Fans have sent more than 300 e-mails to the website brianclough.com calling for the former Nottingham Forest and Derby boss to be honoured.

And officials have pledged that the recommendation "receives most careful consideration".

Former players have added their support to the bid, with ex-Forest captain John McGovern saying: "Any honour that is given to Brian Clough is fully deserved due to his fantastic record in football.

"There is no other manager to touch him."

After a distinguished playing career which saw him win two England caps was cut cut short by injury at the age of 29, he fashioned an excellent managerial record.

Managerial success

He took Derby from the old Division Two to the League title in 1972-73 and the European Cup semi-finals the following season.

He has brief spells at Brighton and Leeds followed before he began an 18-year association with Forest.

Promotion from Division Two in 1976-77 was followed by another League title for Clough the following season along with the League Cup.

Forest then took the European Cup twice, beating Malmo 1-0 in 1979 and SV Hamburg by the same score 12 months later, and two more League Cups were also added to the bulging City Ground trophy cabinet.

Clough, who has received an OBE, later said: "If anyone wants to see my O-Levels and A-Levels, I'll get my medals from upstairs and put them on the table - They're my O-Levels and A-Levels."