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Alan Brown (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Alan Winston Brown was a professional
footballer
and manager, who played for Huddersfield Town
, Burnley
and Notts County
. After a short spell at Sheffield Wednesday
as coach he rejoined Burnley as manager before further managerial spells at Sunderland, back at Sheffield Wednesday and then Sunderland again. He was born in Corbridge
, Northumberland
and died in Barnstaple
, Devon
.
as part of a large working class family, Brown’s parents were unable to afford to pay for his further education. Brown’s other passion was for football; however, as Hexham played rugby
he had to play as a standoff half for his school side on Saturday mornings and then as a centre half for a local youth football team in the afternoons.
Brown's love for football eventually led him to quit the police force but as the rules of the day did not allow players to change clubs he was forced to rejoin Huddersfield Town. He went on to make a few dozen senior appearances for the club prior to the Second World War.
season he was celebrating his 32nd birthday; however, new Burnley manager Cliff Britton
saw potential in the player despite his advancing years. Brown was seen as a natural leader and was given the captaincy. In his first season at the club Brown formed what became known as the "Iron Curtain Defence" with fellow defenders Reg Attwell, George Bray, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather and goalkeeper Jimmy Strong. Burnley earned promotion from the Second Division
at the first attempt, conceding just 29 goals along the way. This figure is still a club record low in a 42-game season, Brown having played in every one. The club also reached the FA Cup final
in the same year, losing 1–0 to Charlton Athletic
.
Another good season followed in 1947–48
with Brown missing just six games and Burnley managing to finish third in the top division, with only goal average separating them from Manchester United
in second place. The defence was again an integral part of Burnley's success, conceding just 43 goals despite the change of division, with only champions Arsenal conceding fewer.
season Burnley accepted an offer in the region of £15,000 for Brown from Notts County. This was seen as a shock move by Burnley as Brown was still club captain and a first team regular, although this was a huge amount of money at the time to recoup for a 34-year-old defender. His stay at Notts County was only short, however, and after just three months and 13 League games, Brown retired from professional football.
and opened a restaurant. After a few years he was persuaded by the then Secretary of the Football Association, Stanley Rous
, to return to the game, and in 1951 he joined Sheffield Wednesday as a coach. After three-and-a-half seasons at Wednesday, Brown left to start a managerial career.
He oversaw the development of a new training centre on the outskirts of the town, and as well as using paid labour, helped to dig out the ground himself. Brown also "volunteered" several of his players to help out, including big names such as Jimmy McIlroy
and Jimmy Adamson
.
Perhaps to compensate for his own poor treatment as a youngster, Brown - with the support of new chairman Bob Lord - developed a strong youth setup at Burnley which continued to be fruitful long after his departure. He also became known for his tactics and his pioneering use of short corners and huge array of free kick routines which were copied across the land.
Brown kept Burnley in the top half of the First Division
for three seasons but could not resist the opportunity to move back to the North East and manage his boyhood club, and was appointed as manager of Sunderland in 1957.
Despite Brown's arrival, Sunderland were relegated at the end of his first season at Roker Park. Over the following years Brown gradually turned the club's fortunes around whilst simultaneously clearing out the corruption. The club finally earned promotion back to the First Division in the 1963–64
season, however Brown shocked the fans when he quit the club at the end of the season.
, which was at the time the "most sumptuously-appointed stadium in the land", before the start of the 1964–65
season. The board had specifically targeted Brown with the aim of cleaning up the club in the wake of the match fixing scandal that had recently affected the Owls. Brown was well respected amongst the players and quickly restored pride in the club.
Brown led the club to the FA Cup final
in 1966, their first final in over 30 years. Wednesday met Everton
in the final, who had made it there without conceding a goal whilst Wednesday had won every match away from home on the first attempt. Wednesday dominated for the first hour of the game going in to a 2–0 lead, but Everton mounted a comeback and went on to win the match 3–2. The game is widely regarded as one of the best finals to be held at the old Wembley.
Brown remained at the club until February 1968 at which point he rejoined Sunderland.
season, and after two failed attempts to regain promotion he was sacked in November 1972.
