A Brian Clough tribute play - a comic celebration of the spirit of Nottingham and its greatest hero

He’s British football’s philosopher manqué. The most successful England manager we never had and a genuine footballing legend. To many, an outspoken working class hero. To others – mainly his targets – he was a bolshy northern gobshite. Never less than opinionated, often controversial and always eloquent, here we present Brian Clough, in his very own words… On himself: ‘I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one.’ On Roy Keane: ‘I only ever hit Roy once. He got up, so I couldn’t have hit him very hard.’ On the FA: ‘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.’ On being nominated for a knighthood: ‘I thought it was my next door neighbour, because she thought if I got something like that, I’d have to move.’ On handling players: ‘We talk about it for twenty minutes and then we decide I was right.’ On drink: ‘Walk on water? I know most people out there will be saying that instead of walking on it, I should have taken more of it with my drinks.’ Duncan Hamilton is the author of the acclaimed Provided You Don’t Kiss Me: 20 Years with Brian Clough, for which he won the William Hill Sports Book of Year Award in 2007. He was the Nottingham Evening Post’s Forest reporter during the club, and Clough’s glory years. He is now deputy editor at the Yorkshire Post.

One of Mike Atherton's 'Top Ten Best Sports Books' in The Times In 1974 the brilliant and controversial Brian Clough made perhaps his most eccentric decision: he accepted the Leeds United manager's job. As successor to Don Revie, his bitter adversary, he was to last only 44 days. In one of the most acclaimed novels of this or any other year, David Peace takes us into the mind and thoughts of Ol'Big'Ead himself, and brings vividly to life one of post-war Britain's most complex and fascinating characters.

SHORTLISTED FOR BEST SPORTS WRITING AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023 "Sheer joy" – Patrick Barclay "Exhilarating" – When Saturday Comes "Perfect" – Josh Widdicombe "★★★★★" – FourFourTwo Four years after the crowning glory of 1966, and a decade after the abolition of the maximum wage, a brash new era dawned in English football. As the 1970s took hold, a new generation of larger-than-life players and managers emerged, appearing on television sets in vivid technicolour for the first time. Set against a backdrop of strikes, political unrest, freezing winters and glam rock, Get It On tells the inside story of how commercialism, innovation, racism and hooliganism rocked the national game in the 1970s. Packed with interviews with the legends of the day, this footballing fiesta charts the emergence of Brian Clough, Bob Paisley and Kevin Keegan and the fall of George Best, Alf Ramsey and Don Revie, presenting a vibrant portrait of the most groundbreaking decade in English football history.

The author of Before the Flames and the son of a member of the ill-fated infantry battalion discusses America's 551st Battalion and their heroic, little-known role during World War II's Battle of the Bulge.

Soccer is much more than just the most popular game in the world. It is a matter of life and death for millions around the world, an international lingua franca. Simon Kuper traveled to twenty-two countries to discover the sometimes bizarre effect soccer can have on politics and culture. At the same time he tried to discover what makes different countries play a simple game so differently. Kuper meets a remarkable variety of fans along the way, from the East Berliner persecuted by the Stasi for supporting his local team, to the Argentine general with his own views on tactics. He also illuminates the frightening intersection between soccer and politics, particularly in the wake of the attacks of 9-11, where soccer is obsessed over by the likes of Osama bin Laden. The result is one of the world's most acclaimed books on the game, and an astonishing study of soccer and its place in the world.

Guaranteed to make you smile, if not laugh out loud, here is a collection of quotes, quips and gaffes from footballers and football lovers the world over . . . "e;The tide is very much in our court now"e; Kevin Keegan. "e;I've told the players we need to win so that I can have the cash to buy some new ones"e; Chris Turner.

Too many companies are managed not by leaders, but by mere role players and faceless bureaucrats. What does it take to be a real leader—one who is confident in who she is and what she stands for, and who truly inspires people to achieve extraordinary results? Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones argue that leaders don’t become great by aspiring to a list of universal character traits. Rather, effective leaders are authentic: they deploy individual strengths to engage followers’ hearts, minds, and souls. They are skillful at consistently being themselves, even as they alter their behaviors to respond effectively in changing contexts. In this lively and practical book, Goffee and Jones draw from extensive research to reveal how to hone and deploy one’s unique leadership assets while managing the inherent tensions at the heart of successful leadership: showing emotion and withholding it, getting close to followers while keeping distance, and maintaining individuality while “conforming enough.” Underscoring the social nature of leadership, the book also explores how leaders can remain attuned to the needs and expectations of followers. Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? will forever change how we view, develop, and practice the art of leadership, wherever we live and work.

For supporters of provincial lightweights like Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United, their wishes came true in the seventies when they landed the Division One title. It was the decade of the underdog - when the FA cup was still football's Holy Grail and teams like Sunderland, Ipswich and Southampton came up from the sticks to produce their own brand of Wembley magic. It is not like that today. It was the decade when every team had its characters: Stan Bowles, Charlie Gregory, Duncan McKenzie, Frank Worthington, Tony Currie, Rodney Marsh. These personalities are gone now, replaced by an influx of anonymous foreign journeymen. This book harks back to a lost era when the game still belonged to the fans; they could identify with the players, recognise their heroes, and believe they all had a shot at glory. It remembers dramatic matches packed with action and controversy; recalls mercurial managers like Shankly, Clough, Revie and the Doc - and asks the question: who was the finest player from football's last great decade?

For the last three decades Brian Clough has been the most charismatic manager in football. Funny, outrageous, sentimental, he stands out sharply from the bland men in suits. Though his talent has earned him a fortune, he remains a working-class hero. As a player he was one of the most gifted forwards of his day. He scored 251 goals in 274 League appearances - and would have scored more had a cruel injury not forced him to retire. As a manager his record was full of superlatives. He took both Derby County and then Nottingham Forest out of the doldrums of the Second Division and made them world-beaters. Tactically brilliant, Clough had an unmatched ability to motivate players. He is the best manager England never had. Behind his back, they call him Old Big 'Ead. He has never been far from controversy, and some of his rows, particularly with his long-standing managerial partner Peter Taylor, are the stuff of tabloid legend. Not so long ago he was televised running onto the pitch to wallop some unruly supporters. More recently he has taken legal advice to counter rumours about illegal ticket deals. Dull he isn't. Despite his outgoing nature, Clough has always guarded his privacy. At last he has decided to tell his full story: from terraced council house in Middlesbrough, to luxurious mansion in an exclusive suburb of Derby; from fitter to socialist millionaire. He speaks of the influence of his strong, proud mother, his courtship and marriage to his glamorous wife Barbara, his children, particularly his goal-scoring son Nigel, and his health, which has been the subject of press speculation and concern. This is an extraordinary life, told by an extraordinary man.