Allan Brown

Football player infobox
playername= Allan Brown


fullname = Allan Duncan Brown
height = 5"10
nickname = Bomber
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1926|10|12
cityofbirth = Kennoway, Fife
countryofbirth = Scotland
currentclub =
position = Midfield (retired)
years = 1944-1950 1950-1956 1956-1960 1960-1962 1963-1966
clubs = East Fife Blackpool Luton Town Portsmouth Wigan Athletic
caps(goals) = 062 (20) 157 (68) 151 (51) 069 0(8)
nationalyears = 1950-1954
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 013 0(5)
manageryears = 1963-1966
1966-1969
1969-1971
1972-1973
1973-1975
1976-1978
1981-1982
managerclubs = Wigan Athletic
Luton Town
Torquay United
Bury
Nottingham Forest
Blackpool
Blackpool
pcupdate =

Allan Duncan Brown (born October 12, 1926 in Kennoway, Fife) is a Scottish former footballer and manager.

Playing career

East Fife

Brown started his professional playing career at East Fife, joining them in 1944 from his local side Kennoway.

Brown made his full Scotland debut whilst with East Fife in April 1950, a 3-1 win over Switzerland at Hampden Park. This was followed in the same season by two further games away to Portugal and France, as well as helping his club team win the League Cup.

Brown made 62 league appearance for the Fifers, scoring 20 goals as well as numerous cup appearances. He left in December 1950.

Blackpool

Allan Brown moved to Blackpool for a fee of £26,500 (then the largest fee received by a Scottish club),cite book | author=Calley, Roy | title=Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992 | publisher=Breedon Books | year=1992 | id=ISBN 1-873626-07-X] joining compatriots Jackie Mudie, Ewan Fenton, Hugh Kelly and goalkeeper George Farm.

At Blackpool he enjoyed success; however, he missed the Seasiders' 1951 FA Cup Final appearance after injuring his knee ten days earlier. He also missed the famous 1953 FA Cup Final victory after breaking his leg whilst scoring an 88th-minute winner in the quarter-final against Arsenal on February 28, 1953.

While at Blackpool, Brown won a further eleven international caps, scoring against Wales at both the start of the 1952-53 and 1953-54 seasons. Brown was selected for the 22-man squad for the 1954 World Cup finals. The Scottish FA decided to take only 13 of the 22 to the finals. Brown was among those who travelled. Brown's final two games came in the finals against Austria and Uruguay.

Luton Town

Brown moved to Luton Town in February 1957, for a fee of £8,000, scoring on his league debut at Leeds. He scored five goals in the Hatters' successful FA Cup run of 1959 (including scoring the only goal in their sixth-round victory over his former club, Blackpool) and at last played in a Wembley final, which Luton lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest (see 1959 FA Cup Final).

Brown scored 51 goals in 151 league appearances for Luton.

Portsmouth

Brown moved to Portsmouth in March 1961.

Managerial career

In August 1963, Brown joined then non-league Wigan Athletic as player-manager, replacing Johnny Ball. He remained at Wigan until July 1966. In November 1966, he returned to Luton, this time as manager of a side struggling in the Fourth Division. He soon changed the fortunes of the Hatters, leading them to the Fourth Division title in 1968. They started the next season promisingly (and were eventually to finish in third place); however, Brown was sacked in December 1968 after it was discovered he had applied for the vacant managerial post at Leicester City.

He was not out of work for long, joining Torquay United as manager in January 1969. He kept the Gulls comfortably in Division Three during his first two-and-a-half seasons in charge (finishes of sixth, thirteenth and tenth), but after a poor start to the 1971-72 season, he was sacked in October 1971. Torquay would eventually be relegated later that season.

On June 20, 1972, Brown became manager of Bury, leading them to twelfth place in Division Four at the end of his first season in charge. The following season, 1973–74, Bury started brightly, and would eventually be promoted in fourth place; Brown, however, had left on November 19, 1973, to manage Nottingham Forest, and took them to seventh place by the end of the season. The following season, Forest started badly and Brown upset the fans by selling Duncan McKenzie to Brian Clough's Leeds United. He was sacked on January 3, 1975, shortly after a 2-0 home defeat to local rivals Notts County. Clough replaced Brown at Forest

On May 5, 1976, Brown was appointed manager of another of his former playing clubs, Blackpool, who at the time were in the Second Division. The following season saw them battle for promotion and eventually finish in fifth place. During the next season the club were again challenging for promotion, but after an argument with chairman Billy Cartmell, on February 6, 1978, Brown was sacked. After his departure, Blackpool won only one more game, dropped down the table, and were narrowly relegated at the end of the season.

Later that year he moved to Kuwait to manage Quadsia, but returned to manage Blackpool in March 1981 as a replacement for Alan Ball; however, he was unable to prevent their relegation to Division Four for the first time in their history. The following season saw a mid-table finish, and Brown left Blackpool in May 1982.

Honours

As a player

East Fife
*Scottish League Cup winner: 1950

Blackpool
*FA Cup winner: 1953
*Lancashire Cup winner: 1954

As a manager

Luton Town
*Division Four championship: 1967-68

ee also

*Blackpool F.C. season 1976-77
*Blackpool F.C. season 1977-78
*Blackpool F.C. season 1980-81
*Blackpool F.C. season 1981-82

Notes

References

*cite book
author=Mike Neasom, Mick Cooper & Doug Robinson
title=Pompey: The History of Portsmouth Football Club
publisher=Milestone Publications
year=1984
id=ISBN 0-903852-50-0
* [http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/player_details.cfm?playerid=113225 Brown's profile at the Scottish FA]
* [http://www.eastfife.org/history/Hist_6/part_six.htm Brown in East Fife history]
* [http://u-reds.com/NFFC/people/Management/allanbrown.asp Brown at Forest]
* [http://www2.lutontoday.co.uk/hatterscentenary/page6.htm 1959 FA Cup 6th Rd scorer for Luton]
* [http://www.yeoldetreeandcrown.34sp.com/latics-international.htm Brown at Wigan]
* [http://www.bsaweb.info/halloffame/50s.aspx Allan Brown at Blackpool]
* [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/allanbrown.htm Independent site profile]