Few journalists watched Brian Clough in a Middlesbrough shirt as much as Ray Robertson. The former Northern Echo journalist remembers happy days on Teesside.

Brian Clough was a unique character.

One of Middlesbrough's favourite sons, he was labelled brash and bombastic in his colourful headline-hitting career.

Life was never dull with him around.

With his goalscoring exploits and greatness as a manager, he made an indelible impression.

The first sign that he was someone special came with a flash of genius in his first Boro trial against Heckmondwike Juniors.

Ray Grant, a former headmaster who discovered Brian as a Middlesbrough scout, recalled the moment years later: "When the left winger crossed the ball Brian, with his back to goal, lobbed the ball over the centre half and shot into the net.

"I could hardly believe my eyes. I turned to a friend next to me on the touchline and said 'that's pure luck or a stroke of genius;."

With the fastest double century of goals in post-war football, Clough showed it was no fluke.

With his ambition and goalscoring obsession, Brian was not the most popular player in the Ayresome Park dressing room.

He would order wingers Billy Day and Eddie Holliday - "Give the ball to me." There was simple logic behind his demands.

"I am better at putting the ball in the net," he told them. There wore also rumours at the time that not all the Boro players were kicking the same way.

I can recall Clough being particularly angry after a 6-6 draw against Charlton Athletic in London.

After scoring a hat-trick, he pulled no punches in the bath after the game. "If we score seven goals next week do you think we will get a point?" he asked.

In his autobiography Clough spoke of something "sinister" happening in the game. He told a top Middlesbrough director of his suspicions but there was no action.

When Clough signed for Sunderland he learned the value of discipline from manager Alan Brown and vowed he would copy his ideas if he ever entered management.

Sunderland missed out on a glorious opportunity when they sacked manager George Hardwick. The former Middlesbrough and England captain planned to groom Clough as his successor.

After a spell as manager of Hartlepools, former Sunderland star Len Shackleton engineered a move to Derby County.

Shackleton, in his capacity as sportswriter for a Sunday newspaper, introduced Clough to Derby chairman Sam Longson at the Scotch Corner Hotel.

After the meeting, Longson told Shack: "I am sure Brian will upset my directors, but I think there is something special about him.

"I want him to open First Division doors for me."

Clough hammered down the doors and, at the Baseball Ground and Nottingham Forest, became one of the most respected managers in the game.

His sidekick, Peter Taylor, once told me: "People are right when they say Brian is a big head and a big mouth. But they should complete the sentence . . . he is also a winner."

Jim Smith, one of the most respected managers in the game, paid Clough a remarkable tribute at the time. He said whenever he was depressed, he would go home and watch a video of Nottingham Forest in action.

Around that time, Brian helped many fellow professionals without seeking publicity.

I can recall approaching him to help out Boro star Willie Maddren over his testimonial match.

Members of a Scottish World Cup squad were dropping out and Willie was genuinely worried over an under-strength team for his big night.

Clough's response to my SOS was immediate. Within 15 minutes, he had promised Archie Gemmill, Kenny Burns and John Robertson with the request -"Send the hotel bill to me."

The Forest trio were the first to arrive on Teesside for the game.

There was never any half measures with Clough and people often ask how would he cope with the pampered foreign stars of today under his command.

No-one will ever know but one thing is certain, Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson would have had to fight for their share of headlines.