What was your favourite Brian Clough quote?
What was your favourite Brian Clough quote?

Brian Clough's most memorable quotes and interviews: We remember the Nottingham Forest and Derby legend's most amusing moments


The football world lost a legend 15 years ago today and we look back on some of Brian Clough's most memorable quotes.

Clough, who passed away aged 69 in September 2004 after a battle against cancer, is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers this country as ever produced.

After his playing career was shortened by serious injury, he went on to win the First Division title with both Derby (1972) and Nottingham Forest (1978), for whom he also led to back-to-back European Cups (1979 and 1980), the European Super Cup (1979) and four League Cups ('78, '79, '89, '90).

But it wasn't only his success as far as results were concerned which propelled him to iconic levels of popularity - it was his principles, how he conducted himself and, above all, his humour, personality and memorable array of quotes.

Here, we remember some of his best quotes along with some interview footage...

"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."

"If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there."

Match of the Day's 1993 tribute to Brian Clough

"I'm loath to confess they could be as good as us. They are brilliant. It sticks in the craw a little bit because nobody likes Arsenal! Of course there's a Frenchman in charge, Wenger, and not many English people like Frenchmen. He is a top, top manager” (on Arsenal breaking Nottingham Forest’s record for 42 games unbeaten.)

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

"Resignations are for prime ministers and those caught with their trousers down, not for me."

Brian Clough meets Don Revie in that 1974 ITV Calendar interview

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

"Anybody who can do anything in Leicester but make a jumper has got to be a genius" (On ex-player Martin O'Neil’s success. What would he have made of Claudio Ranieri?)

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Brian Clough entertained us all with his array of memorable quotes
Brian Clough entertained us all with his array of memorable quotes

“I’m a little bit of an idealist, I do believe in fairies, and that is my outlook."

"We talk about it for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right."

Brian Clough interviewed by David Frost shortly after being sacked

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

'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."

John Motson interviews Brian Clough

“The players haven't got enough heart to fill a thimble." (on his Brighton side’s 8-2 defeat to Bristol Rovers.)

“Good managers make good sides. There’s no such thing as a side making a manager."

“Don’s (Revie) slightly different and his record proves over results that he perhaps is right. But having said that, I want to be like me."

“The River Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years."

"For all his horses, knighthoods and championships, he hasn't got two of what I've got. And I don't mean balls!" (On Sir Alex Ferguson not winning two European Cups - at the time he said it.)

Funny story about Brian Clough on talkSPORT

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