A fund has been launched with the aim of raising £60,000 for the statue in the city which saw his greatest managerial successes.

In 1979 and 1980 Nottingham Forest won back to back European Cups against Malmo and SV Hamburg - a feat which has only been repeated by AC Milan in the 25 years since.

The statue plans have been supported by Mr Clough’s family, Nottingham Forest and their Supporters’ Club, and Nottingham City Council, who donated banners to the campaign.

Cloughie’s eldest son, Simon, is delighted at the prospect: "To have a statue would be very fitting and as a family we would be immensely proud if they manage to raise the money."

Meanwhile, long-time Forest fan and chairman of the statue committee Paul Ellis says that after months of hard work behind the scenes, they are ready to start the fund.

"There’s been a tremendous reaction and we hope people will take the campaign to their hearts – just as they did the great man himself.

"It’s fantastic that the city council has donated the banners. Two of them were put on the front of the Council House and the others were displayed nearby. We plan to auction and raffle them off, giving fans the chance to own part of history."

The banners feature some of the former manager’s best known quotes, including:

"I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business, but I was in the top one."

"We talk about it for 20 minutes and then decide I was right."

"If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he’d have put grass up there."

For further information visit brianclough.com here.