STEVE Kindon is one of the most successful after dinner speakers in Britain.

While his shows at Premier League banqueting halls raise the roof, the former Clarets striker cum-left-winger tells a heart warming tale of when Brian Clough saved his bacon.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Kindon had booked an end of season gala dinner at a Huddersfield hotel – and 350 expectant Yorkshiremen had turned up to hear fast bowling legend Fred Trueman talk about his life.

“There was no sign of Fred, so I phoned his house and his wife said, ‘Cor blimey... Fred’s in Skipton,” recalled Kindon.

“He’d got his dates mixed up and it was two hours before the start of the dinner.

“I didn’t know what to do, but then I walked into the hotel restaurant and Brian Clough was there, having his supper with Archie Gemmill, Roy McFarland and Ronnie Fenton.”

Clough was manager of Nottingham Forest and they had stopped off ahead of their league match at Leeds United the next day.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” added Kindon.

“He even had his green training top on, the one you see in the old TV footage.

“He saw me, waved his hand and said, ‘No.’ “Anyway, I chatted to them for a couple of minutes and, as he walked away, Clough said, ‘What do you want Steve?

“I explained my predicament and Cloughie asked how much I had agreed to pay Fred Trueman.

“I said: ‘£500, Brian.’ “Cloughie came on at 10pm and did an hour of the most brilliant ad-lib speaking I’d ever heard.

“He got a standing ovation and afterwards he came to the back of the room for his cheque.

“How much did you say it was Steve? I told him the figure again and he said, ‘Make it payable to Nottingham Boys Club’ and walked off. That was Brian Clough in his pomp.”

Football has changed beyond recognition, of course, and Kindon, who retired 35 years ago, laments the lack of characters in the modern game.

“It is another world now.

“There was a tradition that you bought the bloke who’d marked you a pint after the game.

“I was playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wolves won 4-1 at the old Baseball Ground, known for having one of the worst pitches in the league.

“Roy McFarland, who had marked me, came over laughing.

“I said, ‘You’ve nothing to smile about – we thrashed you.

“Roy just shook his head saying, ‘It is that manager of ours – he is a master of keeping you off balance. You can’t second guess him.’ “Roy continued: ‘We all our had our heads down expecting a rocket from Clough but, instead, he sat drinking a cup of tea, raging about the pitch.

“He was going, ‘I cultivate a team of pedigree race horses and this club puts them out in a paddock only fit for shire horses’.”