Nottingham Forest v Derby: Brian Clough was 'a genius', says Garry Birtles
Fans to pay tribute to former manager in Sunday's live Sky Sports game
Thursday 11 September 2014 12:30, UK
Nottingham Forest and Derby County fans will pay tribute to legendary manager Brian Clough when they meet live on Sky Sports on Sunday.
Clough brought glory to both clubs, winning back-to-back European Cups with Forest after leading Derby to the First Division title in 1971-72, and to mark the 10-year anniversary of his death, fans will rise to their feet in the 10th minute of the match in applause.
Sky Sports pundit Garry Birtles, who enjoyed two spells playing up front for Clough’s Forest side – including the famous European Cup final wins – says it’s no surprise both sets of supporters still hold the iconic manager close to their hearts.
To do what he did with Derby and Forest was unbelievable and will never be done again.
“He was just genius,” Birtles told skysports.com.
“It was one of those eras where you felt privileged and lucky to be part of it as a player – and all ex-Forest and Derby players would say exactly the same.
“You never knew what to expect on a day-to-day basis when you went into training and that was the beauty of it. People said he ruled by fear but that was a load of bunkum. You can’t go to work if you’re ruled by fear – it was a pleasure to go in every day.
“There’s a statue of Brian and [assistant] Peter Taylor at Pride Park and one of Brian near Market Square in Nottingham and if you go to both cities and both teams, there’s not a bad word to be said about him.
“To do what he did with two provincial towns, to take Derby to the semis of the European Cup – where they were cheated out of it – and to do back-to-back wins with Forest was unbelievable and will never be done again.”
Tribute
As well as the off-field recognition, Birtles also expects the two teams to provide a contest fitting of Clough’s legacy on Sunday.
Stuart Pearce’s undefeated Nottingham Forest side lead the Championship after an excellent start to the new campaign, while Steve McClaren’s Derby – who narrowly lost out in last season’s play-off final to QPR – have also shown why they were marked up as favourites for promotion this term.
With plenty of attacking options at both teams’ disposal, Birtles is expecting a thrilling encounter at the City Ground.
FL72 Live
“Pearce has come in and done an excellent job at Forest – and he knows all about the legacy of Brian,” said Birtles.
“He’s got some really good signings in there, as well as experience in vital areas, and a good spine down the side. They’re scoring goals freely at the moment but also showing a resilience - like they did at Sheffield Wednesday, a game they would have lost last year but dug-in and nicked it 1-0.
“Derby, meanwhile, were the top scorers in the league last season and they’ve got players who score goals from all over the pitch. They’re a very talented team and play the right way. It’s looking good for both teams.
“Personally, I think Forest might have the edge in this one. I keep reading about the great atmosphere in the dressing room and Pearce has shown he has the nous to work out the opposition. With home advantage in their favour they can at least maintain their unbeaten record.
“However, it should be one of the most open derbies you’ll see because of the way both teams play – and Sky viewers will have a feast of great football on Sunday afternoon.”
