Brian Clough. A thank you.

Syd Collings! I remember him from the 70's - didn't realise he had been a director that long. Replaced by Cowie about when? 1980??

Met Cloughie when I was about 10, he asked who I supported and when I told him he asked why and then told me "anyone should be proud to back their hometown team". Never really understood at the time, but I remember he said it with a smile.
PRViiS said:
The agony on this photo shows how much he looks devastated by the injury that ended his career. Props to former player Arthur Wright for rushing onto the field to console Cloughie

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Horrible picture that like, what a shame his playing career was curt so short.
 
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Just sums our luck up really, an outstanding goal scoring genius taken away from us through injury, then to compound that, not ever having him manage us even though he craved to do so is a great travesty in our history.
 
Bigmackem said:
I was there that day and can remember Harker Bury Goalkeeper and Bob Stokoe shouting at him to get up as they didn't think he was hurt , needless to say he certainly was . Strange that Stokoe was later to become our messiah when we won the FA Cup in 1973 , that day as it was Boxing Day and between him and Harker they spoilt my Xmas and I was a SAFC mad supporter and was only 9 .
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Exactly the same for me
 
Bigmackem said:
I was there that day and can remember Harker Bury Goalkeeper and Bob Stokoe shouting at him to get up as they didn't think he was hurt , needless to say he certainly was . Strange that Stokoe was later to become our messiah when we won the FA Cup in 1973 , that day as it was Boxing Day and between him and Harker they spoilt my Xmas and I was a SAFC mad supporter and was only 9 .
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Stokoe said that over the years he bumped in to Clough several times and apologised for his behaviour on that day and offered him his hand but Clough would have nothing to do with it and would cut Stokoe dead. Stokoe was such a genuinely nice man it's hard not to believe that he wasn't being absolutely sincere and felt very badly about the mistake that he had made in the heat of the moment.

But sadly that's the way Clough was he had many good qualities but he did not forgive anyone who he felt had slighted him. In the case of Don Revie he was probably totally justified but he was wrong in Stokoe's case. A sad irony that they should be two of our greatest heroes.
 
McMackem said:
Syd Collings! I remember him from the 70's - didn't realise he had been a director that long. Replaced by Cowie about when? 1980??

Met Cloughie when I was about 10, he asked who I supported and when I told him he asked why and then told me "anyone should be proud to back their hometown team". Never really understood at the time, but I remember he said it with a smile.

Horrible picture that like, what a shame his playing career was curt so short.
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I think his son Keith Collings was the Chairman into the 70s.
 
Great to see that cheers. :cool:

why did he love us so much seeing as he was a boro lad? he'd retired by the time I was born
 
Morse said:
It sure is! Didn’t click until you named him, but it’s obvious in hindsight. He has an, erm, certain look about him.

Who would have thought he’d change his name and become a serial killer...
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When I saw him at a talk in many years ago (at the Phoenix in Seaham) I'd have speculated that it was verging on a racing certainty that he'd become a serial killer, but changing his name? I certainly didn't see that one coming, I must admit.
 
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McMackem said:
Syd Collings! I remember him from the 70's - didn't realise he had been a director that long. Replaced by Cowie about when? 1980??

Met Cloughie when I was about 10, he asked who I supported and when I told him he asked why and then told me "anyone should be proud to back their hometown team". Never really understood at the time, but I remember he said it with a smile.

Horrible picture that like, what a shame his playing career was curt so short.
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I’ve mentioned this before - my dear grandmother, (no, and she’s long deed. Look at a picture of some cat litter, you sick bastards) worked as housekeeper for The Collings household. She regularly chatted with Cloughy, who was a frequent visitor, and babysat Nigel. :cool:
 
Morse said:
I’ve mentioned this before - my dear grandmother, (no, and she’s long deed. Look at a picture of some cat litter, you sick bastards) worked as housekeeper for The Collings household. She regularly chatted with Cloughy, who was a frequent visitor, and babysat Nigel. :cool:
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Class, la. I bet she had some tales to tell.
 
thecloughywobble said:
Class, la. I bet she had some tales to tell.
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You know, it was so long ago I forget! She remembered various well known people coming and going, nothing profound or earth shattering to tell! She passed away in ‘88, and she first told me she’d worked there long before that when I was but a kid. Funny thing was, she never spoke of it and it just came out in a casual conversation about SAFC.
I’m saying ‘Why on earth didn’t you tell me this? Cloughy? Really?’ It just never occurred to her that anyone would be interested.

TBH, back then I hadn’t a clue who Collings was. She’s telling me she worked there, I’m completely blank, wondering what it had to do with footy. Then she explains and talks about Brian, that’s me having an apoplexy.
It’s a pity Mr Clough senior has left us. I’d have loved to contact him and ask if he remembered her. Obviously Clough Jr. won’t remember her!

Oh, and before any sicko asks, no, she didn’t give Nigel Bitty! :lol:
Well, she never mentioned it, anyway...

Another story for you, even if it makes the post too long...
Back in the 80s I used to work as a TV repair technician in a shop, and we’d buy used TVs in, fix them and flog them.
One source was, iirc, on Leechmere industrial estate. It was a trade outlet for DER’s ex rentals, I forget the name, Teleprice, perhaps.

Anyhoo, the young lad who worked there (really nice bloke) was into football in an active sort of way, so we chatted a lot about the lads. One day, I go in to pick up some TVs and he’s talking to this strangely familiar distinguished middle aged chap. I’m introduced to the fella, called ‘Len’, (you can probably fill in the rest...)I join the conversation and we chat at great length about the lads. He was honestly one of the warmest, most down to earth people I’ve ever met.

After a while, Len shakes my hand, nice to meet you, etc. makes his exit, and I comment on what a nice bloke he was. ‘Aye he’s a top bloke, great footballer in his time was Len...’

Me- ‘Wait, was that... Oh shit! That was Len Shackleton, wasn’t it?

I’m sharp as a razor, me. I was too late to get his autograph and our paths never crossed again. Buggeration.
 

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