Clough and Taylor reunited in iconic Pride Park statue
THE greatest team in football, Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, have been reunited at last at the home of Derby County, the club they led to its greatest honour.
They have been immortalised in a bronze statue, unveiled last night outside Pride Park.
-
The statue of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor
Clough was manager and Taylor his assistant when the Rams won the First Division championship in 1972. They fell out, however, a decade later and never spoke to each other again.
Now Derby's most famous adopted sons have been brought together by sculptor Andy Edwards.
Clough's son, Rams manager Nigel, said: "It's absolutely beautiful."
Wendy Dickinson, Taylor's daughter, said: "To see their spirits captured together and their achievements remembered like this is wonderful."
A fitting tribute to the best team in football
IT may be a statue to celebrate Derby’s most famous partnership – but Brian Clough couldn’t help himself stealing the limelight for a second.
As the curtain fell to reveal the long-awaited 19ft monument, it caught on the head of the man famed for his nickname of “Old Big ’Ead”.
Laughter broke out among the guests and Clough’s son Nigel quipped: “It’s appropriate it couldn’t get over his head.”
He later said: “When the curtain came down and got stuck on Dad’s head, the family all looked at each other.
“We said: ‘If it’s going to get stuck in one place, then that’s where it will be’.”
But, when the curtain finally came down, laughter turned to joy and emotion, with the families of both men delighted to see the pair immortalised outside Pride Park Stadium together.
They, along with former Derby County players, club officials and members of businesses, had been invited to its unveiling.
Following speeches of thanks in Unity Plaza, the square created to house the statue, wives Barbara Clough and Lilian Taylor were called to bring down the curtain.
Mrs Clough said: “It really is a terrific job.
“Everything from the inscription on the cup to the way they stand is just perfect – they’ve really been caught as they were.
“All the statues of Brian have been different but it’s lovely to see him and Peter together.”
Mrs Taylor said: “You’ve got to know them personally to know how good it is and they’ve got it just right.
“We had a lot of time to look before it was finished and were told to tell if anything needed changing, but the sculptor has done well.”
Clough’s daughter, Elizabeth, was also present with brothers Nigel and Simon and their families.
She said: “We all laughed when the curtain caught on my dad’s head but we are very proud.
“The Derby fans are very loyal, particularly to my dad and Peter, which is why it’s a lovely place for the statue to be.”
But, while the guests looked in awe at a statue of two footballing greats, three women stared up in amazement at their grandfather.
Taylor’s granddaughters, Laura Dickinson, 29, Alex Dickinson, 27, and Beth Taylor, 25, said the statue helped them realised the wonderful things their grandfather did.
Laura Dickinson said: “To us, he was just Grandad, the man who came around to our house and let us do his hair and play hairdressers with him.
“When people realised we are his granddaughters, the reaction is incredible but this helps you really appreciate what he did.”
Taylor’s son, Phil, said the statue was in the one place it belonged.
He said: “It’s standing where it should, outside Pride Park Stadium, because it was at Derby County that they cut their managerial teeth.
“My dad loved Derby County and its supporters and the whole family is so proud that it’s here.”
Some members of the Taylor family had even travelled from Düsseldorf, Germany, to see the unveiling.
Taylor’s niece, Josie Jentsch, was yesterday celebrating her 43rd wedding anniversary to husband Werner.
She said: “When my husband and I got married, Peter couldn’t come to the wedding because he was signing Roy McFarland that day.
“So it’s funny to think our anniversary is on the day the statue is unveiled.
“Peter loved to come to Germany and relax and we have great memories of him.”
Former players at the event included Alan Durban, John O’Hare, Roger Davies, John McGovern, Archie Gemmill and Dave Mackay.
Mr Davies said: “One of the things I like so much about this amazing statue is that it stands on the corner of the ground where most of the fans, who walk to the match from either town or the railway station, see it.
“To home fans, I think it will get that pride going as you see Brian and Peter holding aloft that trophy.
“And, to away fans, it will say to them: ‘This is Derby County’.”
Mr Durban said: “Any of the players who played under them will tell you that these two worked as a partnership.
“To see them both here together again at Pride Park, I think, is fantastic.”
Sculptor Andy Edwards was also present to see his work revealed.
He said: “The names Clough and Taylor were synonymous with the city and I can honestly say this is the most important and enjoyable piece I have worked on.
“In the future, my dearest wish is the area will become somewhere people will bring their sandwiches, sit down and enjoy seeing these two greats standing together.”
Ashley Wilkinson, 19, of Springdale Court, Mickleover, first started the petition to raise the statue.
He said: “When this first came about, I had absolutely no idea it would spiral into this amazing day.”
Rams fans will get their first chance to see the statue at this afternoon’s fixture against QPR.
