‘Shithouse is an affectionate term at this club.’

Explaining why he often used the word rather than a person’s name

‘True fame is when the newspapers spell your name right in Karachi.’ 1980

‘I found that the only people who aren’t obsessed with money are those who have got more than enough of it.’ 1979

‘It’s Mr Clough to you.’

In response to anyone he didn’t know calling him Brian

‘Call me Brian.’

In response to anyone he didn’t know calling him Mr Clough

‘Hey, get a fag on. I like to smoke by proxy.’

Regular order to the Forest coach driver during away trips

‘To allow live football is the worst decision I’ve heard in years. I don’t see how the public will pay good money to watch the game when they can sit at home and see one for nothing ... I stick to my view that showing football live on TV will kill the game stone dead within three years.’ 1983

‘If you took a cross section of the public, or any particular profession, I don’t think you’d find so many dishonest men per thousand.’

On Members of Parliament 1974

‘If the BBC ran a Crap Decision of the Month competition on Match of the Day, I’d walk it.’

Chastising himself 1993

‘I’m convinced that some people in London still think anyone north of the M25 lives in a cave, wears a flat cap and goes whippet racing.’ 1988

‘They say that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I wasn’t on that particular job.’ 1998

‘I’m always me – the man who says the right thing at the wrong time.’ 1978

‘How is it that we can’t get everyone in work with talent? We’ve got enough shithouses in work without talent.’

Political speech 1988

‘He’s already taken over my office and the team talk. Now I’ve taught him to stop eating the carpet at home, he’ll learn how to pick the team.’

On his dog Del Boy 1988

‘Women run everything. The only thing I’ve done in my house for twenty years is recognise Angola as an independent state.’ 1997

‘Bloody driver got lost. Hey, I reckon his last job was driving Rommel’s staff car.’

Explaining to the media why he was late for a press conference in Cologne 1979

‘There is no such thing as a football hooligan. They are just hooligans. Football hooligans? Well, there are 92 club chairman for a start. There are more hooligans in the House of Commons than at a football match.’ 1985

‘The next time I lead my team to Wembley, I don’t want to see Margaret Thatcher sitting there.’

On his opposition to membership cards 1985

‘You get membership cards at local libraries. As far as football is concerned it is so idiotic it should have dropped out of a Christmas cracker.’

And again 1985

‘Our beloved Prime Minister and I do have one thing in common. We’re the only two people who could resign right now and get a cheer of thanks capable of drowning out Big Ben.’

Comparing his popularity to Margaret Thatcher’s 1988

‘The only thing she hasn’t outlawed is voting Labour.’

On Margaret Thatcher 1983

‘Pay off your mortgage as soon as you can. The banks rob you blind.’ 1982

‘A woman asked me what I was doing over Christmas. I told her I was working. We’ve got about 50 matches in the next 10 days. If Santa Claus had that sort of workload, he wouldn’t finish delivering the presents until Spring Bank Holiday. We play too many matches in this country – it’s crackers.’ 1987

‘My socialism comes from the heart. I’ve been lucky. I’ve got a few bob in the bank, a nice house, a nice car and nice things around me. I see no reason on earth why everyone can’t have what I’ve got.’ 1968

‘When people ask me how I’m doing, I always give them the same answer: “I’m surviving.”’ 1984

‘The pigeons in Derby will welcome the news. There’ll be more room on my head to shit on than anyone else’s.’

On plans to erect a statue in his honour in Derby 2002

‘When I go, God’s going to have to give up his favourite chair.’ 2000