He will be remembered as one of the most successful and charismatic managers in British football history.

But the eight months Brian Clough spent as manager at Brighton and Hove Albion will go down as a blip in an otherwise glittering career.

The controversial and colourful boss, who died yesterday aged 69 after a battle with stomach cancer, amazed the football world when he quit high-fliers Derby County in 1973 and took the job at Brighton that November.

He had won the First Division title with the Rams but after one row too many with the chairman, the no-nonsense North-Easterner found himself in charge of a Third Division team at the Goldstone Ground.

He was replacing the sacked Pat Saward and the club was in danger of slipping into the Fourth Division.

It was the equivalent of Sir Alex Ferguson taking over at Burnley.

Successful property developer Mike Bamber had recently taken over as Albion chairman and his gregarious personality was essential in bringing Clough and his trusted assistant Peter Taylor in as the management team.

News that Clough was about to be appointed sent Fleet Street's finest news and sports reporters to the Goldstone Ground.

They waited and waited for the announcement, which came late in the afternoon.

It later transpired that Clough had had so much whisky during the talks, he needed time to sober up before facing the pack.

Albion escaped relegation but by the end of the season Clough was off, poached by Leeds United.

In typically blunt fashion, he wrote in his autobiography: "People go to Brighton for various reasons. For a holiday, for a day-trip, for a place to retire, for a Tory Party conference. Or for a dirty weekend.

"With all due respect to the club and its fans, you don't go there for the football. Brighton is not a big-time club and is never likely to be."

The outspoken boss admitted he came to Brighton as a stopgap while he waited for better offers, signing on for £7,000 and £200-a-week wages.

He may not have been impressed with the team but maintained a close relationship with Mr Bamber, who he described as the nicest and best chairman he worked for.

Clough was given the star treatment by the club and stayed at the Courtlands Hotel in Hove, now the base of Nicholas Hoogstraten.

He wrote: "I was treated as I can only imagine royalty are treated.

"They would bring me oysters, smoked salmon, champagne - the best of everything."

But he felt isolated away from his wife and did not like living in a hotel, or the town's budding showbiz environment.

Bruce Forsyth, Eric Morecambe and Les Dawson were among those who gathered at Bamber's Fiesta nightclub.

The publicity and interest in Clough immediately raised the floundering team's profile.

Crowds rose to more than 12,000 for each game, an incredible figure for a Division Three side and twice the capacity of present home games at Withdean.

But there were some embarrassing home defeats shortly after he took over, including an 8-2 thrashing by Bristol Rovers and being dumped out of the FA Cup by part-timers Walton and Hersham 4-0.

As the season progressed, results improved but Clough dismissed any hopes of promotion, saying: "We could not get promoted even if we had Einstein on our side."

Clough's failure to engage in the town's party atmosphere led to frequent journeys back to the East Midlands.

He would pretend he was scouting for talent but in reality he was back enjoying life with his wife.

He once disappeared to Saudi Arabia to talk about managing a club funded by oil money, with Albion having no idea where he was.

When he appeared back at the Goldstone ground, Taylor joked: "Do I smell camels?"

There was anger when Clough left and Albion sued Leeds for breach of contract. The claim was eventually settled out of court.

Taylor took over as manager and almost got the club promoted.

Alan Mullery was next in line and he took the Seagulls to the First Division. Clough and Taylor insisted he had just carried on their work.

Although never enamoured with Albion's performances on the pitch, Clough's move to Leeds, where he lasted 44 days, was one he lamented in later life.

He once said: "I felt guilty when the time came to leave Brighton, because I know it broke Mike Bamber's heart. If he were still alive today and I was tempted to come out of retirement, Mike's would be the offer I'd take."

Liz Costa, vice-chairman of the Albion Supporters' Club said: "If you blinked, you would have missed him. It was at a time when money was beginning to talk in football rather than loyalty."