Provided You Don’t Kiss Me – 20 Years With Brian Clough

By Duncan Hamilton

What more is there to say about Brian Clough? To take a provincial club like Nottingham Forest from the English Second Division to winning, not just the First Division title, but also conquering Europe, twice, is a truly astonishing feat – but Clough’s character made the journey even more compelling.

So much has been written about the man who made Jose Mourinho look tame. If there was ever a "special one", then it was Brian Clough. But in amongst the pile of Clough books, lies this little gem, from a man who was there, who breathed in the atmosphere as Nottingham Forest’s journey unfolded, fought off Clough as the brash self-confident manager tried to plant a kiss on him and regularly waited, like a school pupil, to be called into his headmaster’s office for the latest bit of news, straight from the horse’s mouth. That man, this author, is none other than Duncan Hamilton.

Hamilton found himself assigned to cover Forest when he was just 18 years old, working for the Nottingham Sport. He eventually joined the Nottingham Evening Post and continued his adventure tracking Clough’s highs and lows throughout his reign at the City Ground. If it happened, if Clough said it, and if it mattered, Hamilton knew about it. And this shines through in the book, along with the author’s unique relationship with the then-Forest boss.

Provided You Don’t Kiss Me – 20 Years With Brian Clough, explains how it was the most unlikely of trophies, the Anglo-Scottish Cup, which Clough believes set his side up for their trophy-laden years later. This often sneered at tournament gave Clough’s side the foundation to go on and conquer Europe, winning the European Cup twice, back to back.

"What struck me most back then", explains Hamilton when covering the early years with Clough, "was Clough’s supreme confidence, as if he could actually see what lay ahead of him: the European Cups and vindication."

A treasure trove of Clough quotes is revealed too and the secret to his success studied. Clough always felt he was on the same wavelength as the players, pointed out Hamilton, in a time when managers could often be distant and far from understanding with their charges. Clough was a man-manager of the very best kind.

The latter part of Clough’s career is not neglected either, including his struggle against the demon of drink, but equally his thoughts on modern day football make for refreshing reading: "Football is a terrible game you know", said Clough. "It’s got a bit of Sky TV money coming in now, and a lot of people who come to the games wouldn’t know Stanley Matthews from Bernard Matthews. The stands are full of people who can’t tell you anything about the game unless it happened after 1990."

Provided You Don’t Kiss Me – 20 Years With Brian Clough is an entertaining and thought-provoking read, superbly produced by a first hand witness to so many of the book’s events. If there is one book to buy about Clough, then surely it is this. A true legend, maybe words can never do Clough justice, in any form and at any length, yet this comes closest to understanding the complex character who was one of, if not the best, manager the game has ever known.