Derby County and Nottingham Forest, football clubs located less than 20 miles apart, have long been arch rivals. Unusually, the same man managed both clubs during their greatest periods of success: Brian Clough. He managed Derby County from 1967 to 1973, a time in which they won their first Football League title, and Nottingham Forest from 1975 to 1993, during which they won their only Football League title and two European Cups. On both occasions, he lifted the club from Football League Second Division to the First Division title. In doing so, Clough was only the second manager, after Herbert Chapman, to win the Football League with two different clubs.
Clough himself retired from football in 1993 and died in 2004. In early 2007, officials from Derby County, Nottingham Forest and the Brian Clough Memorial Fund, along with Brian Clough's widow Barbara and his son Nigel, agreed to institute an official tournament between the two clubs that Clough was most successful with as a manager. In a further twist in 2009, Nigel Clough himself became manager of Derby County, having previously played with distinction under his father at Nottingham Forest.
The competition does not regularly demand its own fixture, but is competed for whenever the two clubs happen to meet. The first match, however, was a specially-arranged pre-season friendly, with all proceeds going to charity. That initial game was won by Derby County. For the full history behind the trophy matches – including photos of various matches – there is the official Brian Clough tribute website.[1]
One year after that initial Derby friendly win, the two clubs found themselves in the Football League Championship, where they both would remain for 14 consecutive seasons. As well as these 28 league meetings the clubs were also drawn together in the 2008–09 FA Cup 4th Round, which after a replay meant that the trophy has been contested in 2 FA Cup Fixtures. The trophy been contested in a League Cup fixture once, in the 2019–20 season.
The 2022–23 season was the first since the trophy's inception in which it was not contested, as Nottingham Forest competed in the Premier League while Derby were in League One.
The trophy itself is a silver loving cup with a lid. The cup is over 100 years old, though it had never been used before becoming the Brian Clough Trophy.[2]
As of 2 February 2024, Derby County have held the trophy for the longest combined time at 3,441 days. Current holders Nottingham Forest have held the trophy for a combined 2,963 days.
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