Forest boss Davies blasts Clough
BILLY Davies today blasted Nigel Clough after the Nottingham Forest manager was involved in a confrontation as tempers frayed in the Reds' defeat at Pride Park.
The Reds boss alleges that he was kneed in the back of the leg by his opposite number as players and coaching staff from both sides became embroiled in an ugly melee in front of the dug outs in injury time.
Davies refused to shake the hand of Clough – who declined to comment about the incident – at the final whistle.
"I will tell you what happened and please ask Nigel about this.
"I said to him that he was out of order when we were in the middle (of the melee) when I was kneed in the back of the leg by him," he said. "I did not shake his hands at the end because of his actions. He said at the end that it was an accident.
"I have no doubt in my mind over what happened, hence why I never shook his hand."
Davies had left striker Nathan Tyson out of his squad to shield him from the occasion, after his controversial celebrations following Forest's win at the City Ground back in August.
But he believes the growing hype surrounding the East Midlands derby in recent years is becoming 'petty'.
"I thought it was sensible management. If we had been in a different position in the league, I might have had to make a different decision," he said.
"But because of where we are in the league, I felt it was good management to diffuse the situation.
"I told him to spend the weekend with his family, because I did not want to put him in that position.
"I don't think Nigel physically assaulted me, but he is a solid individual and I am just a wee guy from Glasgow.
"I have great respect for the guy and I got on very well with him before he became Derby manager, but something has changed.
"I thought he was a great lad, prior to the nonsense on Saturday. I still have great respect for him. Sometimes your head goes in certain games and maybe his head went here.
"I used to get along with him, but there is obviously a lot of poison around the whole thing.
"I have been in Old Firm games and I have never come across anything like this.
"The Old firm game is the worst in the world, but what goes on around this fixture is just petty.
"I have been involved in old firm games that have not had this level of pettiness in them."
When asked to comment, Clough declined.
The Football Association is understood to have asked for a video of the incident.
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by Richard, - still on it from Saturday
Friday, February 05 2010, 11:58AM
“MIckey .... absolutley and iam still p****d up from saturday , having a party , i was believing all the hype about forest before saturdays game , god , forest were awful . It was a 1-0 hammering with a lesson thrown in .”
by mikey, still partying
Thursday, February 04 2010, 6:17PM
“don't forget Richard, ours is the second biggest in the midlands after villa's and Forest's is smaller than festers!”
by Richard - living in the past, derby
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 3:18PM
“POSH RED , with respect , u are like every other forest fan , always living in the past . Always harking back to the good old Clough days when the beer was colder and summers warmer . Isnt it funny how all forest fans are going on about is this new 45,000 seater staduim that everyone wants for their wonderful football club. Typical forest , always 2 steps behind derby , i think its a case of u lot wanting what we have , dont u think ? And there is two problems i forsee with this new stadium , 1. u will never ever in your dreams fill it or even get close and 2. its never gonna get built , ever . Smell of the trent ... the rams look forward , thats why we have the best staduim and training facilities in the east midlands , u dont even own the city ground or that field u call a training ground! Nough said .”
by Posh Red, Peterborough
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 2:50PM
“Bigger, better stadium Richard? I drive across from Peterborough every home game, fight through the traffic, jostle to park the car, buy a Bovril in the austere Brian Clough Stand, take my seat, look across at the fans streaming across Trent Bridge, sniff the mist rolling in from the Trent, relive countless Glory Days in my mind, picture myself standing at various vantage points at the City Ground since 1953. Yeah, Pride Park's got the lot hey Richard? Keep dreaming mate, although you've not got an awful lot to dream about have you? Perhaps the day Derby sacked Brian Clough!”
by Richard, your dreaming
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 11:27AM
“POSH RED , i think u r right about derby always being inferior to Nottigham Forest ...we do have to ignore the fact that Derby have a bigger, better staduim , bigger crowds ,bigger fan base , better training centre and facilities and been more successful over the last 10 years . Apart from all that , Forest are superior .”