Daniel Taylor > Quotes

“That was when I saw my chance with Kevin,’ Lloyd says. ‘I shook his hand and whispered in his ear: “Look, Kev, we’ve known each other a long time. I like you and I will be straight with you. Kenny Burns is planning to kick the shit out of you tonight. He says you are a dead man.”
― Daniel Taylor, I Believe In Miracles: The Remarkable Story of Brian Clough's European Cup-winning Team

“What pisses us off more than anything is that we were never appreciated and never properly recognised for what we achieved,’ Birtles says. ‘We beat Malmo and everybody thought, “Oh, it’s only Malmo.” Well, they had beaten some bloody good sides to get to the final, and so had we. We played the European Cup when it was the champions of every country. It’s now the champions and also-rans of every country. We beat Hamburg with Kevin Keegan and Ajax with Rudi Krol.”
― Daniel Taylor, I Believe In Miracles: The Remarkable Story of Brian Clough's European Cup-winning Team

“At Hartlepools, one of Clough’s journalist friends told him he could see nothing special in the young McGovern. ‘That’s why I am a manager and you are a journalist,’ Clough replied.”
― Daniel Taylor, I Believe In Miracles: The Remarkable Story of Brian Clough's European Cup-winning Team

“But there have been other press conferences that last less time than it takes to boil an egg. No doubt you will have heard about the famous ‘Hairdryer’, the shouting, his ferocity when the bee in his bonnet starts to buzz out of control. It’s all true. He’s every bit as frightening as is made out. One prick of his temper glands and he will be up, leaning forward, jutting out his forehead, indiscriminately machine-gunning swearwords at someone who has asked or written something he doesn’t like. It’s the eyes. Those rheumy, pale-green eyes. They stare you down. Your palms begin to sweat. You mouth feels dry, as if you have just swallowed a tablespoon of sawdust. You start to feel pathetically weak. The outburst might last only a few seconds but it always feels so much longer. And you realise you are half-bowing, staring at your feet. It’s a degrading experience.”
― Daniel Taylor, Squeaky Bum Time: The Wit, Wisdom and Hairdryer of Sir Alex Ferguson