Nigel Clough
Encyclopedia
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager
of Derby County
. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder
, Clough was capped by England
14 times in the early 1990s.
Clough is most notable for his time at Nottingham Forest
, where he played over 400 times in two separate spells, mostly under the managership of his father Brian
and scored 131 goals, making him the second highest scorer in the club's history. He subsequently had spells with Liverpool
, Manchester City
and Sheffield Wednesday
before moving into non league football at the age of 32 when he became player manager with Southern Football League Premier Division side Burton Albion
in 1998. Over the next decade, during half of which he continued to play a regular role on the field, Clough took Burton up from the seventh tier of the English football league system
to the brink of promotion to League Two before leaving halfway through the 2008-09 season to follow in his father's footsteps and take over at Derby County
.
, Derby
, he is most famous as a Nottingham Forest
player, where he was coached by his father Brian Clough
, who publicly referred to him as "The Number 9". He made a total of 403 appearances in two spells at the club and is the club's second highest goalscorer of all time with 131. He also won 14 caps for England
.
Clough joined Forest on leaving school in 1982 but did not become a regular first team player until the 1986–87 season, when he was the club's joint leading goalscorer with 14 league goals. He helped Forest win two League Cup
s in successive seasons (1989 and 1990). In the 1989 Final
, he scored two goals as Forest came from behind to beat holders Luton Town
3–1. He was also on the losing side for Forest in the 1991 FA Cup final and 1992 League Cup final
. He received great plaudits from football writers who appreciated the unhurried intelligence of his play and unflappable demeanour and was touted by some as a possible replacement for Gary Lineker
, who retired from the England team in 1992, although he seemed the absolute opposite of the type of player favoured by manager Graham Taylor.
However, a steady decline in his career began in that year perhaps adversely affected by the scandals which marred his father's departure from the game. He was also one of the Forest players who had to cope with the horrors of the Hillsborough disaster
during the opening minutes of their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Clough played in the rescheduled game at Old Trafford
, which Liverpool won 3–1.
He was Forest's leading scorer with 10 league goals in the inaugural FA Premier League campaign (1992–93) but the club finished bottom of the league and were relegated after 16 years in the top flight. Clough senior retired as manager while Clough junior was sold to Liverpool
in a £2.75 million deal as manager Graeme Souness
had been searching for a new striker following the injuries and disappointing form of Paul Stewart. With the introduction of squad numbers for the 1993–94 season, Clough was allocated the legendary number 7 shirt which had been worn in the past by legendary players including Kevin Keegan
, Kenny Dalglish
and Peter Beardsley
. At first, things appeared to be going very smoothly. Clough scored twice on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday
on 14 August 1993, and scored again in his next game (a 3–1 win at QPR) four days later. However, a five-match goalless run in the league for Liverpool (starting in early September) put Clough and fellow striker Ian Rush
under pressure, and when the deadlock was broken in mid October against Oldham Athletic the goal came for 18-year-old Robbie Fowler
, who scored a hat-trick for Liverpool against Southampton
at the end of the month to put Clough's place in the first team under serious threat. In the next game, however, Clough broke his own personal goalscoring duck against West Ham United
. He did not score again until 4 January, when he scored twice against Manchester United
in a superb 3–3 draw at Anfield
when Liverpool clawed back after being 3–0 down after 24 minutes. However, he did not score again that season as Fowler was looking firmly established as strike-partner to Ian Rush
.
1994–95
was a frustrating campaign for Clough, who managed just 10 league appearances and failed to score, as Fowler and Rush's partnership become even more unbreakable and Fowler managed over 20 goals in all competitions, while the ageing Rush was still playing well with his tally for the season being well into double figures. Liverpool did win the Football League Cup
that season but Clough was not included in the squad. The close season arrival of Stan Collymore
made his first team chances look even more remote, and he made just two more appearances for Liverpool before a £1.5million transfer to Manchester City, managed by Alan Ball, in January 1996.
