Bobby Brown (footballer, born 1923) facts for kids

Robert Brown (born March 19, 1923 – died January 15, 2020) was a Scottish football player and manager. He was a goalkeeper for teams like Queen's Park, Rangers, and Falkirk. Bobby Brown also played five times for the Scottish national team. After his playing days, he became a manager for St Johnstone and later for the Scottish national team from 1967 to 1971. In 2015, he was honored by being added to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

Playing Career: Bobby Brown's Football Journey

Club Football: From School to Stardom

Bobby Brown was born in Dunipace, Stirlingshire. He started playing as a goalkeeper for Queen's Park in 1939. He was still in school at the time! After school, Bobby went to Jordanhill College. He planned to become a physical education teacher.

He soon became the main goalkeeper for Queen's Park. But then, World War II started. This big event stopped many football careers, including Bobby's. He joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. This part of the Navy uses planes from ships. Bobby first trained to be a navigator. Later, he moved to the Navy's physical training team. He became an instructor.

This new role allowed him to play football as a guest for other teams. He played for Portsmouth, Chester, Chelsea, and Plymouth Argyle. Bobby felt very lucky. Many of his friends from college who joined the Navy did not survive the war. He also continued his teaching studies at Portsmouth College.

In his last season with Queen's Park (1945–46), he shared the goalkeeper spot. Another future Scottish international, Ronnie Simpson, was also there. Bobby was chosen to play when the club won the Glasgow Cup. This was a special trophy for Queen's Park. Because of the war, he didn't play in official league or cup games. But he still played 105 times for the team.

After the 1945–46 season, Bobby left Queen's Park. He joined Rangers, where he played for ten years. During his time at Ibrox Stadium, he played football part-time. He also worked as a teacher. With Rangers, Bobby won many titles. He won three Scottish league championships. He also won three Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups. In the 1948–49 season, he won all three of these in one year! This is called a domestic treble.

Bobby played in 296 matches for Rangers in the main competitions. He even played 179 games in a row! He also won the wartime 1946 Victory Cup and two more Glasgow Cups. Being a part-time player caused some problems. The Rangers manager, Bill Struth, wanted Bobby to stop teaching. He wanted Bobby to play football full-time. In 1952, George Niven became the main goalkeeper. Bobby played less often after that. He left Rangers in 1956. Then, he moved to Falkirk. He played there for two years before he stopped playing football completely.

International Football: Representing Scotland

Bobby Brown played in five unofficial international matches for Scotland during the war. His first game was in February 1945. Because he was playing so well for his club, he was called up for the full Scotland squad. In January 1946, he played his first official game for Scotland. It was a friendly match against Belgium. This was the first of five official games for Bobby.

He is remembered as the last amateur player to play for Scotland. He was also the last player to play for Scotland while still playing for Queen's Park. Between 1949 and 1952, while at Rangers, he also played eight times for the Scottish Football League XI. This team was made up of the best players from the Scottish League.

Managerial Career: Leading the Teams

After he stopped playing football and left his teaching job in 1958, Bobby Brown became a manager. His first team was St Johnstone. This club from Perth had finished 11th in the old Second Division. In his first year, Bobby helped them finish 6th. Then, in 1960, he guided them to win the league and get promoted!

Saints (St Johnstone's nickname) were relegated again in 1962. But Bobby stayed as manager. He led them to promotion back to the top division in 1963. After that, he made them a strong team in the top league. They often finished in the middle of the table. In total, he managed St Johnstone for 393 games.

In 1967, Bobby Brown became the first full-time manager of the Scotland national team. He was also the first manager given full power to pick the team. Before him, a committee from the Scottish Football Association chose the players. His first game as Scotland manager was amazing! They beat the 1966 world champions, England, 3–2 at Wembley. After this win, Scots proudly called their team "unofficial world champions". In this game, Bobby also gave his old goalkeeping friend from Queen's Park, Ronnie Simpson, his first international game. Ronnie was 36 years old!

Bobby continued as Scotland manager until 1971. But it was often hard to pick the best players. Club teams sometimes didn't want their players to join the national squad. Because of this, the team's results were not always good. He won 9 out of 28 games. The team did not qualify for the 1968 European Championships or the 1970 FIFA World Cup. After leaving the Scotland job, Bobby Brown's only other football role was scouting for Plymouth Argyle.

Later Life: Beyond the Pitch

After leaving the Scotland team in 1971, Bobby focused on his other businesses. He and his wife, Ruth, lived in Helensburgh. They ran a gift and coffee shop there. Sadly, Ruth passed away in 1983 when she was 59 years old. In 2017, Bobby was retired and still living in Helensburgh. He was honored by being added to the Rangers FC Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Bobby was even featured in a TV show called Britain's Greatest Generation in 2015.

Bobby Brown passed away peacefully on January 15, 2020, at the age of 96. He is survived by his three daughters, Carolyn, Alison, and Gillian.

Managerial Statistics