Maurice Edwards - Brian and Peter a Right Pair: 21 Years with Clough and Taylor

Brian and Peter
A Right Pair

21 years with Clough and Taylor
Maurice Edwards

When Peter Taylor joined Burton Albion in 1962, it changed Maurice Edwardss life for ever. The two became firm friends. When Peter introduced Maurice to his great friend Brian Clough, shortly after the pair of them had taken up their first managerial appointment at Hartlepools United, an association was formed that was to endure for over 20 years.
The achievements of the Clough-Taylor partnership are well known. But the stories that Maurice Edwards has to tell, of life behind the scenes at each of the clubs they worked for, have remained untold until now. As referee, scout and trusted friend, Maurice was privy to many of Taylor and Cloughs dealings with clubs, managers and individual players, and is uniquely placed to reveal the details of what made their relationship so special, and so successful.
Here are the stories of how the major signings of Clough and Taylors careers were made, from Trevor Francis, the first 1 million player, to Peter Shilton, a goalkeeper Taylor had admired for years. Then there are the ones that got away, Kevin Keegan and Alan Hansen among them. Peter and Brian worked as a team: Peter the supreme judge of players and team dynamics, Brian the charismatic front man at ease with everyone from tea ladies to directors.
This absorbing personal memoir of a life in football sheds new light on the years that Peter and Brian spent working together and is sure to appeal to fans of all clubs.
Maurice Edwards was born in Burton upon Trent in February 1927, and from the age of 11 his time when not at school was spent helping his mother in his parents pub. Upon the outbreak of World War Two, Maurice volunteered to join the Royal Navy and, following promotion, spent his three-year career aboard an Aircraft Carrier attached to the British Pacific Fleet in the Far East, later joining the Royal Navy Football Squad.
After the war Maurices involvement in football took a remarkable turn. After his burgeoning football career was halted by injury, he became a local referee and formed a friendship with Peter Taylor, who then paired up with the inimitable Brian Clough. So began a remarkable relationship within the game, with Maurice following the pair to all their various clubs in the role of Chief Scout.
Now in his 80s, Maurice continues to work alongside some of footballs great personalities, after over 50 years in the game.

First published in Great Britain in 2010 by The Derby Books Publishing Company Limited, 3 The Parker Centre, Derby, DE21 4SZ.
Kindle edition published 2010.

Maurice Edwards, 2010

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the copyright holders, nor be otherwise circulated in any form or binding or cover other than in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent publisher.

ISBN 978 1 85983 880 8

Contents

Foreword

No one is better qualified to write a book about Brian Clough and Peter Taylor than Maurice Edwards. They both trusted Maurice as managers and took him to their various clubs, and he has had an insight into both their football and private lives. Maurice was their chief scout through the highs and lows of Derby, Brighton, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest. No one in football knew Brian and Peter better.
Like me, you will enjoy the inside track on the many stories and situations involving this brilliant pair. The fascination about the Clough and Taylor partnership, Brians larger-than-life outspoken personality and the incredible successes at Derby and Forest ensures their names will live on in the fables of football history. But just when you think there is no more to discover, along comes this book from Maurice.
Brian, as manager, was the public face. His TV interviews were always unpredictable; he was literally a show-stopper. Football grounds hosted packed, noisy match-day social clubs in those days, but when Brian suddenly appeared on the lunchtime TV football programme it all went quiet. You could have heard a pin drop. He understood the media; he knew how to make the headlines.
Peter was the quieter one in public. But they were a partnership. Peter was both the talent spotter and the calming influence.
Brian and Peter fell out with each other in the end; however, it never worked out for either of them on their own. It was a shame but it should never take the shine and wonderful memories off their tremendous rollercoaster ride together through football: the titles, the Cups and the back-to-back European Cup triumphs.
It is scandalous that we have to say they were the best that England never had. I will always believe England could have won the World Cup under Clough and Taylor. That is to take nothing away from the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, however. It is just that I always believed together they could achieve anything.
I miss them both in football and in life. Brian was always good to me. His lovely wife Barbara kindly tells me that Brian was always very fond of me. The feeling was mutual. I felt privileged when Barbara asked me to do the public compring for the unveiling of Brians statue in Nottingham.
Peter, like Brian, was a great family man. I worked with his son-in-law John Dickinson, a TV producer, for many years and got to learn a lot about Peter. He would be a good card-marker and contributed to the wit that was in abundance in their company.
Peter brought Maurice into football in their Burton upon Trent days. Not so much has been written before about Peter. Maurice restores that balance. He is the third man with, as he rightly describes it, A right pair.

Gary Newbon,
December 2009

Timeline

Burton Albion
1962
Peter Taylor signed as goalkeeper in the Southern League.
196364
Appointed manager, finished in eighth position.
196465
Won Southern League Cup.

Hartlepools United
196566
Joined manager Brian Clough, finished 18th position, Division Four.
196667
Finished fourth position, Division Four.

Derby County
196768
Brian appointed manager, Peter appointed assistant manager.
196869
Division Two Champions.
196970
Finished fourth position, Division One .
1970
Watney Cup winners (beat Manchester United 41).
197071
Finished ninth position, Division One.
197172
Won Texaco Cup (26 April), Division One Champions.
197273
European Cup semi-finalists (lost to Juventus), finished seventh position Division One.
197374
Beat Manchester United away 10 (13 October), Brian and Peter resigned following week.

Brighton and Hove Albion
197374
Brian appointed manager, Peter appointed assistant manager, finished 19th position, Division Three.
197475
Finished 16th position, Division Three.
197576
Peter appointed manager, finished fourth position, Division Three.

Leeds United
1975
Don Revie appointed England manager, Brian appointed Leeds manager, sacked after 44 days.

Nottingham Forest
1975
Brian appointed manager (January), finished 16th position, Division Two.
197576
Finished eighth position Division Two.
197677
Peter appointed assistant manager, won Anglo-Scottish Cup.
197778
Won League Cup at Wembley, Division One Champions.
197879
Won Charity Shield at Wembley, won League Cup at Wembley, runners-up (to Liverpool) in Division One, won European Cup in Munich.
197980
Won League Cup at Wembley, won European Cup in Madrid, won Super Cup in Barcelona, finished fifth position, Division One.
198081
Super Cup Finalists (lost to Valencia on away goals), Intercontinental Cup Finalists in Tokyo (lost to National Montevideo), finished in seventh position, Division One.