Clough played in all of City's remaining 15 league appearances after his arrival at Maine Road
, scoring twice, but could not stave off relegation and shortly afterwards he lost his place in the team due to injury. He returned to Nottingham Forest on loan in December 1996, scoring once against Leicester City in 13 league games, before returning to Manchester City. He did not play for the club again, though he did make another Premier League comeback in 1997–98
when he was loaned to struggling Sheffield Wednesday, but his only game for the South Yorkshire
club was a 5–2 home defeat by Derby County
. When City were relegated to Division Two at the end of the 1997–98
, Clough was given a free transfer and his senior football career, which had once promised so much, was over at the age of 32.
at the age of 23. He made the final full international appearance of his career on 19 June 1993 against Germany
. By this time, he had been capped 14 times by England at senior level, but failed to score.
He also turned out three times for England at 'B' level in 1990 and 1991, scoring once.
and gained promotion to the Conference
. On 8 January 2006 his side held FA Premier League
side Manchester United
to a 0–0 draw, earning a replay at Old Trafford
. The replay was staged on 18 January, ending with a 5–0 loss for Clough's side, but Burton battled bravely and Clough said he was extremely proud of his men.
Having passed his 42nd birthday, Clough was still registered as a player which possibly explained his apparent lack of ambition to move into League management (his father bitterly lamented the premature curtailment of his own playing career). However, Clough had not played regularly for Burton since the early stages of the 2005/06
season, though he did play in the team's 6–3 win over Sutton Coldfield
in the Birmingham Senior Cup
on 27 October 2008.
Clough won the Conference National
Manager of the Month for December 2008, after completing 11 straight wins in the division and guiding Burton to the top of the table.
, the club his father
famously managed, to take over as their manager as a replacement for Paul Jewell
. He was appointed the next day, prior to his taking charge, on 8 January, Academy Head Coach David Lowe
guided Derby to a victory over Manchester United
1–0 in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final. His first victory in charge of The Rams came on 31 January 2009, when Derby beat Coventry City
2–1.
Results improved after Clough's arrival, with a run of four consecutive wins. However, a series of injuries to key players such as Miles Addison
, Dean Leacock
, Steve Davies
, Chris Porter
, Kris Commons
and Paul Green
saw a loss of form for the Rams. Safety in the Championship was not confirmed until the penultimate game of the season against Charlton Athletic
, with a 1–0 victory.
Clough's first full season saw large changes to the playing staff as he bought in nine players and moved on fourteen as well as making substantial dealings in the loan market. Despite this, The Rams again struggled with injuries, at one point being without thirteen first team players, including Dean Leacock
, Rob Hulse
, Kris Commons
, Paul Green
, Chris Porter
, Miles Addison
, Gary Teale
, Shaun Barker
and Stephen Pearson
. When key players returned from injury, Clough was able to start picking a regular team, and results began to improve. Derby finished two points and four places better off than the previous campaign. Clough was involved with several altercations throughout the campaign. During Derby's 1–0 victory over local rivals
Nottingham Forest
he was accused by counterpart Billy Davies
of kicking him in the knee during a pitch side altercation. Clough denies the claim and, though Davies put in an official complaint to the league, nothing came of the incident. Clough was also in trouble again when he was sent to the stands during Derby's 3–1 home defeat to Ipswich Town
on April 5. He was fined £1,000 and given a one match ban, which he served during Derby's final match of the campaign at home to Cardiff City
. Clough also gave himself some game time during the course of the season, coming on as a late substitute for the reserve side in their 2–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion reserves
in their Central League Central Section clash.
