BRIAN HOWARD CLOUGH was a lovable genius where football was concerned, and exactly 60 years ago, in early September 1964, we were all hoping that he could recover from the serious knee injury that he had suffered on Boxing Day 1962.
That day, playing for Sunderland against Bury at Roker Park, in icy conditions and torrential rain, he chased a through ball from full back Len Ashurst only to collide with goalkeeper Chris Harker and tear the medial and cruciate ligaments in his knee.
On TV, we watched in horror as this big, strong, fit, centre forward crawled on his hands and knees like a wounded animal in an attempt to get back on his feet.
He couldn't make it and this genius of a goalscorer – of the players who have scored over 200 goals in the English football leagues, Clough has the highest goal per game ratio of 0.916 – was destined for more than a year of lonely rehabilitation, most of the time spent running up and down the terracing at Roker Park.
Only he could have recovered from such an injury and, exactly 60 years ago, he began his comeback with the Sunderland reserve team at Grimsby on August 22, 1964. "It was like starting at the game all over again," said a delighted Clough.
He did even better in his next game scoring a hat-trick at Roker Park for the reserves against Halifax Town seven days later.
This prompted Sunderland, who were without a manager, to include him in the team for their Division 1 home league game with West Bromwich Albion on September 2. It would be Clough's first game in the old First Division. The full team was McLaughlin, Irwin, Ashurst, Harvey, Hurley, McNab, Usher, Michinson, Clough, Crossan, Mulhall.
The Echo’s match reporter Frank Johnson wrote: “What an action packed game this was, with goals, thrills and even an irate supporter escorted from the field by a policeman.
“A better looking Sunderland fought back twice to equalise and the match played at a tremendous pace often had a Cup-tie atmosphere.
“The 52,117 crowd loved every minute and their night would have really been made if the final shot from the menacing Brian Clough, back in the first team after 20 months, had been six inches the other way.
“Although his name was not on the score sheet – and it was floodlight robbery that it wasn't – Clough showed one and all that he is ready to make his name in the First Division and there was also a competent display from Sandy McLaughlin, Sunderland's £10,000 goalkeeping signing from Kilmarnock.
“What a difference Clough made to the front line. He started off as though he was going to pulverise WBA by himself and he could easily have had a hat-trick in the first 20 minutes, and Sunderland might have had two penalties for fouls on their leader."
After such a display, Clough kept his place in the team for the visit of Leeds on September 5.
However, the same team that had drawn 2-2 with West Brom were soon two goals down against Leeds before a diving header by Clough sparked a Roker fightback and three goals in nine minutes.
Only an equalising goal by Johanneson in the 67th minute saved Leeds who earned a 3-3 draw.
Clough kept his place for the next game which was at home to Aston Villa on September 9. Sunderland were poor in this game and only a last minute goal by Hurley earned them a draw.
This was to be Brian Clough's last game for Sunderland as his knee just couldn’t cope.
Len's story
LEN ASHURST once said that Clough never forgave him for being the player whose through ball led to his collision with the Bury keeper.
Len was speaking at a Sportsman's evening at Crook Cricket Club and he recalled the time when Clough, who was manager of Derby County, wanted to buy Tony Parry, a Hartlepool player when Len was the Pool manager.
Len said: "It was a good deal as cash strapped Hartlepool would benefit from the transfer money and Derby would get a promising player in Tony Parry. I drove Tony down to Derby and after we had parked the car up we both went to Brian's office. I knocked on Brian's door and he soon opened it.
“These were his words: ‘Come in Tony, you can eff off Len!!'”
READ MORE SPORT NOSTALGIA: 70 YEARS SINCE CROOK WON THE FA AMATEUR CUP
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