Brown spent time coaching in Norway
and assisting at Plymouth Argyle
. He then left the game completely and spent a retirement blighted by ill health in the South West
until his death in 1996.
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and manager, who played for Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
and Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. After a short spell at Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
as coach he rejoined Burnley as manager before further managerial spells at Sunderland, back at Sheffield Wednesday and then Sunderland again. He was born in Corbridge
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, situated west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.-Roman fort and town:...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and died in Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Biography
Brown is best remembered for his managerial career. Although he never won a major trophy, he was regarded as one of football’s most inventive tactical minds and earned a reputation for honesty and openness amongst his peers. His passion for the game is illustrated by a famous quote in which he, in all sincerity, described football as "one of the biggest things that happened in Creation."Early years
Brown was the son of a painter and decorator and was sent to Hexham Grammar School as a child. Whilst there he developed a desire to become a teacher, however, growing up during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
as part of a large working class family, Brown’s parents were unable to afford to pay for his further education. Brown’s other passion was for football; however, as Hexham played rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
he had to play as a standoff half for his school side on Saturday mornings and then as a centre half for a local youth football team in the afternoons.
Huddersfield Town
In 1933, at the age of 16, Brown was persuaded by his cousin, who was the captain of Huddersfield Town at the time, to join the club as a trainee. Brown hoped that the club would sponsor his further education, although he soon realised that he was regarded as little more than a member of the ground staff at Huddersfield and that the club had no interest in funding his study. Unable to settle, he left the club and spent the following two and a half years as a policeman.Brown's love for football eventually led him to quit the police force but as the rules of the day did not allow players to change clubs he was forced to rejoin Huddersfield Town. He went on to make a few dozen senior appearances for the club prior to the Second World War.
Burnley
Following the war, Brown was finally given a transfer and moved to Burnley. By the opening day of the 1946–471946-47 in English football
The 1946–47 season was the 67th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The 1946–47 season was the first to feature a full football programme since the 1938–39 campaign. Eighty-eight teams competed over four divisions. Liverpool went top of the First Division with a 2–1 away win over...
season he was celebrating his 32nd birthday; however, new Burnley manager Cliff Britton
Cliff Britton
Clifford Samuel Britton was a footballer and football manager. He was born 29 August 1909 in Hanham in Bristol and died 1 December 1975.-Playing career:...
saw potential in the player despite his advancing years. Brown was seen as a natural leader and was given the captaincy. In his first season at the club Brown formed what became known as the "Iron Curtain Defence" with fellow defenders Reg Attwell, George Bray, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather and goalkeeper Jimmy Strong. Burnley earned promotion from the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
at the first attempt, conceding just 29 goals along the way. This figure is still a club record low in a 42-game season, Brown having played in every one. The club also reached the FA Cup final
1947 FA Cup Final
The 1947 FA Cup Final was contested by Charlton Athletic and Burnley at Wembley, England on April 26, 1947. Charlton, losing finalists the previous year, won by a single goal, scored in extra time by Chris Duffy....
in the same year, losing 1–0 to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
Another good season followed in 1947–48
1947-48 in English football
The 1947–48 season was the 68th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
with Brown missing just six games and Burnley managing to finish third in the top division, with only goal average separating them from Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in second place. The defence was again an integral part of Burnley's success, conceding just 43 goals despite the change of division, with only champions Arsenal conceding fewer.
Notts County
Ten games into the 1948-491948-49 in English football
The 1948–49 season was the 69th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth won the First Division title for the first time with a team of no recognised stars and very few international players. They won the league by five points from Manchester United and Derby...
season Burnley accepted an offer in the region of £15,000 for Brown from Notts County. This was seen as a shock move by Burnley as Brown was still club captain and a first team regular, although this was a huge amount of money at the time to recoup for a 34-year-old defender. His stay at Notts County was only short, however, and after just three months and 13 League games, Brown retired from professional football.
Coaching career
Upon retiring from playing football Brown moved back to BurnleyBurnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
and opened a restaurant. After a few years he was persuaded by the then Secretary of the Football Association, Stanley Rous
Stanley Rous
Sir Stanley Ford Rous, CBE was the 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 1962 and was an international referee.-Early Life:...