Clough's restructuring of the Derby squad continued into the 2010-11 season, with 37 transactions over the 9 months between the opening of the summer transfer window and the closing of the January transfer window. The season started slowly but the club's formed improved to see the club fitting fourth in the table on November 20 after a run of 8 wins from 11 fixtures. However, the club's form faltered badly as key loanees Shefki Kuqi
and Frank Fielding
returned to their parent clubs and the club picked up just 1 win from its next 11 league fixtures to slip to 17th in the table come February 2011, and suffered a shock 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Crawley Town
, a result described as one of the "biggest shocks" in FA Cup history. The result saw Clough's job at the club reportedly come under threat as he issued an apology to the club's supporters, many of whom responded with demands for his dismissal Derby's Chief Executive Tom Glick answered fan's concerns by reiterating the club's support for Clough, saying "Nigel is absolutely our guy. We have been clear about that continuously" During Derby's post-November struggles Clough came under focus for his consistent criticism of individual players, such as Dean Leacock
and Paul Green
, which came to a head when he strongly criticised Tomasz Cywka
after his mistake led to a late Portsmouth
equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park
. Of Cywka, Clough said "He's an extremely inexperienced and not very bright footballer... he can go back to Wigan or wherever he came from - I'm not really bothered - until he learns the game." These incidents led PFA Chief Gordon Taylor to criticise Clough, saying "It cannot be appropriate to criticise your team in such a way in public. We'll sort things out...otherwise it looks an untenable situation." Ultimately, nothing came of the incident but the outbursts, coupled with Derby's continuing struggles (having won just 2 from 16 between December 2010 and March 2011) saw his stock drop amongst the support, who accorded him with chants of "You don't know what you're doing" during a 3-1 home defeat against Doncaster Rovers
. Whilst ultimately Derby staved off relegation, they did so whilst failing to match the points total from the previous campaign (or even the one before it) putting question marks next to the "year-on-year" progress they were aiming for and won only 4 of the last 28 matches of the season. The underachievement led to speculation in the press that Clough would quit his position at Derby to return to Burton Albion
.
Regardless of such rumours, Clough stayed at Derby and was rewarded by overseeing the clubs's best start to the season in 106 years as they opened the season with four victories from four and earned a Championship Manager of the Month nomination, losing out to Brighton & Hove Albion
's Gus Poyet. A 1-1 draw with Barnsley
on 28th September 2011 took Derby into second place and the automatic promotion spots for the first time in over a year. The results came in midst of discussion over Clough's contract - which was due to expire at the end of the season with Forest allegedly interested in securing their former-player's services. Despite these reports however, there was no evidence that Clough was on Forest's radar nor that he and his staff were looking to go elsewhere and Clough entered into new contract discussions with Derby, stating "It has never been a question of if we wanted to stay or not. This is where our heart is." He signed a new 3 year deal, to take him through until summer 2015, on October 17th, two days after a 1-1 draw with league leaders Southampton
had kept Derby in the play-off places. After signing the deal, Derby took just four points from their next five fixtures and slipped out of the playoff places. A 3-2 defeat at Peterborough United
, after Derby had held a 2-0 lead, saw Clough hit out at the officials enough for the FA to impose a £2,000 fine.
was released and centred on Brian Clough's ill fated 44-day reign as Leeds United manager in 1974, though there were scenes in the film dated from his appointment as Derby County manager in 1967. Nigel Clough, aged between two and eight years old, appeared in several scenes played by Oliver Stokes.
Irish band The Sultans of Ping FC
wrote a song about Clough, which was given away free as a one track flexi-disk with a Nottingham Forest fanzine. Entitled "Give Him a Ball and a Yard of Grass'", the lyric is from a quote by his father Brian about former Forest and Scotland winger John Robertson.
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
of Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, Clough was capped by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
14 times in the early 1990s.
Clough is most notable for his time at Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, where he played over 400 times in two separate spells, mostly under the managership of his father Brian
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
and scored 131 goals, making him the second highest scorer in the club's history. He subsequently had spells with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
before moving into non league football at the age of 32 when he became player manager with Southern Football League Premier Division side Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
in 1998. Over the next decade, during half of which he continued to play a regular role on the field, Clough took Burton up from the seventh tier of the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
to the brink of promotion to League Two before leaving halfway through the 2008-09 season to follow in his father's footsteps and take over at Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
.
Playing career
Born in Sunderland but raised in AllestreeAllestree
-Climate:Due to its location in southern Derbyshire, Allestree has a temperate climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature range of 11.4 °C to 21.3 °C, and the coolest month is January, with a range of...
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, he is most famous as a Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
player, where he was coached by his father Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, who publicly referred to him as "The Number 9". He made a total of 403 appearances in two spells at the club and is the club's second highest goalscorer of all time with 131. He also won 14 caps for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Clough joined Forest on leaving school in 1982 but did not become a regular first team player until the 1986–87 season, when he was the club's joint leading goalscorer with 14 league goals. He helped Forest win two League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
s in successive seasons (1989 and 1990). In the 1989 Final
1989 Football League Cup Final
The 1989 Littlewoods Cup Final was a football match played on 9 April 1989 between Nottingham Forest and the 1988 League Cup winners, Luton Town at Wembley Stadium. Nottingham Forest claimed victory in the 29th League Cup final with a 3–1 victory...
