Allan Brown

Brown, who was born in Kennoway, Fife, started his professional playing career at East Fife, joining them in 1944 from his local side Kennoway. Brown made 62 league appearances for the Fifers, scoring 20 goals as well as numerous cup appearances. He left in December 1950. 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 moved to Blackpool for a fee of £26,500 (then the largest fee received by a Scottish club), joining compatriots Jackie Mudie, Ewan Fenton, Hugh Kelly and goalkeeper George Farm, where he earned the nickname Bomber. 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 28 February 1953. On 22 October 1955, Brown was placed on the transfer list of his own volition, reportedly telling club manager Joe Smith he would "only sign for a Scottish club [...] I want to get back over the Border". Brown was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted…

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. Brown's departure from Luton is memorialised at the 47:51 mark of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", when the character Campbell can be seen reading a newspaper with the prominent headline "Why Brown had to go". 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 20 June 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 19 November 1973, to manage Nottingham Forest, and took them to seventh place by the end of the…

As a player

East Fife

Scottish League Cup: 1949–50 Luton Town

FA Cup runner-up: 1958–59

As a manager

Luton Town

Football League Fourth Division: 1967–68