
Brian Clough is very candid, very intelligent and very funny.
He comes across as caring, smart and with a brilliant appetite for life
I have to agree that his is most definitely the best manager that England never had and his death is a very sad loss to football and the world.
If you like biographies or football you have to read this book!

[Terry Ravenscroft]

Controversial, no holds barred and brutally honest. Just what you would expect from Cloughie, who is certainly the best manager the England football team never had, and quite possibly the best football manager ever, as he takes great pains to point out himself on more than one occasion. There is a bit too much of this, and a bit too much of his fight with the booze, otherwise this book is all you could wish from an autobiography. Overall, excellent.

[Hasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Says it plain and says it how it is, the greatest English man in modern day football, Clough was known as 'Big Head', his achievements at Derby and Nottingham Forest eclipse other footballing greats. Clough gives a frank and honest view about his life, his time as a player and manager and the perils of modern day football. What he said in 2003 still makes sense today as the people's game is now the commercial game.

[Pinko Palest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been more succinct. Should be read in conjunction with Clough-The Autobiography, since at places this is an expansion on what has been said there. The expansions are the best parts of this, and Clough's charm really comes through in them. The last few chapters though are mainly pieces of footballing criticism about people and teams in the early 2000s that Clough dictated, and are of little interest, plus they are overdone in their tabloidease

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read Brian Clough's take on things after reading David Peace's fictionalized account of his Derby & Leeds years. I enjoyed a lot of it but sometimes found his infamous "Old Big 'Ead" arrogance and conceit a little hard to take. Still, fascinating insight into what HE thinks it takes to be a successful manager (and player) in English football.

[Cathal Kenneally · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I've read a very sad book about the Hillsborough disaster and the long and protracted inquests, I'm sorry to say I've read this. Clough always believed till his dying day that Liverpool supporters were responsible for the tragedy and wouldn't be persuaded otherwise. From a man I considered wise in his knowledge regarding football, it's a sad way to remember someone of his standing.

[gosobooks.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the biography of one of the most successful coaches in the history of English football. More of an ancient Jose Maurinho you might want to call him. And if you're still doubting the enormous danger in alcohol consumption then read this.

[Steve Chilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

About as coherent a book as the author became in his later life. It jumps backwards and forwards from one subject to another all the way through. A very strange book, that is quite fun to read but would suggest one of the biographies of the man would be a better bet.

[Ola]

Enjoying it

[Ashis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good if not spectacular read. A very colourful character portrayed the right way

[Phil Hodgkiss]

Entertaining book by one of football's greatest managers