48 Comments
View all
by red dead revolver, notts
Monday, August 30 2010, 9:33AM
“cffn isn't even a company anymore you fool. doughty was the owner of cffn and sold that company and has 100% control of nottingham forest you fool. he owns the club 100% and the debt is in the name of nigel doughty so how can he tell a club to pay a debt when he owns the club and the loan is in his own name you fool?”
by red dead revolver, notts
Monday, August 30 2010, 9:28AM
“to say new dragon is a derby supporter, he knows a lot about the ins and out of nottingham forest doesn't he? let me guess you get your information from a sign called nigel doughty out? some site made by three sado's that only go up until the season 2003/2004 and then suddenly don't want to put on the site that doughty has spent over 20 million on forest they just want people to see players he has sold. new dragon, you don't have facts you just have information from a fan made site on the internet so that is not prove that is just a fan made internet nerd site for sado's like yourself. the day doughty sells forest and want's over 50 million for doing so is the day derby will be winners of the premiership. your just a very sad deluded derby county supporter my friend. but iv'e found your post's very funny thanks for that hahahahahahaha”
by Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa, Littleover, Derby. eX Pear Tree.
Sunday, August 29 2010, 9:30PM
“Thankyou to everyone who contributed :)
"I want epitaphs of profound history and all that type of thing. They contributed - I would hope they would say that, and I would hope somebody liked them" KSD”
by George Cross, Derby
Sunday, August 29 2010, 6:50PM
“I drove past the stadium twice today - on both occasions there must have been about 50 people around the statue and the car park was full.
Its great to see such interest in the statue, people taking photographs etc.
I dont care what the people of Nottingham think, I support my club and the legacy of clough/taylor is immortalised in the statue.
New Dragon - dont lower yourself to retaliate anymore, you have made your point (very well, I might add) and if people from Notts really have nothing interesting to read that they have to check our news, then leave that with them.”
by New Dragon, Derby
Sunday, August 29 2010, 5:57PM
“"forest finished 23 points above your lot last season ".
Thicko, hucknall .
.
Isn't it odd how Forest fans always live in the past? Still I suppose they have to because they certainly have no future.
A bankrupt club which is losing support and being used as a convenient tax loss by an owner who will dump them when convenient.
No wonder their supporters are so bitter & twisted, they only have bankruptcy followed by non league football to look forward to.”
by New Dragon, Debt Free Derby
Sunday, August 29 2010, 3:37PM
“You are clearly totally ignorant of how the world of finance works. I suppose you don¿t need that much knowledge though when you live on benefits.
Notts Forest is a company ¿ a separate legal entity. Similarly Doughty has not made loans to Forest ¿ his companies have. And YOU are being milked dry by him.
Let me quote you from just one web site set up by FOREST FANS. It¿s not pretty reading for sad Forest fans like you.
They state -
Although they will not lie about it, the club are happy to keep quiet regarding the misconception that Forest are now virtually debt free. You could even go so far as to say they are deliberately misleading the fans by suggesting that the club has virtually no short term external debts, knowing full well that the average fan will not know that is only a small portion of a club's total liabilities.
In fact in the latest available accounts (2005-2006) Forest have total liabilities of £32,983,000. Of that debt, £26.5m is owed to Nigel Doughty himself.
That is a huge amount of debt, which has largely been built up over the last 8 years, under Doughty's control.
- When Doughty first purchased shares in the club, Forest had net assets of £8.5m. That figure is now a net liability of £24m.
- Since 99-00, total liabilities have also risen 226%, from £14.6m to £33m.
Whilst few people are aware of the financial position of the club and the vast debts, even fewer are aware the Nigel Doughty is charging the club interest on those debts, above the Bank of England base rate.
In 2005-06, the Bank of England base rate was between 4.75 and 4.5%, whereas we believe the amount We took the following information from the club's accounts dated 05-06.
Firstly, on page 17 note 15, Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year, as of 31 May 2006, a total of £30.3 million was outstanding. £3.3 million is outstanding to Nottingham City Council (relating to the renegotiated Trent End Bond) and due for repayment within two to five years. And £26.5 million was owed to CFFN. Note 15 goes on to say, ''The CFFN loan is secured by a debenture over all the company¿s (Nottingham Forest) assets. Interest is accrued at market determined rates and is repayable along with the principal on 31 May 2008.''
Secondly, on page 22 note 29, Related party transactions, it states, ''NE Doughty, the company¿s controlling shareholder, is also the controlling shareholder of CFFN Limited. CFFN Limited has advanced a loan to the company in the year totalling £13,600,000 (2005: £4,400,000). The balance (outstanding to CFFN) at 31 May 2006 was £24,409,000 (2005: £10,809,000) on which interest of £2,083,000 (2005: £730,000) has been incurred but not paid. The CFFN loan is secured by a debenture over all the company¿s assets. At 31 May 2005, NE Doughty had guaranteed part of the club¿s bank overdraft. This was settled by an advance of the above loan in the year.''
