John Brown (footballer, born 1887)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Brown | ||
| Date of birth | 15 October 1887 | ||
| Place of birth | Clackmannan, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 6 December 1943 (aged 56) | ||
| Place of death | Dundee, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Outside left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tulliallan Juveniles[1] | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Clackmannan | 1905–1906 | ||
| 1906–1907 | Hearts of Beath | ||
| 1907–1908 | Alloa Athletic | ||
| 1908–1911 | Falkirk | 51 | (15) |
| 1911–1913 | Celtic | 40 | (7) |
| 1912 | → Chelsea (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 1913–1915 | Chelsea | 16 | (4) |
| 1915–1916 | Falkirk | 25 | (4) |
| Raith Rovers | |||
| Dunfermline Athletic | |||
| 1920–1921 | Clackmannan | ||
| 1921–1925 | Lochgelly United | 23 | (4) |
| International career | |||
| 1912 | Scottish League XI | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1921–1925 | Lochgelly United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Brown (15 October 1887 – 6 December 1943) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an outside-left.
Club career
[edit]After a spell at Alloa Athletic where he played alongside elder brother William and both also worked in the local mines, Brown joined Falkirk in 1908.[1] While his brother was killed in a mine shaft collapse in 1909, John escaped life in the pits, his career continued to progress and he signed for Celtic in 1911.[2][3] His time in Glasgow started well, and after displacing veteran Davie Hamilton in the side, he was selected for the Scottish Football League XI for a game against The Football League XI,[4] followed two months later by a Scottish Cup win,[2] Clyde being defeated in the 1912 final.[5]
He began to be overshadowed by John Browning at Celtic and was loaned to English side Chelsea in December 1912, the switch being made permanent two months later.[2] However, after making 11 Football League appearances for the Blues (scoring three goals) in his first half-season in West London,[6] Brown was a backup to Billy Bridgeman, then fellow Scot Bob McNeil, and played only five more matches at that level in the next two years – instead he was a regular in the reserves, with 51 games (seven goals) in two seasons.[6]
With English football suspended due to the First World War, in 1915 Brown returned to Falkirk (also serving in the Black Watch during the conflict),[1] and later appeared for hometown team Clackmannan and for various teams in Fife, latterly Lochgelly United where he also served as manager.[7] He was also a coach at Dundee, working with former Celtic teammate Alec McNair.[1] Away from football he operated a sweet shop in Glencraig and a fish-and-chip business in Broughty Ferry.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e The Brown Brothers of Clackmannan and Alloa, Wasps History, 8 August 2017
- ^ a b c "John Brown". thecelticwiki.com. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ (Celtic player) John Brown, FitbaStats
- ^ John Alexander Brown [sic], London Hearts Supporters Club
- ^ Association Football. Celtic Supreme., The Glasgow Herald, 8 April 1912
- ^ a b "John Brown". stamford-bridge.com. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine.
- 1887 births
- 1943 deaths
- Scottish men's footballers
- Men's association football outside forwards
- Clackmannan F.C. players
- Hearts of Beath F.C. players
- Alloa Athletic F.C. players
- Falkirk F.C. players
- Celtic F.C. players
- Chelsea F.C. players
- Raith Rovers F.C. players
- Dunfermline Athletic F.C. players
- Lochgelly United F.C. players
- Scottish Football League players
- Scottish Football League representative players
- English Football League players
- Footballers from Clackmannanshire
- Scottish football managers
- Scottish Football League managers
- Association football coaches
- Dundee F.C. non-playing staff
- Military personnel from Clackmannanshire
- Black Watch soldiers
- British Army personnel of World War I