The Knighthood Campaign for Brian Clough
...and the injustice that followed
The campaign to secure a Knighthood for Brian Clough began in the year 2001, shortly after the launch of this tribute website. The website editor Marcus Alton had received many emails from Cloughie fans around the world saying that Cloughie deserved the honour. As a result, Marcus took it upon himself to organise the campaign, culminating in the presentation of a petition at Downing Street.
Long before the days of online petitions, a 7,500-name petition was presented at 10 Downing Street on 26th October, 2004. The three folders included signatures, letters and e-mails. Pictured above, left to right, are campaign organiser Marcus Alton, campaigner Sarah Alton and the Derby North MP at the time, Bob Laxton. The photo is courtesy of the Press Association.
Marcus had spent years collecting signatures, gaining the support of well-known names, writing news releases and contacting the Cabinet Office - which replied directly and gave Marcus every reason to think Brian's name was being seriously considered.
Unfortunately, the honour never came while Brian was alive, despite letters received by Marcus which promised his name was being considered. "I felt let down by the Labour government at the time," reflects Marcus, who was unable to speak publicly about his disappointment at the time, due to his employment at the BBC.
"It wasn't just me who felt let down, but all those who had supported the campaign. It was a travesty, after all the things Brian had done for the Labour Party over the years. He already had an OBE, bestowed under a Conservative government, and I know for a fact he would have accepted a knighthood, not least in recognition of the support of his wife, Barbara."
After Brian died in September 2004, the government said knighthoods were only bestowed posthumously for those in the miliary. Added Marcus: "Nevertheless, the government at the time had plenty of opportunities to ensure his name was included in the various New Year or Queen's Birthday Honours, year after year, before September 2004.
"There is no doubt that people in positions of power could have pulled the strings behind the scenes. But they failed us."
Marcus had secured campaign coverage in the media, after gaining the support of various big names in the world of football. Former England striker Jimmy Greaves, in his newspaper column, said the knighthood for Cloughie was fully justified.
Greaves said Clough deserved being elevated to a 'Sir' just as much as Sir Alex Ferguson, saying Brian's success rate with 'smaller' clubs spoke for itself.
"I can think of few men more worthy of the honour in the recent history of our game," said Greavsie. "Why he has been ignored, I do not know. I can only believe he is not a big enough establishment figure to get what he deserves."
Cloughie himself had responded in typical fashion when asked about the knighthood during a radio phone-in. "I knew nothing about it at all," he replied. "I've got a couple of achievements along the line somewhere. You get to know nothing about these things until they are actually on your doorstep."
He then joked about who was responsible for putting his name forward. "I thought it was my next door neighbour, because I think she felt that if I got something like that, I would have to move."
During the campaign, Marcus had help from various supporters groups and individuals at several of Cloughie's former clubs. He is pictured, above, receiving completed petition forms at Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Burton Albion (where Brian's son Nigel was manager at the time).
The chairman of the Forest supporters club at the time, Paul Ellis, was critical of the decision not to bestow a knighthood on Clough. "The response (received so far) has been very poor, especially after so many fans took the time to support the campaign," said Paul. "It hasn't been given the consideration it deserves and I hope they will seriously think again in order to reflect such strong public opinion."
Interestingly, a former political spin-doctor revealed how Buckingham Palace blocked attempts to introduce posthumous knighthoods. In his book 'Power Trip', Damian McBride described how Gordon Brown wanted the honour introduced when he was Prime Minister, in order to recognise the wartime codebreaker Alan Turing.
McBride, Gordon Brown's former aide, said: "As for me, I thought the proposal would go down a storm with supporters of football clubs whose managerial legends had died unrecognised." But he added: "I then encountered the combined strength of the senior civil service and Buckingham Palace officials. They were not having it - not under any circumstances."
He said the officials told him that receiving a knighthood was like being given membership of a special club - and that you ceased to be a member when you died. McBride was told that the Queen didn't want to do it and that Mr Brown would have to speak to her if he felt so strongly. "Game, set and match," wrote McBride, who knew the PM would not raise the subject if he had no chance of success.
McBride said the whole episode left a bitter taste. He was later left to reflect on the fact that if anyone was ever stripped of their knighthood following their death "it will knock a bloody great hole in the one supposedly incontrovertible argument that 'membership of the club' ceases to exist after death." He added: "I haven't given up yet."
But we all know that trying to take on the Establishment is like banging your head against a brick wall. When the powers-that-be close ranks, and close their eyes and ears too, there is no hope. But we know that Cloughie will always be a Sir to all his fans.
