Eddy Brown facts for kids

Edwin Brown (born 28 February 1926 – died 12 July 2012) was an English footballer. He played as a centre forward, which is a player who scores goals. He played for many professional clubs. His best years were with Birmingham City in the 1950s.

Eddy Brown played almost 400 games in the Football League. He scored nearly one goal every two games! He was also known for his fun and unique goal celebrations.

Early Life and Education

Eddy Brown was born in Preston, Lancashire, England. He went to St Ignatius primary school. When he was twelve, he studied at the De La Salle Catholic college on Guernsey. He planned to become a priest.

He studied there for eight years. During World War II, he and other students had to move to the mainland. Even with this change, Eddy did very well in his studies. He earned four A levels in English, French, Latin, and History. This time also helped him develop a lifelong love for Shakespeare.

Football Career Highlights

After the war, Eddy returned to Preston. In 1948, he decided to become a footballer instead of a priest. He went to Deepdale, the home of Preston North End. He told them, "I am a centre forward."

Preston North End

Preston signed him, and he scored three goals in his first game for their "A" team! This quickly earned him a professional contract.

He learned a lot from Bill Shankly, a famous player at Preston at the time. Eddy said Shankly taught him that football was about enjoying life and always trying to be better. He believed Shankly's advice helped him succeed in football.

Southampton

In 1950, Eddy moved to Southampton. He joined as part of a deal that brought another player, Charlie Wayman, back north. It was tough for Eddy at first because Wayman was very popular.

But Eddy soon showed his skill. He was fast and had a powerful right foot. In the 1950–51 season, he scored 20 goals in 36 league games. The next season, he scored 12 goals in 21 games before an injury ended his time there. He scored 34 goals in 59 games for Southampton.

Birmingham City Success

In October 1954, Eddy joined Birmingham City for £9,000. This was a great move for him and the club. His time at Birmingham was one of the best periods in the club's history.

In his first season, he scored 14 goals in 28 games. This included three goals in a huge 9–1 win against Liverpool. His goals helped Birmingham win the Second Division championship in 1955.

The next season, 1955–56, Birmingham finished sixth in the Football League First Division. This was their highest ever finish! Eddy was their top scorer with 21 league goals. He also scored seven goals in the FA Cup run, helping them reach the final. They lost 3-1 to Manchester City in a famous match where City's goalkeeper, Bert Trautmann, broke his neck but finished the game.

In 1956–57, Eddy scored 20 goals. He also played in the semi-final of the FA Cup. He was part of the Birmingham team that played in the early European competition, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1955–58. He scored two goals against Barcelona in that competition. In his last full season at Birmingham, 1957–58, he scored another 15 league goals.

Later Career and Management

In December 1958, Eddy moved to Leyton Orient. Even though he joined halfway through the season, he was still one of their top scorers.

In 1961–62, Eddy became a player-manager for Scarborough. He was 36 years old but still scored the most goals for his team! The next season, he led Scarborough to win the North Eastern League championship and the North Eastern League Cup. They also reached the first round of the FA Cup. The following season, they finished second in the Midland League.

Style and Personality

Eddy Brown was known for his speed, good movement, and powerful right-foot shots. He once said that almost all of his 237 goals were scored with his right foot! He wasn't great at heading the ball because he was 5'9" tall, and defenders were often much taller back then.

He was also known for being "eccentric" and having unique goal celebrations. Long before they were common, Eddy would shake hands with the corner flag after scoring! He sometimes even cuddled a policeman or threw a photographer's hat into the crowd. A newspaper once wrote that his enthusiasm was "infectious" and that he enjoyed himself as much as a happy kid playing in the snow.

Eddy loved Shakespeare and often quoted him. While playing for Birmingham, he wrote a weekly column in the local newspaper, the Birmingham Mail. People who knew him said he could have been a stand-up comedian because he was so funny and entertaining.

Life After Football

After his professional football career, Eddy Brown went back to Preston. He worked for his family's carpet business. While he was a player, he also taught games and French part-time at a private school. He always wanted to be a teacher.

He later taught games at Preston Catholic College. One of his students was Mark Lawrenson, who became a famous footballer for Liverpool. When teachers needed to be officially qualified, Eddy went to Durham University at age 54! He earned his teaching certificate and taught French until he retired.

Eddy was also very involved with a local amateur football club called Broughton Amateurs. He became their first team manager in 1978–79. Two years later, he led the club to win the Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division and the Lancashire FA Amateur Cup. His humor and ability to motivate players were legendary. He would make his team talks so entertaining that players almost forgot they had a match to play!

Eddy's influence helped the club in many ways, from organizing events to taking care of the pitches. Even at 70, he was still managing the club's third team. In 2009, he was still helping out on the committee.

Eddy Brown was married and had four children and several grandchildren. He passed away on 12 July 2012, at the age of 86.

Honours

• As player with Birmingham City
  • Football League Second Division champions 1955
  • FA Cup finalist 1956
• As player-manager with Scarborough
  • North Eastern League champions 1963
  • North Eastern League Cup winners 1963
  • Midland League runners-up 1964
• As manager with Broughton Amateurs
  • Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division champions 1981, 1983
  • Lancashire Football Association Cup winners 1981
  • Lancashire Amateur League Cup winners 1985