MEMORIAL SERVICE
FOR BRIAN CLOUGH
Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott also paid tribute during the service: "There were two sides to Brian. People who thought he was all talk, brash and outspoken did not really know him. He was also a warm, generous person with a heart of gold."
"He was a rare and special friend, funny and amusing," said Boycott. "As a football manager he was a charismatic, eccentric maverick. But he had that rare gift for understanding people and getting the best out of them." Former World Cup referee Clive Thomas said Cloughie was unique. "There will never, ever be another. Our lives are richer for having known him."
Brian's wife Barbara read a poem called Cloughie. But before doing so, she raised a laugh from the stands with a comment about the weather. "It was probably Brian's way of saying 'I told you I didn't want any fuss.'"
A poem read by Barbara included the following lines: "When the Gods apportioned modesty, one boy wasn't there; He was in the queue marked confidence, getting twice his share. With two good feet beneath him, he considered it enough; And so was born the character we know as Brian Clough." You can read the poem in full HERE.
Brian's son Nigel was accompanied by his brother Simon and sister Elizabeth as he thanked the service's organisers for their hard work and the crowd for attending. There was laughter in the crowd as Nigel referred to his father fondly: "I'm sure he's going to have a bit of an input upstairs about who's running the show up there. We hope he's sat up there with friends in the sunshine, looking down and saying 'Look at those daft buggers sitting in the rain.'"
In an emotional tribute to his father, Nigel said: "Dad had this rare ability to understand human need. He could relate to people from all walks of life. He has left us with a massive gap in our lives and while there were many words spoken tonight, we can't seem to find the right ones to say how much we love him and miss him."
A Thanksgiving blessing and the hymn Abide With Me then led to the closing music of Sinatra's Nice 'n' Easy and Nat King Cole singing Let There Be Love.
Afterwards, the former England manager Sir Bobby Robson said: "It was an evening that I wouldn't have missed for the world. As tributes go it was great, there's no other word for it. Brian was a great, great manager and a lovely man. He will never be forgotten by his family, friends or anyone who ever met him.
"For one person to bring two clubs like Derby and Forest together - and boy did he do that tonight - is the ultimate tribute."