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Sam Longson letters to Cloughy being auctioned


Remy the hare

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4 hours ago, Spanish said:

Agree but if the wasn’t a big head he wouldn’t have been a great manager.  He was there at the right time earlier he wouldn’t have had the opportunity later he wouldn’t have been able to manage the egos of the players

Agree with the managing egos thing,egos in those days would certainly pale beside the egos of today.Also wondered how instead of a Sam Longson as a boss he dealt with a Ashley or a saudi or an Abramovich or heaven help us a Vincent Tan.

Glad he was our manager back then,instead of now ,all has changed as it should i guess.

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On 23/08/2018 at 04:45, Ambitious said:

Brian Clough was certainly charismatic, but no less a bit of a ********* when all said and done. I'm not from that era, but I don't think a person's sporting achievements should allow them to get away with things like unjustified expenses, not going on pre-season, etc. 

No doubt a number of people are clouded in their judgement. I'd be interested to learn more, perhaps I'm wrong. 

To be fair, Mr Clough acknowledged fault; not all by any means but he acknowledged that he should have done many things better.

Reading these, it’s clear he was daring the board to dismiss him. To what end? I still do not know. Was he angling for the Leeds job even then?

Or did he just believe he was indestructible and was trying to prove it? Or, more likely, did he need to believe that he was indestructible for ego reasons?

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The pre-season thing was typically stupid . As i recall he wanted to take his wife and kids but the club refused so the row developed.

it was petty of the club esp after everything brian was achieving.

 

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It was a power play by Clough to kick Longson into the long grass. I truly believe Clough thought he was beyond reproach - he thought Longson would never pull the trigger whilst the fans and players were so on his side.

Sadly it was Clough’s ego that did for him and Derby - a thing I believe he regretted until his last day.

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On ‎25‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 00:11, MickD said:

I am from that era.

Saw all the big games, Spurs, Real, Juve etc.

Met B.C. twice (only because he bought his cheese from my Mother in Law at the supermarket  she worked in).

Had two very pleasant conversations, a nice man.

However you only have to see the interviews etc. on YouTube to see the change in him in front of the cameras.  Look up obnoxious in the dictionary, there is a picture of B.C.. Playing to the crowd? Of course. A legend in his own mind? Sure

It could have been Derby who won the European Cup twice, who knows?

Still the best manager never to have led England, his fault?  Old big head?  Most likely

Couldn't help but read that in the voice of this guy...isn't it? Marvelous.

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My impression of Clough and Longson was that they were two huge egos that needed stroking in the right way. Sam saw himself as a future Chairman of the FA, held back by the perception of Derby being a small club with an uncouth manager. Clough saw himself as somewhere between Derby County and 'bigger than Derby County', and indespensable.

Both were equally right and wrong at the same time.

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Talking of books this is a great book by Andy Ellis that was put together from the actual minutes of the board room meetings and really gives a great insight into the wrangling of the club in the Clough years.

Brian Clough and Derby County - From Glory to Disaster: The inside story as told by the DCFC Board Meeting Minutes

avaliable from all good internet book sellers but best priced on one beginning with A.

here is an extract and ties in with the letter

Thursday 27th April 1972

Minute 6774 Balance at Bank

The Club‘s overdrawn balance at the Bank stood at £14,500 overdrawn.

Minute 6775 Floodlighting

It was confirmed that following the Meeting, discussion would take place with representatives from Thorn Electrical in respect of proposed new Floodlighting at The BaseballGround.

Minute 6776 Playing Pitch

The Chairman confirmed that acting on a report from Dr.Adams of Aberystwith University. A large quantity of sandwould be applied to the playing surface during the CloseSeason. It was agreed that casual labour be employed to assistwith the operation.

Minute 6777 Share Transfer

H.Payne to J.Kirkland, Belper370 shares

Minute 6778 A. J. Parry

It was agreed subject to Football League approval to loan A. J. Parry the sum of £450 in respect of house purchase.

Minute 6779 Manager’s Report 

The Manager, Mr. B. H. Clough came into the Meeting and reported that Robson and Todd would not be taking part in the F.A. Under-23's Close Season Tour. It was agreed the Secretary  prepare necessary letters on their behalf and to notify the Football Association. 

It was reported that C. Boulton had been fined £20 in respect of a breach of Club discipline.

The Manager reported that he would be leaving the Club following our last home game on 1st May and would take up employment as Manager of Coventry City on 2nd May, 1972. It was confirmed that P. Taylor, Assistant Manager and J.Gordon, Trainer/Coach would also be leaving the Club. 

