Football Diaries

On Brian Clough

"Frightening, absolutely frightening. He reigned that football club with fear. If he liked you, you survived. If he didn't like you he'd ruin you, with one word, with one thing he would do he could ruin you on that spot.

"I didn't believe the phone call in the first place, I thought it was Peter Beagrie winding me up. He said it was Brian Clough and I told him to do one... but there was a few more words that I used, and I put the phone down on the guy.

Clough: Won everything bar the FA Cup

"It rang again and it was that voice... I realised it was him and he told me: 'Now young man, if you ever put that phone down on me again it will be the last thing you ever do. Now do you want to play for Nottingham Forest or do you want to stay where you are?'

"I said 'I'd love to play for you'. 'Good, I'll see you tomorrow at 11 O'clock sharp!' and put the phone down on me!

"He sat me down and asked me 'are you a good player or a bad player? I'm asking you a question son... I haven't seen you play. That's why I've asked you the question. So if you are a good player and you become a good player you tell everybody that I've signed you son, and I've seen you son. If you're crap... my assistant, he signed you, and don't you forget it'."

Managerial debut

"I had two years still to remain on my contract, Frank Clarke at that time was the manager and had taken over from Brian Clough, it was an offer from Grimsby Town, for me to go there as player manager.

"To leave Nottingham Forest was a big decision 'cause it was a big part of my life. That obviously started my career off in management.

"I was the first manager to sign a footballer from Italian Serie A, Ivano Bonetti, he was the first Italian to play in the football league. I was the first manager to bring one in, and I was the first manager to knock one out, that's my claim to fame!

Laws had some tough moments with the Mariners

"It was my second season, if there's ever a time you want players to work really hard is the league, 'cause it's really vital. But I can't stand players that do not give their all.

"The supporters didn't like it, I didn't like it. Unfortunately I was a player manager at the time... we lost 2-1, and seriously I could have hung all his [Bonetti's] clothes up and there wasn't a bead of sweat on it, it was embarrassing.

"Unfortunately I never got to the team talk, all hell broke loose and I ended up with a player with a broken cheekbone... there was a big regret. Your emotions are just tangled up, there's no common sense in your thoughts. I do regret it but it was a learning curve... but everyone thought that was me finished.

"But I had a lot of good support from a lot of experienced managers, the board stuck with me, but it's something that could have finished a lot of people. I got through it and it made me a better person.