Brian Clough is regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all-time. A fine striker, Clough's playing career was curtailed by injury at the age of 29, scoring 197 goals in 213 games for Middlesbrough and 54 goals in 61 games for Sunderland. He also played twice for England. Beginning his management career with Hartlepools United in 1965, asking his would-be right-hand man throughout his management career, Peter Taylor to join him. 1967 saw him take over the reigns at Derby County, taking a team rooted to the foot of the Second Division before taking the club to their first Division One title. Then, following a rift with the Derby County board, Clough and Taylor resigned, taking charge of Brighton and Hove Albion in 1973. 1974 saw Clough's ill-fated 44 day stint as Leeds United manager, before being sacked after alienating many of the star players.Then, in 1975, Clough took the management role at Nottingham Forest. It was here that Clough created arguably his greatest sides, and between 1975 and 1993, Clough won two European cups, one league title, four league cups, one European Super Cup, and one Charity Shield.∼Brian Clough, who died aged 69 from stomach cancer on 20th September 2004 was without a doubt one of the greatest British football managers of all time, taking both Derby County and Nottingham Forest, to League Championship successes and then winning back to back European Cups with Forest in 1979 and 1980 were achievements considerable enough to earn him a place amongst the immortals of the game. His often controversial and eccentric behaviour made Clough the best-known manager in Britain, and fair game for impressionists on television and radio. Born in Middlesbrough, the sixth of eight children, he failed the eleven-plus examination, and left school at 15 for a job as a local clerk. A year later he signed for Middlesbrough FC, beginning what was to be a brief but highly successful career as a centre-forward. In 274 appearances for Middlesbrough and Sunderland he scored 251 goals, a post-war record, and was capped twice for England, however Clough's playing days ended on Boxing Day 1962 with a serious knee injury in a game playing for Sunderland against Bury. Thereafter he began his managerial career with Fourth Division Hartlepool he was, at 30, the youngest manager in the Football League and after two successful seasons, he joined Derby County. Derby took the Second Division title in 1969 and the League Championship in 1972. When a row with the directors forced his resignation a year later, there were protest marches in Derby. Two weeks later he joined Brighton, but stayed only nine months before being lured to Leeds United to begin one of British football's top jobs. His reputation for aggressive management soon got him into trouble and he was sacked after only 44 days. Clough's next move, to Nottingham Forest in 1975, launched the most successful period of his career. The club won promotion from the Second Division in 1977, and went on to win two European Cup titles, a League Championship and the League Cup on four occasions. The FA Cup however was the one major prize that eluded him, Nottingham Forest being the beaten finalists to Spurs in the 1991 final. He was also never to attain his ambition to manage the national side, being turned down for the England job in 1977. He insisted on good behaviour by both players and supporters, and caused a stir during a 1989 game by chasing fans off the pitch and slapping one of them. Later however, he invited two of the offending fans to the ground for a chat and mutual forgiveness, literally kissing and making up. By 1991 he was the longest-serving manager in the league and the recipient of an OBE in the Birthday Honours list, he responded typically with the comment that it stood for Old Big 'Ead. Two years later, after 18 years at Forest, Brian Clough retired. Heavy drinking had affected his health, and he was a shadow of his former self. His fragile health meant that he avoided FA disciplinary action over alleged illegal payments for players and retired to the Derbyshire hills. 'Cloughie' was a phenomenon. His abrasive manner alienated some of those colleagues closest to him but the public still loved him as one of the truly great characters of British football and as somebody whose teams always played the game in the way it should be played, in an attractive and attacking manner. Indeed, the familiar chant at his beloved City Ground Nottingham was "Brian Clough's a football genius" and he would certainly never have disagreed with that statement. Once asked if he was the greatest football manager of all time he responded, "Well I wouldn't necessarily say that but I am certainly in the top one!!!" Totally unique in every way, the success his teams achieved domestically and in Europe certainly ensure his place in history and football folklore for all time.