After a lenghty discussion in which several propositions were put forward, it was agreed with regret that Board accept the the three resignations.

It was agreed that the Club's Solicitors examine the Contracts of service of the three employees in respect of a possible breach of contract.

Editor’s Comments:

At the same time as the Board Meeting was taking place, Coventry City had sent their Assistant Secretary, Mr Dennison, who was en route to Derby with a letter formally withdrawing their offer to the management duo and Jimmy Gordon. Stuart Webb was told by Mr Dennison late in the afternoon about the contents and this was  delivered to Clough at home.

Clough, Taylor and Director Michael Keeling went to Longson’s house that evening to suggest that they would stay on if Derby would pay them more money. This amounted to quite a substantial increase and would be ratified at an Emergency Board Meeting that would be held the following morning, with Longson not yet aware of the full picture. 

Webb, not being aware of the evening meeting, did not tell Longson about the Coventry letter until the morning and Longson was hugely annoyed that he had been deceived in this way. 

Jack Kirkland continued to buy up any shares coming to the market and was fortunate to acquire two thirds of the shares owned by former Chairman, the late Oswald Jackson. This, along with the other share dealings, made him the second largest shareholder.

Friday 28th April 1972

SPECIAL BOARD MEETING

PRESENT: -Mr. S. Longson (Chairman)

Sir Robertson King. K.B.E. 

Mr. F.B. Walters

Mr. S.C. Bradley

Mr . T. W . Rudd

Mr. F.W. Innes

Mr. M. Keeling

 

IN ATTENDANCE: Mr. A.S. Webb, Secretary

Discussion took place regarding a further Contract of Service for a further five years in respect of the Manager and Assistant Manager.

Following detailed discussions with the Manager and Assistant Manager it was confirmed that the terms outlined below had been accepted by the Manager and Assistant Manager following discussions at the Chairman's home on the previous evening when the Manager and Assistant Manager agreed to stay with the Club and not go to Coventry City subject to receiving the following new Contract with increased terms of £5,000 and £3,000 per annum respectively.

B. H. CLOUGH

A 5 year contract commencing 1st May, 1972.

Salary £14,000

Insurance £ 1,000

£15,000 per annum

 

No Company Car would be provided but travelling expenses of 10p. per mile were confirmed.

P.TAYLOR

A 5 year contract commencing 1st May, 1972.

Salary £8,000 per annum.

A Company Car to be provided.

 

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I was a young teenage fan from that era and, in my opinion at that time, Brian Clough could do no wrong .

Fantastic football and memories of the Baseball Ground which will live in my mind forever.

He  made a mistake to think that he was bigger than the club when he  resigned and  Ironicly Derby County were the biggest loses, but it is it is obvious that he had become uncontrollable and the situation could not carry on. You just can't treat your employers like he did. 

The letters are very interesting and I now think  Longson showed a lot of courage to accept  Cloughs resignation although most of us supporters at the time detested him and would have done anything to reverse the situation.

I have always thought it a great pity that it all happened.  I think that Clough could have turned Derby County into one of the best teams in the land.

 

 

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On 25/08/2018 at 00:11, MickD said:

I am from that era.

Saw all the big games, Spurs, Real, Juve etc.

Met B.C. twice (only because he bought his cheese from my Mother in Law at the supermarket  she worked in).

Had two very pleasant conversations, a nice man.

However you only have to see the interviews etc. on YouTube to see the change in him in front of the cameras.  Look up obnoxious in the dictionary, there is a picture of B.C.. Playing to the crowd? Of course. A legend in his own mind? Sure

It could have been Derby who won the European Cup twice, who knows?

Still the best manager never to have led England, his fault?  Old big head?  Most likely

Don't worry we'll give them a shine for ya ? 

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Pretty much my first post on the Forum. I Read this with a lot of interest, I stood on that last game to see Clough and Taylor with the !st Div trophy, on a Carters Pop crate my grandad carried from Sawley on the train as at 8 I couldn't see over the wall proper.

To be fair I always detested Longstone for what happened and thought him a dinosaur, but this has actually changed my view a bit. No one was bigger than the club and there was always going to be a loser, fact we did go on and win championships again with new manager and  a squad that did vary in many ways from the 72' side  proved we were still up there and Clough or no Clough.

Would we have gone on like florist and won the European cup?, who knows, fact the trees went into quite rapid decline after that and have IMO struggled for identity since, poor attendances and leaving fickle fans living on glories of 40 years ago seeming a bit pathetic. Every dog has its day, and hand on heart I was glad Lesta won the Prem as it did prove that it can still, despite the gazzilionaires, be done.  

 

 

 

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