When Trev got pocket rocket from Cloughie!
TWO days after Brian Clough resigned as manager of Derby County (a shady story which smacked of this larger than life character being double-crossed) he was part of ITV’S panel for their live coverage of the memorable England-poland match at Wembley. He certainly made an impact!
England had to win this final World Cup qualifier to reach the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany. They drew 1-1, after which the manager Sir Alf Ramsey was sacked. The Polish hero was goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski, who Cloughie had famously described as a “clown”.
Clough said at the start of the show: ”Put your feet up, make a cup of tea. They have this clown in goal. Rest assured we are going to win.”
Memorable for me, too, because ITV had assigned me as Cloughie’s minder.
My role was going well until we were in the nearby Hilton Hotel where the BBC invited both of us to join their champagne reception. I declined but was persuaded by Brian to join them.
A couple of hours or so later Cloughie was high up in the TV gantry studio at Wembley giving his thoughts on Tomaszewski. The match facts: England 36 shots to Poland’s 2. England forced 26 corners, hit the woodwork twice and had four efforts cleared off the line! Tomaszewski’s legs came to the rescue as well but he was certainly the hero succumbing just the once to an Allan Clarke 64th-minute penalty which gave England the equaliser.
Poland had taken the lead in the 57th when striker Jan Domarski hit the ball under the diving Peter
Shilton who should have done better.
After the broadcast with the stadium empty, Clough and I walked up and down the Wembley pitch several times without speaking.
This is the first time I have ever revealed all this. I went on to witness many nights of glory with the person I will always put top of my favourite interview subjects.
Two other twists spring to mind. The year before Clough signed Trevor Francis for Nottingham Forest and made him the first million pound footballer, he involved the Birmingham City hero in a famous
televised incident. I was in the middle of it!
The year was 1978, the location the old ATV Studios in the centre of Birmingham. The shot was the Midlands Football Writers’ Player of the Year which I hosted in front of the region’s managers, players and journalists.
Brian Clough did the presentations
for me and a slightly nervous Francis joined us on stage to receive the Young Player of the Year.
Clough told him: ”You are a very talented young man. Now if you kindly take your hands out of your pockets I will present you with this trophy.”
If memory serves me correctly the Blues manager Willie Bell, a mild
church-going man, was so incensed he had to be restrained after the show from hitting Cloughie!
When Francis signed for Forest Clough made sure my ATV station had the exclusive TV pictures.
When we finished Francis was sent off by Clough to make tea!
But what a good investment Francis proved to be on the pitch.
Just before then, in January 1979 Nottingham Forest beat Watford 3-1 at the City Ground in the semi-final first League of the League Cup. I was the interviewer.
Then there was the Elton John interview.
The politics between the London ITV companies and the other 13 was pretty awful in those days, with London Weekend Television and Thames always trying to stitch me up. The Thames TV producer told me he wanted me to interview Clough WITH the Watford chairman Elton John afterwards.
We both knew Clough disliked ALL chairman and would not agree to it. But I had to ask: Clough responded: “Gary you know what I think about chairmen. It’s me or him.”
Of course in those days I picked Clough.
However I thought I would take (in those days compliant) Elton John along with me to the interview area and ask him to stand behind me while I talked to Clough who must have twigged London were stitching me up.
Suddenly Clough yelled: ”Gary, get your man in”. And so Elton, in those days like many in awe of Clough, moved to join Brian and I interviewed both.
Not one peep from London who realised I had “done” them again. Yet another reason why I loved Brian Clough. Everyone I talk to about this enigmatic figure loves to hear the stories so with the editor’s approval I will do one more week on the great man.
I will recall how he was conned twice with Derby – one in Turin by a bent referee and later by his own board.
I will write about my last ever private meal in the sunshine with Brian and his wife Barbara before his passing.
And finally my big error in public when hosting at the unveiling of his statue in Nottingham.
Put your feet up, make a cup of tea. They have this clown in goal. Rest assumed we are going to win. Cloughie on Jan Tomaszewski, Poland’s hero