Robertson and O'Neill's tribute to 'best of British'

Published on Tuesday 21 September 2004 01:12

IT SAID everything for the legend that is Brian Clough that two of his star pupils felt able to declare him the greatest British football manager of all time yesterday as they sat in a stadium still dominated by the legacy of Jock Stein.

It may be regarded as something of a heresy by some, but only the most devoted disciples of Stein would feel comfortable in arguing against the case of Celtic manager Martin O’Neill and his assistant John Robertson that Clough’s achievements were without equal.

Both men were visibly and understandably moved yesterday by the death, at 69, of the man who transformed their playing careers during his almost illogically successful time in charge of Nottingham Forest.

Robertson was at Celtic’s under-21 match yesterday when he received the news in a phone call from former team-mate Viv Anderson and quickly passed it on to O’Neill, at a board meeting at Parkhead.

Despite their shared grief, a smile was never far from either man’s face yesterday as they reflected on the incomparable wit and wisdom of an utterly unique footballing character.

"There have been some brilliant managers, but for me he was the greatest of all time," said Robertson, the former Scotland winger whom Clough regarded as one of his favourites. "What he achieved at two clubs which were totally provincial and not very fashionable, to win two European Cups with Forest after reaching the semi-final with Derby, it was incredible.

"When you look at what happened to us at Forest, winning the old Second Division one year, the Championship the next and then successive European Cups, I don’t know anyone else who could have done that. As far as I’m concerned, he was definitely the best there has ever been. I loved the guy."

O’Neill, who has often regaled us with stories about how he found it much tougher to earn a place in Clough’s affections than Robertson, was just as fulsome in his tribute.

"I wouldn’t disagree with John," said O’Neill. "Brian Clough was absolutely sensational, a truly brilliant manager. I don’t think Brian would disagree with it either, he would have been the first one to say he was the greatest of all time.

"He was England’s version of Muhammad Ali, a more charismatic man you could not meet. He had everything. We were extremely lucky to work with someone so talented and so brilliant.

"While we had some talented players at Forest when he arrived in January 1975, the club could not have dreamed of winning championships and European Cups if Brian Clough had not been there.

"He could have stepped into any given job. People are talking now about Sir Clive Woodward moving into football. If someone had asked Brian to go and manage, say, the England cricket team, it would not have been a problem to him.

"He felt he knew enough about any subject to go and coach it. One of the great myths about him was that he was a manager, not a coach, and seldom on the training ground. The truth is that every day with Brian Clough was a coaching lesson.

"People ask you to recount a Brian Clough story, but the truth is every day with him was a Brian Clough story with each one better than the last. God, he will be badly missed."

Robertson did have his own favourite Clough tale to relate, an acerbic exchange between the great manager and his striker, Tony Woodcock, at Forest.

"Tony had decided to grow a beard and the gaffer asked him what it was," recounted Robertson. "Tony said ‘It’s a beard, boss’ and Clough asked ‘Why have you done that?’ Tony replied ‘Just to be a bit different’. Clough looked at him and said: ‘Well son, you be a bit different on Saturday and go out and score a hat-trick!’ "

There was, according to both Robertson and O’Neill, no great secret to Clough’s success. "His simplicity was his genius," said Robertson. "There was nothing complicated about anything he told you. He had an elephant’s memory and would always pick you up on a little thing you didn’t think was important, but which made a lot of difference."

O’Neill concurred: "He would say something so simple, you wondered why no-one else said it. He had a great way with words, when he spoke to you, he told you straight and got the message through every time."

The sorrow felt by the Celtic management team was intensified by their absence at the end of last season from the 25th anniversary dinner to mark Forest’s first European Cup final victory. "It was the night before the Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline, so we couldn’t go," said O’Neill. "But the rest of the lads said he looked great and was in terrific form.

"He always expressed a desire to come up here to see us and watch Celtic and I’m very sorry it didn’t materialise. This has shaken us up a little bit."

Like the rest of football, O’Neill and Robertson know they will never see his like again.