NIGEL’S LOYALTY WAS NO SHOCK TO ME
SO, NIGEL Clough decided to reject the chance to manage Forest and, instead, stay at Burton Albion.
It will have come as a surprise to many people, but not me. Nigel is a talented manager. He has done a sterling job at Albion and his relationship with chairman Ben Robinson is special.
I would think in the back of Nigel’s mind was the continuing uncertainty at Forest. He has left Albion once before and there would probably be no going back if he could not control what was going on and things did not work out at Forest.
He is doing a remarkable job at Burton and is fighting so hard to retain the Championship status which they have worked so hard to achieve.
I applaud his decision. For me, it is largely based on his affection for a good man who owns a football club, namely Ben Robinson, and a love for a club that’s special to him.
I cannot help feeling for everyone at my old club, Rotherham United, and none more so than Tony Stewart, a fantastic chairman and man.
Sadly for him, the damage was done in the summer when a squad was put together that was always going to fall short given how tough the Championship is.
I know how hard it was to achieve what we did in reaching that level. I wish them luck for the rest of the campaign and, believe me, luck plays a part, top and bottom. As the great Sir Bobby Robson once told me, to be good you also need to be lucky!