Many of you will know that the daughter of Brian Clough’s illustrious but under-celebrated assistant, Peter Taylor, is setting the record straight by chronicling Peter’s life in two books. The first volume is fresh off the press - it’s excellent and certainly the most compelling reading for years for dyed-in-the-wool Rams fans.

It will help to redress the balance of the (understandable) media concentration upon the words, deeds and achievements of the incomparable Brian Clough - whose successes would not have been as emphatic without Peter’s massive influence.

Wendy Dickinson’s book, “For Pete’s Sake: The Peter Taylor Story (Vol. 1: The Backstreets to the Baseball Ground)” is released in October to retail stores, though it is already available from RamsTrust, as it is from her own website.

It’s a hardback book of 256 pages and was co-written with Stafford Hildred. We are able to offer it at only £15.00 to fans who can visit the RamsTrust Rendezvous, which operates at many Derby County Saturday home match days (3 pm kick-offs).

We’re delighted to announce that Wendy, her brother Phillip and co-author Stafford Hildred will be guesting with us at a forum after the RamsTrust AGM on Thursday, 16th September,  at the Press Lounge in Pride Park Stadium (7.30 p.m.)

She will talk about the book and her father to supporters. Places are limited and so we ask members to write in as soon as possible to confirm attendance.

We are reserving signed copies of the book for RamsTrust members attending the RamsTrust AGM. Please specify if you wish us to also reserve a signed copy of ‘For Pete’s Sake’, to collect at the RT AGM at the special early price of £15.00.

Mail in to us now with your name & address details and RamsTrust Membership Number, to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will acknowledge your bookings.

The book - as the title suggests - recounts the formative years and early career of this talented, fun-loving family man, who was quite simply, like Cloughie himself, a football genius.

The book takes us from PT’s childhood in Nottinghamshire to his goalkeeping days; the friendship with Brian Clough flowered immediately upon their meeting. Taylor gained experience managing Burton Albion and Clough was a record-breaking, fearless striker whose career was cruelly terminated by injury - but his fire burned on, as he reached unimaginable heights as a manager with Taylor by his side.

After they had cut their managerial teeth as a partnership at Hartlepool, Rams’ chairman Sam Longson took a seemingly outlandish chance on a young, brash manager to replace Tim Ward - and Clough demanded that his more studious ally Peter Taylor accompanied him.

We know the history in statistics and trophies and cherish it closely as the pair forged a brilliant partnership, which lasted 25 years before it ended in such sad acrimony.

We went to Wendy’s home in late July to collect stocks of the book to sell on her behalf via RamsTrust - and were able to chat to her at length. She was energised by putting her father’s story into print - but although being an experienced journalist, had not contemplated it seriously before. Wendy had put distance between herself and football after the sad demise of both Clough and her father in the recent past, but was stung by the inaccuracies of a recent Brian Clough publication.

As she recounts, the treatment of Clough & Taylor in ‘The Damned United’ by David Peace angered Wendy and both families. The novel treated Clough as a cussing hard-nose far too much - and also greatly underplayed Taylor’s role in their staggering achievements. That frustration and disappointment impelled Wendy to chronicle her father’s real story, from those who knew him best of all. She strove to bring him out of Clough’s shadow.

The film version of ‘TDU’ was much kinder to both men, she feels; Wendy appreciated the empathy and skill of Timothy Spall as her father and Michael Sheen as the charismatic Clough. She felt that the film more properly highlighted Peter’s influence and abilities, whilst accurately portraying his formidable personality.

Even then, in engaging her energies to write the book, she commented that various publishers hoped to realise a book with a more sensationalist approach to the Clough - Taylor chemistry than was true in  real life, so she took the decision to promote and distribute the book herself. It’s been a satisfying and cathartic experience for her and she has been delighted with the warm reception to the book.

With the fans’ movement arising to petition for a statue to Brian Clough - soon amended to a Clough & Taylor campaign - Peter’s renaissance has gained momentum and we now have an excellent book to go alongside all the Cloughie volumes.

So in a way, David Peace’s controversial book on Cloughie - disliked by many Rams fans and the families of the two great men - has helped to set the record straight. It provoked their families and friends to make sure Peter’s life and times were now properly recorded in full and articulate detail.

Our visits to Pride Park Stadium will soon be enhanced by our enjoyment of the familiar figures of Messrs Clough and Taylor, as realised in bronze by artist Andy Edwards, shaking the League Championship Trophy in front of us in perpetuity. At the same time, Wendy’s book reinforces our respect for both of these exceptional men, whose incredible contribution to Derby football history will never be diminished.

Please buy the book through the trust to support our efforts on your behalf - and claim your signed copy for collection at the RT AGM on Thurs September 16th, while stocks last!



Paul & David Mortimer

Wendy’s website is at: http://thepetertaylorstory.co.uk/