Rams boss reveals he'd like to have played for Derby – and almost did

ozthecoz

Jack Armstrong
i know its old news so too speak but caught this story in the back of the Derby evening telegraph earlier and it annoyed / saddened me so thought id share......

"NIGEL Clough admits he would like to have worn the black and white of Derby County as well as the red and white of Nottingham Forest during his playing career.

And the Rams manager has revealed that almost happened.

Clough made his name at Forest, where he played more than 400 games and became the club's second highest goalscorer of all time.

He featured for the Reds in an FA Cup final and three League Cup finals, two of which Forest won.
His father, Brian, first managed Derby and then Forest while Nigel, born in Sunderland, was raised in Derby.

Asked if he would like to have played for Derby as well as Forest, Clough said: "Without doubt – and I came close early on, when Arthur Cox was Derby manager."

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/s...-8211-did/article-3045238-detail/article.html

Every time i read something like this a little more respect is lost for an ex hero :(
 
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Im not sure whats so bad about that? He is the Derby manager and grew up in Derby... and his Dad was fond of Derby. Sort of makes sense, doesn't it?
 
Try and see it from Nigel Clough's perspective. Being in charge of Derby County - its his baby and I'm sure he feels he'd liked to have had time playing for them.

However, if one went back in time and altered events so he could play for Derby County; his life would have taken a different path and he might not be anywhere near the East Midlands today if that had happened.
 
As long as we get 3 points tonight, who cares.
 
When asked that question he was hardly likely to go "God no! You wouldn't catch me playing alongside those rag-tag cloggers, not for all the tea in China! Have you seen their pitch!?! You need snow shoes just to keep your head above the water!"

The only way, at the time he would've dropped down to their level would have been either when he was very young and needed game time, or when he was very old and wanted a final pay day. Let us not forget, Direby weren't always the footballing powerhouse they are today.
 
When asked that question he was hardly likely to go "God no! You wouldn't catch me playing alongside those rag-tag cloggers, not for all the tea in China! Have you seen their pitch!?! You need snow shoes just to keep your head above the water!"

The only way, at the time he would've dropped down to their level would have been either when he was very young and needed game time, or when he was very old and wanted a final pay day. Let us not forget, Direby weren't always the footballing powerhouse they are today.

Nicely put down
 
When asked that question he was hardly likely to go "God no! You wouldn't catch me playing alongside those rag-tag cloggers, not for all the tea in China! Have you seen their pitch!?! You need snow shoes just to keep your head above the water!"

The only way, at the time he would've dropped down to their level would have been either when he was very young and needed game time, or when he was very old and wanted a final pay day. Let us not forget, Direby weren't always the footballing powerhouse they are today.

indeed, respect for nigel for the lip service paid to derby

although I absolutely despise derby for what they stand for as a football club, at least they elude a degree a loyalty by it's current manager (no matter what limited time he has)
 
To be honest I like Nigel, he played well during his Forest days, scored many goals and bottom line is that Derby wanted him more than we did. Nothing odd from his side saying he would have liked to play for Derby, his father worked for the sheep for 5-6 years and won the league. If I was Nigel I would thank Nottingham Forest for achieving so many things during my playing years at the club, but as he is now manager at the sheeps I dont expect him to say something like that.
 
If he'd shown as much energy on the pitch as he did charging to the touchline to berate the ref, then he'd have scored a shedload more goals for us.
 
Lets be honest he's going through a shite patch at the moment and is just trying to keep himself in favour.
Facts are he didn't ever play for them and he got as much joy out of beating them as anyone else. The story of him and psycho celebrating and pissing at least 1 sheep player after one victory will back that up.
Take it with a pinch of the old proverbial.
 
When Arthur Cox was in charge at Derby he was pretty well established in the Forest side, wasn't he? Find it hard to imagine that BC would've let him go to them, so basically that bit is bullshit. As for wanting to play for 'em, not at all surprising, he grew up in and around the Baseball Ground.
 
I was just going to post the same thing. Clough snr was still pretty anti derby at that time, and even clough jr at the time had his run ins with derby, so i think nigels probably exaggerating here. Werent derby also in the lower reaches at the time, with clough being an england international?
 
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