The man was forthright
That was his great strength
Dashing centre forward
Scorer of many goals
But that same momentum
Brought him crashing down
Collided with a keeper
End of his renown
But Taylor came to cheer him up
Let’s carry on the fight
In management we’ll try our hand
Set the world alight
Derby Leeds and Brighton
Then to Nottingham
Should have managed England
But they weren’t having him
In the end the darkness came
A broken friendship too
Then the demon drink came on
We said goodbye to you
Forthrightness characterised your play
And brought your accident
It was your style in everything
All through your management
Brian Fahy
2 February 2023
+ Brian Clough was forthright in everything he said and did. With family and his friend, Peter Taylor beside him that quality could be tempered. When it wasn’t, he could say and be ‘too much’. His great strength was also his great weakness. But he was great.
Our paths almost met. I went to watch Bury play Sunderland just a few days after Clough had the accident which ended his playing career.
Erris Poetry 