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Fan Letters: The Brian Clough Sunderland Special!

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Soccer - FA Barclaycard Premiership - Derby County v Sunderland
Photo by Steve Mitchell/EMPICS via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

Reading Jim Wales’ letter about Brian Clough reminded me of the first time I saw him play for Middlesbrough against Sunderland in 1960 at Ayresome Park.

Sunderland goalkeeper Peter Wakeham had the ball in hand and Clough was in his face and hassling him — as was allowed in those days. As a result, Wakeham dropped the ball and Cloughie tapped it in for the only goal of the game. This particularly incensed Charlie Hurley as Clough had never previously scored whilst playing against him.

Clough was a goal

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machine for Sunderland and prior to his tragic injury on Boxing Day 1962, he’d already scored twenty four goals in twenty four games that season. His loss from the team almost certainly cost us promotion and I remember his comeback game for the reserves against Halifax, during which he scored a hat trick.

We all thought he was on his way back but it wasn’t to be, and I wonder how different our club’s history would have been if he’d managed Sunderland as he dearly wanted to.

The reason he was never appointed was the same as why he never managed England: the board were frightened (probably rightly) that he would end up running the whole organisation.

Barry Macbeth

Brian Clough Photo by NCJ/NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I saw Cloughie in a midweek game at Roker Park and he scored a hat trick and they were all headers.

Would your archives be able to pinpoint this game? It would be First Division — l think!

Brian Littleton (aged 89)

Brian Clough Photo by NCJ/NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

As a young boy in the 1950’s, I never missed a home match at Roker Park and was always in the Roker End behind the goal.

For the Boxing Day match against Bury, my mam and dad got me a seat in the clock stand as a treat, but I’ve never been in there again since that infamous day which ruined his career.

Glad to get back behind the goal in the Roker End in all weathers and watch my hero ‘King’ Charlie Hurley.

Alan Ridgewell

Brian Clough in action for Sunderland Photo by NCJ/NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

My dad always said he was the best finisher he’d ever seen.

He also said he would never again take my mam to a match, as Cloughie got injured the first and only time they went together .

During his recovery, Clough looked after Sunderland youth team which went on to win the FA Youth Cup, so he was already on his way to greatness.

To have him as our manager would’ve been so special, as long as Peter Taylor came with him.

Mark McCartney

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Barry, Brian, Alan and Mark. Thank you for your letters and for sharing your memories of one of North East and English football’s most iconic figures.

We love a historic ‘deep dive’ here at Roker Report and even though it’s sixty years since he last played for us, it’s obvious that Cloughie retains a place in the affections of Lads fans young and old, and rightly so!

What I always loved about the great man was his irreverence and his confrontational nature, but on the field and in the dugout, his results backed up his methods and to this day, I think his achievement of winning two successive European Cups with Nottingham Forest (a feat that he noted Sir Alex Ferguson never achieved) is one of the all-time great footballing stories.

It’s over twenty years since Clough passed away but as long as there are stories to be shared and old matches to reflect on, he’ll never be forgotten, so please keep them coming and we’ll keep publishing them!

Brian Clough Photo by NCJ/NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

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