For anyone who arrives at the City Ground, the name Clough isn’t just stamped on the stadium stands or spoken in nostalgic whispers – it’s football royalty at Nottingham Forest.

Brian Clough put Forest on the map as a footballing powerhouse. He took the club from second tier obscurity to European dominance, winning the First Division in the club’s first season back at that level and following it up with back-to-back European Cup victories.

Right beside him at Forest was a player who eventually racked up 400 appearances and scored 130 goals in the Garibaldi – his son and now quality manager in his own right – Nigel Clough.

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Forest supporters have watched as their club establish itself back in the Premier League, but many eyes have been fixated on One Call Stadium – 15 miles from Nottingham along the A60 – where Nigel has quietly been pulling off one of the most impressive managerial rebuilding jobs in lower-league football.

From a Forest perspective, the viewing of Nigel’s tenure at Mansfield feels like watching a masterclass in vintage football management associated with the Clough family with stability, grit and attacking football the order of the day.

The Numbers: Nigel Clough’s managerial record

Tuesday’s 3-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon was Clough’s 324th game in charge of the Stags, and he’s now overtaken legend Ian Greaves as the club’s longest-serving manager of all time.

His record has been pretty solid, and during his time at the club, the highs have vastly outweighed the lows, with Clough extremely popular with the club’s fan base.

In an era dominated by high-risk football largely played out from the back by players who are often incapable of playing in such a manner, the Forest legend has simplified football – much as his dad did many years ago in his pomp.

Clough has valued longevity across his career as a manager – averaging around four years per managerial stint – and squad harmony has often been the order of the day with Mansfield with expensive squad overhauls not something he’s become symbolic for.

Much like Brian was, Clough is also quite sharp-tongued and quick-witted with the media when he speaks before and after games. As a result, Forest fans are often able to reminisce of their own glory days under Brian when Nigel drops another amusing quip to the media.

Breathing new life into Mansfield

When Clough was handed the task of replacing the hapless Graeme Coughlan in 2020, Mansfield were staring down the barrel of an embarrassing return back to the oblivion that is the National League.

Mansfield were 22nd in League Two when Clough pulled up at the RH Academy – the club’s impressive training facility – and things weren’t looking overly positive.

However, Clough did what his family name does best and set about instilling belief into a group of players who had simply lost their way, and he quickly established the Stags as a force to be reckoned with.

Last season, the Stags finished 10th in League One – the highest league finish since 1986/87 – to bring pride back to North Nottinghamshire and cement Clough’s ever-growing status at the football club.

Mansfield’s league finishes under Clough

A Forest legend writing his own script

Forest supporters of a certain age will have fond memories of Nigel being a composed forward who claimed back-to-back League Cups in 1989 and 1990, playing under the tutelage of his iconic father.

To see him carving out his own managerial journey gives Forest supporters a great sense of pride, and right now, he’s one of the longest-serving managers currently operating in the top four divisions.

Clough might have a famous surname, but he’s never relied on it to forge his own path in the game. Nigel has become one of the most respected figures in football, and he’s done that all on his own accord.

The verdict from the City Ground

Forest fans will always have something to say about Clough’s tenure at Derby County. Even at Pride Park, he did a sterling job at a turbulent time for the club, and he actually enjoyed a largely impressive record against the Reds.

The stick that Forest fans gave Clough when he was Derby manager was never personal. As someone who played in derby games himself, Nigel will have understood the chants as nothing other than banter.

Since his departure, Clough has flourished. He led the unfashionable Burton to the Championship and has now got Mansfield fans dreaming of the same promotion to the second tier. Let’s not talk about his short tenure with Sheffield United…

Clough’s work at Mansfield has been exemplary. Naturally, there have been bumps in the road, but in winning promotion to League One for the first time in many years and keeping the Stags there, he’s well on course for legendary status. Would he need to get the Stags into the Championship to achieve that? Possibly.

Clough’s work at Mansfield is down to genuine managerial craftsmanship. Nigel might have inherited a legacy from his dad, but when it comes to his work down the road from Forest at Mansfield, he’s built a winning culture all on his own.