, to return to the game, and in 1951 he joined Sheffield Wednesday as a coach. After three-and-a-half seasons at Wednesday, Brown left to start a managerial career.
Back to Burnley
In 1954, Brown returned once more to Burnley when he was appointed as manager. His arrival back at the club was not well received by some of the senior players at Burnley who were unhappy in anticipation of being managed by such a figure of moral integrity. Undeterred by the potential backlash, Brown set about instilling in the club the same values of integrity, hard work and honesty that he held dear.He oversaw the development of a new training centre on the outskirts of the town, and as well as using paid labour, helped to dig out the ground himself. Brown also "volunteered" several of his players to help out, including big names such as Jimmy McIlroy
Jimmy McIlroy
James "Jimmy" McIlroy MBE is a former football player, regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Burnley Football Club.-At Burnley:...
and Jimmy Adamson
Jimmy Adamson
James "Jimmy" Adamson was an English professional footballer and football manager. He was born in Ashington, Northumberland...
.
Perhaps to compensate for his own poor treatment as a youngster, Brown - with the support of new chairman Bob Lord - developed a strong youth setup at Burnley which continued to be fruitful long after his departure. He also became known for his tactics and his pioneering use of short corners and huge array of free kick routines which were copied across the land.
Brown kept Burnley in the top half of the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
for three seasons but could not resist the opportunity to move back to the North East and manage his boyhood club, and was appointed as manager of Sunderland in 1957.
Sunderland
Brown was appointed as Sunderland manager at a time when the club was in the middle of a series of scandals over illegal payments to players and was struggling at the bottom of the First Division table. Brown saw the appointment as an opportunity to "clean up" the club that he had supported as a child. At a time when paying young players' parents bribe money to sign for a particular club was commonplace, Brown refused to do so:Despite Brown's arrival, Sunderland were relegated at the end of his first season at Roker Park. Over the following years Brown gradually turned the club's fortunes around whilst simultaneously clearing out the corruption. The club finally earned promotion back to the First Division in the 1963–64
1963-64 in English football
The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:...
season, however Brown shocked the fans when he quit the club at the end of the season.
Sheffield Wednesday
Brown was lured to Sheffield Wednesday, and Hillsborough StadiumHillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
, which was at the time the "most sumptuously-appointed stadium in the land", before the start of the 1964–65
1964-65 in English football
The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions....
season. The board had specifically targeted Brown with the aim of cleaning up the club in the wake of the match fixing scandal that had recently affected the Owls. Brown was well respected amongst the players and quickly restored pride in the club.
Brown led the club to the FA Cup final
1966 FA Cup Final
The 1966 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 14 May 1966. It was contested by an Everton team that was the first team to reach an FA Cup Final without conceding in the preceding rounds and Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley....
in 1966, their first final in over 30 years. Wednesday met Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in the final, who had made it there without conceding a goal whilst Wednesday had won every match away from home on the first attempt. Wednesday dominated for the first hour of the game going in to a 2–0 lead, but Everton mounted a comeback and went on to win the match 3–2. The game is widely regarded as one of the best finals to be held at the old Wembley.
Brown remained at the club until February 1968 at which point he rejoined Sunderland.
Sunderland again and later career
Brown was relegated with Sunderland again in the 1969–701969-70 in English football
The 1969–70 season was the 90th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth...
season, and after two failed attempts to regain promotion he was sacked in November 1972.
Brown spent time coaching in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and assisting at Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
. He then left the game completely and spent a retirement blighted by ill health in the South West
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
until his death in 1996.
Managerial stats
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
 |
June 1954 | June 1957 | 138 | 57 | 49 | 32 | 41.30 |
| Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
|
June 1957 | June 1964 | 332 | 138 | 106 | 88 | 41.57 |
| Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
|
July 1964 | February 1968 | 174 | 60 | 70 | 44 | 34.48 |
| Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
|
February 1968 | November 1972 | 200 | 60 | 77 | 63 | 30.00 |