If the loan was created on the first day of the financial year, the interest charged is around 5.5% (£1,353,000 / £24,409,000)
If it was brought in on the last day of the year, the interest charged is around 12.5% (£1,353,000 / £10,809,000)
In reality the rate of interest charged at the time is likely to be somewhere between these two figures.
It is also worth noting that as the interest rate is calculated at "market determined rates", the figure will now be around 1% higher, due to increases in the Bank of England base rate (currently 5.5%). This will mean an increase in annual interest payments of at least £300k per annum (if the interest charged was initially 5.5%, the lowest possible figure).
Some may say Doughty has every right to charge interest on the loans, however perhaps charging more than is necessary is slightly inappropriate, given the debts are in place largely because of monumental mismanagement under his leadership.
Either way, we just want to make everyone aware of the situation - the club is far ”
by martyn, hucknall
Sunday, August 29 2010, 2:19PM
“nigel doughty owns forest and if the debt is in his name and he owns the club and he runs the club that means the debt is to himself. how can the owner call a debt to himself you clown? the only reason the money is in his name is so if he sells the club he gets his money back you fool. do you really believe that a owner and supporter of a club that doughty is would expect forest to pay him 40 to 50 million next year? you really do live in a dream land, first you said doughty hasn't been paying taxes now your trying to make out he will call his own debt how silly you are SON. you have no facts just make believe. so doughty is giving the manager more money to buy new players yet we are going under because we are broke hmmmmmm really? so how did your great team let in 2 goals in the last 2 minutes of injury time you never did answer that did you?”
by New Dragon, Derby
Sunday, August 29 2010, 11:50AM
“martyn, hucknall
.
What an ignorant and unpleasant ignoramus you are. Perhaps you would appear less ignorant if you oderated your foul & abusive language.
Nottingham Firest DEBTS - Forest owe the City Council £3.2 million. Forest owe Doughty in excess of £40million (yes its on the accounts as a LOAN to be repaid.)
In te lasat year for which Forest have filed account (yes they are late filing their accounts contrary to the Companies Act), they report that gate receipts FELL by £5million.
Now, according to the accounts ALL monies loaned to Forest by Doughty are repayable in 2011.
So0 tell us - where are Forest going to find £40million + interest by next year ?
The accounts show that Forest are LOSING £6million+ a year, yet have almost £50million to find by 2001. You don't own a ground, so have no appreciable assets.”
by martyn, hucknall
Sunday, August 29 2010, 10:38AM
“new dragon you talk sh@t, show me some prove if your armed with facts that forest are on the revenue's hit list, oh wait you can't can you? we haven't been paying our taxes hahahaha do me a favour you internet nerd. you talk so much crap and just make thing's up. so nigel doughty say's forest are debt free only a month ago, but some mug off the internet under the name new dragon claims he knows better? didn't know you had first hand looks at the forest accounts by nigel doughty you thicko. do you know how stupid it makes you sound? and your one point above us not really much is it? and forest finished 23 points above your lot last season what your excuse for that? so how can such a great team let in 2 goals in the last 2 minutes at home like your lot you mug?”
by New Dragon, Derby
Saturday, August 28 2010, 10:41PM
“nigel doughty has got the debt in his name and he owns the club and he's not going to call the debt on himself is he you mug?
martyn, hucknall
.
IN THAT CASE WHY ARE FOREST ON THE REVENUE'S HIT LIST LIKE PORTSMOUTH, CARDIFF ETC FOR NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES?
FOREST ARE ON THAT LIST OF POTENTIAL WINDING-UP ORDERS, DERBY AREN'T !
YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T GET INTO AN ARGUMENT WHEN YOU'RE SO OBVIOUSLY NOT ARMED WITH THE FACTS.
--------------------------------------------
so because we rent the land we are on means what? we pay rent for the land whats your point?
martyn, hucknall
.
IF YOU KNEW THE FIRST THING ABOUT FINANCE YOU WOULD REALISE THE SIGNIFICANCE.
DERBY HAVE AN ASSET IN WHICH THEY OWN EQUITY AND AGAINST WHICH ANY DEBTS CAN BE SECURED. FOREST DON'T.
DERBY'S BALANCE SHEET SHOWS A SOLVENT BUSINESS WHEREAS FORESTS SHOW A CLUB ON THE BRINK OF FOLDING.
-----------------------------
your boys can't even hold on to a 2 nil lead at home with 2 minutes left in the match you mug martyn, hucknall
.
ODD THAT - DERBY ARE STILL ABOVE FOREST IN THE LEAGUE. SO WHAT'S YOUR NEXT EXCUSE ????”