Dimensions > Recent Status Updates

It was Shilton, too, who gave rise to Clough's trademark green jersey. He was giving Shilton a rollicking when the goalkeeper's green number one shirt caught his attention. "there's only one number one round here," he said, "and it's not you". Thereafter, he started turning up to training and matches wearing a green sweater or sweatshirt.

"He took him aside at the training ground and made him do several sprints around the corner flag running with the ball at his feet. Then he made him do them again, but this time without the ball. 'Which is easier?' he asked. McGovern replied that, of course, it was easier without. 'Then pass the bloody ball more this Saturday and you'll run a lot easier,' Clough replied.

Asked about his aims, he said "I am aiming to win on Saturday and win the following Saturday. Then you can come back and ask me the same question and you'll get the same answer."

At one training session during his second stint as Sunderland manager, for instance, he had his defenders practicing headers with golf balls, insisting it wouldn't hurt if their technique was right.

"The Duckworth-Lewis method of resolving rain affected games has divided the cricketing fraternity into those who do not understand it and those who pretend they do. Rumour has it that it involves calculus, astrology, quantum mechanics and the use of dice. Either way teams get screwed."