Book description
Don Revie and Brian Clough were born a brisk walk away from each
other in Middlesbrough, in 1927 and 1935 respectively. They were
brought up in a town ravaged by the Depression and went on to become
highly successful professional footballers. Then, as young managers,
they both took clubs languishing in the doldrums (Leeds United and
Derby County) and moulded them into championship winners.
Despite the myriad similarities, these two sons of the Tees were as
different in character as Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. A bitter
rivalry developed between them, which in turn enlivened and then
blighted English football in the 1960s and '70s.
In Clough and Revie, exclusive interviews with players,
relatives and friends shed fresh light on these two intriguing
characters. Part footballing chronicle, part social history, the book
is a revelatory exploration of the rivalry between the two men. It
brings a fresh perspective on their early years in the North-East,
tells how they nearly became teammates and explains why the feud began
and what its repercussions were.
Roger Hermiston was assistant editor of BBC Radio 4's flagship
Today
programme from 1998 to 2010. Before joining the BBC in 1990, he wrote
for the
Yorkshire Post
and the
Sunderland Echo
.
