Brian Clough Appointment 1975

The greatest manager England never had, who led Nottingham Forest to European glory.

Brian Howard Clough joined Second Division Nottingham Forest in early 1975, after being sacked after 44 days as manager of Leeds United. He was re-united with Peter Taylor as his assistant in the summer of 1976.

Quick Facts

Date: January 1975
Immediate impact: Promotion to First Division in 1977

Lore & Background

Clough took over at Nottingham Forest in the 1974–75 season after his brief, controversial spell at Leeds United. The club was in the Second Division. Forest were promoted to the top flight in 1977, not in Clough's first season. They won the league title in 1978, making Clough one of only four managers to have won the English league with two clubs. Forest also won two consecutive European Cups (1979 and 1980) and two League Cups (1978 and 1979). Taylor retired in 1982; Clough stayed on for another decade, winning two more League Cups (1989 and 1990) and reaching the FA Cup final in 1991. Forest were relegated from the Premier League in 1993, after which Clough retired.