, he scored two goals as Forest came from behind to beat holders Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
3–1. He was also on the losing side for Forest in the 1991 FA Cup final and 1992 League Cup final
1992 Football League Cup Final
The 1992 Football League Cup Final took place at Wembley Stadium, and was played between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.Manchester United won 1–0 in what was their first League cup win...
. He received great plaudits from football writers who appreciated the unhurried intelligence of his play and unflappable demeanour and was touted by some as a possible replacement for Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
, who retired from the England team in 1992, although he seemed the absolute opposite of the type of player favoured by manager Graham Taylor.
However, a steady decline in his career began in that year perhaps adversely affected by the scandals which marred his father's departure from the game. He was also one of the Forest players who had to cope with the horrors of the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
during the opening minutes of their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Clough played in the rescheduled game at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, which Liverpool won 3–1.
He was Forest's leading scorer with 10 league goals in the inaugural FA Premier League campaign (1992–93) but the club finished bottom of the league and were relegated after 16 years in the top flight. Clough senior retired as manager while Clough junior was sold to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in a £2.75 million deal as manager Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
had been searching for a new striker following the injuries and disappointing form of Paul Stewart. With the introduction of squad numbers for the 1993–94 season, Clough was allocated the legendary number 7 shirt which had been worn in the past by legendary players including Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
and Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
. At first, things appeared to be going very smoothly. Clough scored twice on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on 14 August 1993, and scored again in his next game (a 3–1 win at QPR) four days later. However, a five-match goalless run in the league for Liverpool (starting in early September) put Clough and fellow striker Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
under pressure, and when the deadlock was broken in mid October against Oldham Athletic the goal came for 18-year-old Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
, who scored a hat-trick for Liverpool against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
at the end of the month to put Clough's place in the first team under serious threat. In the next game, however, Clough broke his own personal goalscoring duck against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. He did not score again until 4 January, when he scored twice against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a superb 3–3 draw at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
when Liverpool clawed back after being 3–0 down after 24 minutes. However, he did not score again that season as Fowler was looking firmly established as strike-partner to Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
.
1994–95
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
was a frustrating campaign for Clough, who managed just 10 league appearances and failed to score, as Fowler and Rush's partnership become even more unbreakable and Fowler managed over 20 goals in all competitions, while the ageing Rush was still playing well with his tally for the season being well into double figures. Liverpool did win the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
that season but Clough was not included in the squad. The close season arrival of Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore
Stanley Victor "Stan" Collymore is an English football pundit and former footballer, who played from 1990 until 2001. He held the British transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995 and was capped three times at senior level by the England...
made his first team chances look even more remote, and he made just two more appearances for Liverpool before a £1.5million transfer to Manchester City, managed by Alan Ball, in January 1996.
Clough played in all of City's remaining 15 league appearances after his arrival at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
, scoring twice, but could not stave off relegation and shortly afterwards he lost his place in the team due to injury. He returned to Nottingham Forest on loan in December 1996, scoring once against Leicester City in 13 league games, before returning to Manchester City. He did not play for the club again, though he did make another Premier League comeback in 1997–98
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
when he was loaned to struggling Sheffield Wednesday, but his only game for the South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
club was a 5–2 home defeat by Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. When City were relegated to Division Two at the end of the 1997–98
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
, Clough was given a free transfer and his senior football career, which had once promised so much, was over at the age of 32.
International career
After playing 15 times for the England under-21 side from 1986 to 1988, scoring three goals, Clough finally made his senior international debut on 23 May 1989 against ChileChile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
at the age of 23. He made the final full international appearance of his career on 19 June 1993 against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. By this time, he had been capped 14 times by England at senior level, but failed to score.
He also turned out three times for England at 'B' level in 1990 and 1991, scoring once.
Burton Albion
In October 1998, he moved into management when he accepted the role of player-manager at Burton Albion in the Southern League Premier Division, where his father's close associate and friend and long time assistant Peter Taylor managed from 1962–65. In his fourth season, 2001/02, Clough's side were champions of the Northern Premier LeagueNorthern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
and gained promotion to the Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
. On 8 January 2006 his side held FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
side Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
to a 0–0 draw, earning a replay at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. The replay was staged on 18 January, ending with a 5–0 loss for Clough's side, but Burton battled bravely and Clough said he was extremely proud of his men.
