Larwood and Clough: Somewhere present in the spirit of sporty Nottingham

He was a fast bowler, who instilled mortal fear in batsmen after his 'Bodyline' attack on 'The Don'. The other was a cocky football manager, who in a seven-year span turned a team of laggards into continental club champions. England fast bowler Harold Larwood and Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough, separated by more than four decades, practitioners of different trade, are two iconic figures. They define the legacy of sport in Robin Hood's land -- aggressive, in your face and true to their art.

A three-minute walk separates two stadiums – Trent Bridge, where Larwood and his Bodyline partner Bill Voce would terrorise batsmen, and the Forest Stadium on the South Bank of the river Trent where Clough sat on the dug-out creating the best underdog story of English football in the 1970’s. Just like 78 wickets in 21 Tests can't define what Larwood did for cricket and fast bowlers in general, the two European Cup titles aren't a fair assessment of Clough, whom many believe was the best manager England football team never had.

They were charismatic personalities, developed a cult following with their aggression, the fear they could instill -- Larwood in opposition batsmen and Clough even among his own players who had to perform. Inside the Trent Bridge stadium, the pub is named 'Larwood & Voce', a tribute to the most renowned England new ball pair before World War II. The pub is very modern and in one corner, there are three pictures of Larwood and Voce, two of their playing days and one when both were senior citizens. "Not many people have idea about Harold Larwood. Yes, a few come and do ask about him," said Matt, the man behind the bar counter, who was more keen to know about whether there was a chance of play in the India vs New Zealand game.

However, there's no such luck as one tries to enter the Forest Stadium. The safety steward tells: "Sorry Sir. The Stadium tour has been stopped after a few incidents in the past few years. Even if you contact office, they would say no." One could see a giant photograph of a smiling Clough wearing the Forest Red and the Brian Clough Stand. However, a book shop nearby has some sports books and mostly related to Forest's great run in the late '70s under Clough when they had beaten Liverpool to European championship.

The collector's items are small 'match day books' of various League and FA Cup matches sold for 20 pence each and six for a quid. There are books on Clough. The store keeper has very little idea who Clough is apart from the fact the he has seen his statue and some of the books are still in demand. How relevant these two gentlemen are in today's time and age is debatable but they are still present somewhere in the spirit of Nottingham.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)