Alan Brown

Alan Winston Brown (26 August 1914 – 8 March 1996) was an English professional footballer and manager. As a player he played for Huddersfield Town, Burnley and Notts County. After a short spell at Sheffield Wednesday as coach he re-joined Burnley as manager before further managerial spells at Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland again.

Early life Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, 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." Brown was a cousin of the England international footballer Austen Campbell, who played as a half-back for Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers.

Playing career Huddersfield Town In 1933, Brown was persuaded by his cousin Austen Campbell, 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 years as a policeman.

Notts County Ten games into the 1948–49 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.

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.