Provided You Don't Kiss Me: 20 Years with Brian Clough

by Duncan Hamilton

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0007247117
• ISBN13: 9780007247110
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 263 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

"I've got you under my skin"

One could easily title this saying this is a highly acclaimed award winning sports book of the year on the legendary manager Brian Clough but that is to state the obvious. My review title comes from indeed, the fact that Brian Clough was a big Frank Sinatra fan and others of that genre and song lyrics are quoted from time to time and while at the same time, BC like Bill Shankly came up with some highly remembered quotations in their own right. I had to read the likewise, popular novel and now, movie too, The Damned Utd but not before this one, but after reading 'The Damned United', I got out "Provided you don't kiss me" and decided to read it a second time because yes, the subject matter "got under my skin" here, in fact, if desired, one could make quite a study of the man and read other books as well. I was not sure if the Brian Clough figure portrayed in the 'Damned Utd.' meshed with the Clough presented in the "provided you don't kiss me" book which is all from first-hand experience. The author of this book, Duncan Hamilton who spent 18 years with managing legend Brian Clough said he did not recognize the Clough in 'The Damned Utd.' but that Clough may have undergone a big change by the time he got to Nottingham (in leaving Leeds, Clough received very generous severence payments making him financially independent along with the wealth of experience managing Derby, Leeds for 44 days, Hartlepool and Brighton). Okay, good to know I have retained some reading comprehension. This book is not so much a straight-forward biography of Brian Clough's life but rather vignettes of his life. I was even able to categorize the 11 chapters by the subject matter. Chapter 1: Introduction of main two characters of the book, journalist Duncan Hamilton and Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough. It is up to the reader, but I read it as very much a friendship vs. a professional relationship. Chapter 2: Introduction of Clough's left-hand man, perhaps better put, "Co-Manager" in actuality if not in title: Peter Taylor- former teammate/goalkeeper of Clough as well, he was a bit like a fatherly figure to him when Clough played soccer professionally. In all likelihood, Clough would not have been as successful without Taylor and possibly vice-versa. Clough and Taylor were a team though Clough received most of the publicity. Chapter 3: Falling out with Taylor. Chapter 4: Peter Shilton, reknown all-time great goalkeeper along with various stories of other players at Nottingham Forest. Chapter 5: European Play of Clough's teams, Derby and Nottingham Forest, the latter winning back-to-back European Championships (Now Champions League). Clough did so much with Derby and Nottingham Forest, yet, they are both teams from smaller cities, 'small teams' versus the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal or even Newcastle let alone the likes of the 'Galacticos' of Real Madrid and other big European teams. The great Ajax, Johann Cruyff and total football triump