Having passed his 42nd birthday, Clough was still registered as a player which possibly explained his apparent lack of ambition to move into League management (his father bitterly lamented the premature curtailment of his own playing career). However, Clough had not played regularly for Burton since the early stages of the 2005/06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, though he did play in the team's 6–3 win over Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield Town F.C.
Sutton Coldfield Town F.C. are a football club based in Sutton Coldfield, England. They were formed in 1879 and currently play in the Northern Premier League First Division South ....
in the Birmingham Senior Cup
Birmingham Senior Cup
The Birmingham Senior Cup is a football competition for Birmingham County FA club teams, organized by the Birmingham County Football Association...
on 27 October 2008.
Clough won the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
Manager of the Month for December 2008, after completing 11 straight wins in the division and guiding Burton to the top of the table.
Derby County
On 5 January 2009 he was officially approached by Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, the club his father
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
famously managed, to take over as their manager as a replacement for Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
. He was appointed the next day, prior to his taking charge, on 8 January, Academy Head Coach David Lowe
David Lowe (footballer)
David Anthony Lowe is an English former footballer. He made almost 600 appearances in the Football League in a career spanning seventeen years.-Playing career:...
guided Derby to a victory over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
1–0 in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final. His first victory in charge of The Rams came on 31 January 2009, when Derby beat Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
2–1.
Results improved after Clough's arrival, with a run of four consecutive wins. However, a series of injuries to key players such as Miles Addison
Miles Addison
Miles Vivien Esifi Addison is an English footballer who currently plays for Barnsley from Derby County in the Npower Championship. Addison can play as both a central defender or a central midfielder....
, Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock is an English footballer of Barbadian descent. He currently plays for Championship side Derby County, primarily as a centre back, but he can also play as a right back or a defensive midfielder....
, Steve Davies
Steve Davies (footballer)
Steven Gary "Steve" Davies is an English footballer who currently plays as a striker for Derby County.-Tranmere Rovers:...
, Chris Porter
Chris Porter (footballer born 1983)
Christopher John "Chris" Porter is an English footballer, who currently plays for Sheffield United. Born in Wigan, England he has also played for Bury, Oldham Athletic, Motherwell and Derby County.-Early career:...
, Kris Commons
Kris Commons
Kris Commons is an English-born Scottish footballer who currently plays as a left winger for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Scotland national team...
and Paul Green
Paul Green (footballer born 1983)
Paul Jason Green is an English-born Irish professional footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Derby County...
saw a loss of form for the Rams. Safety in the Championship was not confirmed until the penultimate game of the season against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, with a 1–0 victory.
Clough's first full season saw large changes to the playing staff as he bought in nine players and moved on fourteen as well as making substantial dealings in the loan market. Despite this, The Rams again struggled with injuries, at one point being without thirteen first team players, including Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock is an English footballer of Barbadian descent. He currently plays for Championship side Derby County, primarily as a centre back, but he can also play as a right back or a defensive midfielder....
, Rob Hulse
Rob Hulse
Robert William "Rob" Hulse is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a striker.He had primarily spent his career at second tier level, playing there with Crewe Alexandra. West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Derby County...
, Kris Commons
Kris Commons
Kris Commons is an English-born Scottish footballer who currently plays as a left winger for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Scotland national team...
, Paul Green
Paul Green (footballer born 1983)
Paul Jason Green is an English-born Irish professional footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Derby County...
, Chris Porter
Chris Porter (footballer born 1983)
Christopher John "Chris" Porter is an English footballer, who currently plays for Sheffield United. Born in Wigan, England he has also played for Bury, Oldham Athletic, Motherwell and Derby County.-Early career:...
, Miles Addison
Miles Addison
Miles Vivien Esifi Addison is an English footballer who currently plays for Barnsley from Derby County in the Npower Championship. Addison can play as both a central defender or a central midfielder....
, Gary Teale
Gary Teale
Gary Teale is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a winger for St. Mirren.Teale started his career in Scotland in 1995 with Clydebank before spending three years with Ayr United...
