Non-league Nigel alienates the City Ground contingent
American author Napoleon Hill once wrote, “Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life”. As the aftermath of the latest game against our rivals plays out in the public, I have found myself wondering what has happened to Nigel Clough.
Son of the much loved and historic figure for both clubs, Brian Clough, his conduct of late has been nothing short of insulting to all connected to Forest. Sly backhanded comments to the press regarding the club, a failure to appreciate how much Forest have come on and how they play and you realise as each interview with him plays out, the bitterness towards a club that made him the great player he was.
Personally as a fan for over 20 years I am old enough and ugly enough not expect Mr Clough to be bouncing superlatives about the club, but I don’t expect to hear snide, smart arsed comments from almost every interview he conducts.
Since he arrived at our neighbours, he seems to have taken on this anti-forest persona for which I can only assume is a tool to keep the Derby fans on his side. Well ‘Non League Nigel’, you don’t need to stoop to these levels, apart from it being an insult to the intelligence of both Forest and Derby fans, your disparaging comments show a complete lack of intelligence on yourself.
To add fire to the already burning bridge, Nigel has come out with some very contradicting quotes regarding the post match shenanigans at Pride Park. In one interview for the Derby Telegraph, highlighted by a member on LTLF Forums:
We feel we were provoked at the City Ground earlier this season and what started it off on Saturday was three red shirts converging on Jay McEveley.
The last thing we want is confrontation but we don’t expect our team-mates and staff to stand around and do nothing.
No punches were thrown or anything, all we did was react to three Forest players converging on Jay McEveley.
It was just a matter of supporting your teammate and it probably looked a lot worse than it was.
Naturally he starts with the anti-Forest stance. Although photographic and video evidence shows 4-5 Derby players converging on Nathan Tyson as he trotted off with the flag towards the Brian Clough Stand, in one sentence he says “We feel we were provoked at the City Ground” and then states “The last thing we wanted was confrontation.” Now, I know I am not the brightest of buttons but this strikes me as a glaring contradiction.
We are all well aware that these fixtures contain a bit of extra spice. Personally I feel that Nigel’s reluctance to stand up and control his players turned a usually enjoyable encounter into something not fit for the game as a whole.
We must however credit both sets of fan – despite the childish antics of both sets of players, the fans can at least hold their heads up high in showing that at least maturity does exist in football, pity only in stands rather than on the pitch. I am sure that fans of both clubs would agree. If Brian Clough had witnessed any of these, he truly would’ve been ashamed and more than likely smacked a couple of the players himself. Sadly Nigel doesn’t take after his father when it comes to managing a football club.
On a final note, Non-league Nigel, you have shown yourself to be nothing short of a bitter child, with no respect towards the fans that supported, and in some cases idolised you, for many years. You have insulted the intelligence of both sets of fans and for what? You’ve burnt your bridges at the City Ground and no longer will you be welcomed back.
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Lol, I can feel some bitterness on your behalf, Dan. I would delete this article before it shames the club
Superb article exactly what i’ve been thinking all week. I really can’t understand the level of bitterness Nigel has for Forest. This bitterness has been there since he took the job at Derby and seems to be getting worse all the time. I very dissapointed with him – very dissapointed indeed but he can go to hell now.
If there was real bitterness I would have only criticised Derby Players ;)
“insult to the intelligence of Forest fans”
That’s quite a feat in itself
Totally agree with the article. Non-league Nigel has insulted the club that paid his wages for so long, and made him an international footballer. Not to mention let down the fans who idolised him for many a year. It just seems as though he’s totally lost the plot and is a Robbie Savage clone, with the comments he’s been coming out with. Not to mention the disgraceful knee incident.
He may have done this club proud in the past, but it is the past. Brian Clough will always be a legend to Forest fans everywhere. The same, now, can’t be said for Nige.
I hate to say it, but I totally agree Dan. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Nigel Clough as an up and coming manager. But the bottom line is that were it not for Forest Clough Jnr would not be holding the position he currently is. And the childish sniping has got to stop.
And getting any kind of physical strike on an opposing manager, intentional or not, is just pathetic. Clough Snr was all about sportsmanship, and conducting oneself in a professional and courteous manner. I honestly think that if he’d seen what happened at Pride Park on Saturday he’d be bloody furious.
Totally agree with this piece, I was thinking exactly the same thing about what a disgrace he is!
This article reflects what i’ve been thinking about Clough after his comments and behaviour this week and since he took over at Derby. He’s obviously very bitter and is making no disguise of the fact that he hates Forest, I was a regular season ticket holder in my younger years when he was Forest’s number 9. I was always a big fan but all that’s changed, he’s an embarrassment to his father and i hope he’s no longer welcomed at the City Ground. He’s sold his soul to try and be popular with the Derby fans. I can’t stand him now, he’s a complete n*b head.
The article is reflective of the feeling Forest fans now have for Nigel, his dad would not be amused would he?
Still, he needs some good lawyers pretty soon, he will have to reflect on his attitude toward football matches pretty soon.
I know he’s under pressure at prideless park, but professionalism seems non existent from the otherside of the A52.
I have no probs with derby’s forever loyal supporters but they do need to question their manager now.
He will almost certainly face a touchline ban for his OTT remarks,and actions, regardless.
This is an incredibly bias piece of writing and an embarrassment to the author. A derby game will always stir passions and confrontation on some scale is inevitable. Having seen Derby County’s results against Notts Forest since Nigel Clough took over it seems Nigel knows how to beat his former side. From pictures shown of the ‘handbags’ thrown around towards the end last Saturday it seems everyone was bumping into each other. In the previous meeting at the city ground Tyson was a silly boy and should never have considered doing what he did. It was very provocative and stirred bad blood.
Finally, Billy Davies should be ashamed and embarrassed in trying to press charges against Nigel Clough. If Billy files a law suit many, many more managers and players will have applications for assault flooding into their lawyers. He should accept defeat, to the better team on the day so I gather, and continue his good work at Notts Forest without spoiling his reputation.
Most Derby fans feel Billy Davies has had this coming. Let’s face it – Billy’s style is confrontational – if you wind enough people up eventually someone is going to take the opportunity to stick one on you. Billy would be better taking it with a smile – calling in the lawyers just makes him look petty and bitter. That’s Billy though – he’s got to feel the world is against him even when things are going well.
I gotta say this article is not reflective of all Forest fans. Dispite Nigel’s recent bitterness he is and will always be one of Forest greatest ever goalscorers. To say he is never welcome back to the City Ground is utterly stupid. Clough Snr would be disgusted.
I am sure when Nigel loses/leaves his post at Prideless Park all will be forgotten and forgiven. Until then we should enjoy what the goings on brilliant rivalary between us and the sheep lovers
James, i think your use of certain names proves your lack of knowledge on this subject. It’s NOTTINGHAM forest, not Notts Forest. Get back in your box youth
little nige has shown his true self in the last two games. Legend as a player bur an utter **nt now!
Maybe he wanted to play for derby instead of forest.A bit like commons and barker!
Commons ‘one good game in six’ and Barker are welcome to Derby :) I’d rather have Earnie, Dex and Campy who clearly prefer this side of the A52!
@James – biasedness isn’t missing from your comment either – you start the rot at Tyson waving a flag at Forest fans, but conveniently forget Savage waving a grubby freebie Derby scarf infront of Forest’s A Block the season before.
It’s all very graceless and the haste with which these encounters descend into handbags makes both clubs look pretty pathetic in my view.