It's been confirmed - at last - that Cloughie was the victim of a sham when he was interviewed for the post of England manager. A former Football Association executive has broken more than 30 years of silence to admit Brian never stood a chance, despite being the public's choice to succeed Don Revie in 1977. Ron Greenwood got the job instead.

The FA's press officer at the time, Glen Kirton, revealed in an ITV documentary that Cloughie's interview was a sop to public opinion. "The decision had already been made that Ron Greenwood was the preferred candidate," said Kirton. "There wasn't a vote. Sir Harold Thompson would have said, 'I want to appoint Ron Greenwood,' and they would have agreed. The decision was made beforehand. Ron Greenwood was not on the candidate list."

It's the first time anybody from the FA has broken ranks and admitted that one man, Thompson, was responsible for shaping the destiny of English football. Of course, Brian went on to secure European glory with Nottingham Forest and is always known as the best manager England never had. "It would have been his absolute dream job," Clough's widow, Barbara, told Gabriel Clarke, the ITV reporter for the documentary, shown on Wednesday March 25th, 2009.

Mrs Clough also addressed the controversy about David Peace's novel, The Damned Utd, and the film version of the awful book. "I dismissed it at first as just another book, but I got it and read it and was quite horrified," she said. "They had him chain-smoking and he'd given-up smoking and they had him constantly with a drink in his hand, but he barely drank in those days. He's taken it on himself to write this awful book. But you can’t libel the dead.

"The director assures us that it is a warm and affectionate take and nothing like the book and yet I am sure when the film comes out it’s going to say, 'based on the book by David Peace.'"

Elsewhere in the programme, Nigel Clough spoke about the success of his father at an early age: "How old was he when they won the League Championship? He wasn't even 40 was he? There's very few younger managers doing that now."

Speaking about the pressure on Brian in the late 1970s, Nigel commented: "In his late 30's I think he felt he could take on the world. As time goes by that diminishes. Nobody got a hint of that vulnerability at all...certainly not the players at work.

"I think he felt the responsibility of everybody else really. Looking after everybody else more than himself." The documentary, narrated by the actor Pete Postlethwaite, looked at Cloughie's life and legacy - told by those who knew him best. It aimed to paint an accurate picture of the Great Man - unlike the inaccurate cinematic depiction (see below) of his time at Leeds United.

ITV used its wealth of priceless archive footage. The programme included the Yorkshire TV Calendar special where Clough faced his Leeds predecessor, Don Revie, on the night the axe fell at Elland Road. The programme's host, Austin Mitchell (now a Labour MP), relived that incredible television moment. There were interviews with friends and former colleagues including Geoffrey Boycott, Martin O’Neill, John Robertson, Roy McFarland, John McGovern, Peter Lorimer, Johnny Giles and Gordon McQueen. Read more about the programme HERE.

Brian's Birthday