, Shaun Barker
Shaun Barker
Shaun Barker is an English footballer who plays for Derby County as a defender, where he is also captain.-Rotherham United:...
and Stephen Pearson
Stephen Pearson
Stephen Paul Pearson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Bristol City, on loan from Derby County in the English Championship. He is a full international for Scotland, and also played for Motherwell, Celtic and Stoke City.-Early career:Pearson was born in Lanark...
. When key players returned from injury, Clough was able to start picking a regular team, and results began to improve. Derby finished two points and four places better off than the previous campaign. Clough was involved with several altercations throughout the campaign. During Derby's 1–0 victory over local rivals
East Midlands derby
This article is only about games featuring Nottingham Forest and Derby County. For games with either of those clubs against Leicester City, see Leicester City F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C. rivalry or Derby County F.C. and Leicester City F.C. rivalry....
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
he was accused by counterpart Billy Davies
Billy Davies
William McIntosh "Billy" Davies is a Glasgow-born Scottish football manager, noted for his achievement in the Football League Championship with East Midlands Rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest and Preston North End which has led him to be described, in 2011, as "probably the best manager at...
of kicking him in the knee during a pitch side altercation. Clough denies the claim and, though Davies put in an official complaint to the league, nothing came of the incident. Clough was also in trouble again when he was sent to the stands during Derby's 3–1 home defeat to Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
on April 5. He was fined £1,000 and given a one match ban, which he served during Derby's final match of the campaign at home to Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. Clough also gave himself some game time during the course of the season, coming on as a late substitute for the reserve side in their 2–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion reserves
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in their Central League Central Section clash.
Clough's restructuring of the Derby squad continued into the 2010-11 season, with 37 transactions over the 9 months between the opening of the summer transfer window and the closing of the January transfer window. The season started slowly but the club's formed improved to see the club fitting fourth in the table on November 20 after a run of 8 wins from 11 fixtures. However, the club's form faltered badly as key loanees Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi is a Kosovar-born Finnish professional footballer who is currently playing for League One side Oldham Athletic. Kuqi plays predominately as a striker. He has spent most of his career in the English league, and has played for clubs including Stockport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich...
and Frank Fielding
Frank Fielding
Francis David "Frank" Fielding is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Derby County.-Club career:Born in Blackburn Lancashire, Fielding is a product of Blackburn Rovers Academy. He joined League Two side Wycombe Wanderers on 28 September 2007 on a three-month loan deal alongside...
returned to their parent clubs and the club picked up just 1 win from its next 11 league fixtures to slip to 17th in the table come February 2011, and suffered a shock 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Crawley Town
Crawley Town F.C.
Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
, a result described as one of the "biggest shocks" in FA Cup history. The result saw Clough's job at the club reportedly come under threat as he issued an apology to the club's supporters, many of whom responded with demands for his dismissal Derby's Chief Executive Tom Glick answered fan's concerns by reiterating the club's support for Clough, saying "Nigel is absolutely our guy. We have been clear about that continuously" During Derby's post-November struggles Clough came under focus for his consistent criticism of individual players, such as Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock
Dean Leacock is an English footballer of Barbadian descent. He currently plays for Championship side Derby County, primarily as a centre back, but he can also play as a right back or a defensive midfielder....
and Paul Green
Paul Green (footballer born 1983)
Paul Jason Green is an English-born Irish professional footballer who plays for Football League Championship side Derby County...
, which came to a head when he strongly criticised Tomasz Cywka
Tomasz Cywka
Tomasz Cywka , is a Polish footballer who plays for Derby County.-Club career:Cywka was part of the winning U-19 Gwarek Zabrze team which captured the 2006 Polish U-19 Championship.-Wigan:...
after his mistake led to a late Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
. Of Cywka, Clough said "He's an extremely inexperienced and not very bright footballer... he can go back to Wigan or wherever he came from - I'm not really bothered - until he learns the game." These incidents led PFA Chief Gordon Taylor to criticise Clough, saying "It cannot be appropriate to criticise your team in such a way in public. We'll sort things out...otherwise it looks an untenable situation." Ultimately, nothing came of the incident but the outbursts, coupled with Derby's continuing struggles (having won just 2 from 16 between December 2010 and March 2011) saw his stock drop amongst the support, who accorded him with chants of "You don't know what you're doing" during a 3-1 home defeat against Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
. Whilst ultimately Derby staved off relegation, they did so whilst failing to match the points total from the previous campaign (or even the one before it) putting question marks next to the "year-on-year" progress they were aiming for and won only 4 of the last 28 matches of the season. The underachievement led to speculation in the press that Clough would quit his position at Derby to return to Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
.
