Cloughie nails it for William Hill

The first words legendary football manager Brian Clough spoke to budding journo Duncan Hamilton were brief and to the point: “So who the f**k are you?”

Now, three decades on, we’ve just heard that Hamilton’s gripping analysis of twenty years with Brian Clough, Provided You Don’t Kiss Me, has hit the back of the net at this year’s 19th annual William Hill Sportsbook of the Year Award – bringing home the most valuable prize of its type in the world.

Duncan fended off stiff competition from the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton and HarperSport’s very own Kevin Cook to scoop the Award, which consists of £18,000 cash; a £2000 free bet from the sponsors and a specially commissioned, hand-bound copy of his book.

Based on the story of his twenty-plus year relationship with the maverick manager, it is a strikingly intimate portrait, at times sad, at others joyous, in which one of the unforgettable characters of English football is laid bare.

We think Old Big ‘Ed would have approved…