HUGE SIGNED PHOTO
AUCTIONED FOR FUND
The giant photo of Brian Clough signed by his widow Barbara and many of his European Cup legends has been auctioned for £450 to raise money for a statue of the Master Manager in Nottingham.
The unique piece of memorabilia, pictured above, is Mrs Clough's favourite public photo of Brian. It was part of the Gala Performance of the tribute play 'Old Big 'Ead in the Spirit of the Man' at the Nottingham Playhouse earlier this month and appears on stage for every performance of the show until June 10th. It was signed on stage by former Forest stars including John McGovern, John Robertson, Garry Birtles, Larry Lloyd, John O'Hare, Paul Hart and Gary Mills.
Actor Colin Tarrant, who takes the role of Cloughie in the play, added his signature, as did Ronnie Fenton, who worked closely with Old Big 'Ead at the City Ground. The huge photo was first lowered onto the stage during the gala evening and has appeared in all subsequent performances. It has been donated to the Brian Clough Statue Fund (Nottingham) by Nottingham Playhouse together with a signed football.
John McGovern signs photo
The photo was auctioned on eBay for ten days, starting at midday on Wednesday May 31st, 2006.
Rich Fisher from the statue fund warmly welcomed the playhouse's invitation to auction the photo to raise cash. "It's a unique piece of memorablia which will be much sought-after," said Rich. "Not only is it a fantastic photo of Brian in his famous green jumper, but it's also signed by some very special people. To say it will be a collector's item in years to come is an under-statement. This is a tremendous opportunity for someone to own a special piece of Cloughie history."
Garry Birtles adds his signature
Sally Anne Tye, Nottingham Playhouse Head of Marketing & Development said: "The show is triumphant, the warmth and appreciation from audiences is fantastic – now there’s the chance for fans to bid for a unique souvenir and at the same time assist Nottingham Playhouse’s support of the Brian Clough Statue Fund”