Regardless of such rumours, Clough stayed at Derby and was rewarded by overseeing the clubs's best start to the season in 106 years as they opened the season with four victories from four and earned a Championship Manager of the Month nomination, losing out to Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
's Gus Poyet. A 1-1 draw with Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
on 28th September 2011 took Derby into second place and the automatic promotion spots for the first time in over a year. The results came in midst of discussion over Clough's contract - which was due to expire at the end of the season with Forest allegedly interested in securing their former-player's services. Despite these reports however, there was no evidence that Clough was on Forest's radar nor that he and his staff were looking to go elsewhere and Clough entered into new contract discussions with Derby, stating "It has never been a question of if we wanted to stay or not. This is where our heart is." He signed a new 3 year deal, to take him through until summer 2015, on October 17th, two days after a 1-1 draw with league leaders Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
had kept Derby in the play-off places. After signing the deal, Derby took just four points from their next five fixtures and slipped out of the playoff places. A 3-2 defeat at Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, after Derby had held a 2-0 lead, saw Clough hit out at the officials enough for the FA to impose a £2,000 fine.
As a player
Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
- League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winner: 1988–891989 Football League Cup FinalThe 1989 Littlewoods Cup Final was a football match played on 9 April 1989 between Nottingham Forest and the 1988 League Cup winners, Luton Town at Wembley Stadium. Nottingham Forest claimed victory in the 29th League Cup final with a 3–1 victory...
, 1989–901990 Football League Cup FinalThe 1990 Littlewoods Cup Final took place at Wembley Stadium on 29 April 1990, and was contested between Nottingham Forest and Oldham Athletic. A single Nigel Jemson goal gave Forest the cup, equalling Liverpool's then-record of four wins.... - League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
finalist: 1991–921992 Football League Cup FinalThe 1992 Football League Cup Final took place at Wembley Stadium, and was played between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.Manchester United won 1–0 in what was their first League cup win... - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalist: 1990–91 - Full Members CupFull Members CupThe Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
winner: 1989, 1992
As a manager
Burton Albion- Northern Premier League Premier DivisionNorthern Premier League Premier DivisionThe Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...
Championship winner (1): 2001–02Northern Premier League 2001-02The 2001–02 Northern Premier League season was the 34th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.- Premier Division :... - Conference NationalConference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
Championship winner (1): 2008–09 leaving in January 2009 to manage Derby CountyDerby County F.C.Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
As he was in charge for a majority of the club's season he was awarded a medal
Manager
| Team | Nation | From | Burton Albion Burton Albion F.C. Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005... | October 1998 | 7 January 2009 | 709 | 310 | 101 | 298 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
8 January 2009 | Present | 143 | 44 | 31 | 68 |
Portrayals
In 2009, a film called The Damned UnitedThe Damned United
The Damned United is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling novel The Damned Utd, a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's tenure as manager of Leeds United...
was released and centred on Brian Clough's ill fated 44-day reign as Leeds United manager in 1974, though there were scenes in the film dated from his appointment as Derby County manager in 1967. Nigel Clough, aged between two and eight years old, appeared in several scenes played by Oliver Stokes.
Irish band The Sultans of Ping FC
The Sultans Of Ping FC
The Sultans of Ping FC are an Irish band formed in 1988 by Niall O'Flaherty, Pat O'Connell, Paul Fennelly and Ger Lyons. The band's name is a play on the Dire Straits song "Sultans Of Swing", dating from a time when "it was sacrilege to say anything whatsoever funny or nasty about Dire...
wrote a song about Clough, which was given away free as a one track flexi-disk with a Nottingham Forest fanzine. Entitled "Give Him a Ball and a Yard of Grass'", the lyric is from a quote by his father Brian about former Forest and Scotland winger John Robertson.
External links
- Nigel Clough profile at the Liverpool website