Joe Brown

Date and Place of Birth 26th April 1929 - CRAMLINGTON died 30th October 2014   Transfers to and from Burnley from MIDDLESBROUGH - August 1952 to BOURNEMOUTH and BOSCOMBE ATHLETIC - June 1954   First and Last Burnley Games CHELSEA (h) - 18th October 1952   ARSENAL (a) - 1st May 1953   Other Clubs MIDDLESBROUGH ---------------------------------------- BOURNEMOUTH and BOSCOMBE ATHLETIC

Burnley Career Stats

Profile by Tony Scholes

Joe Brown was a major influence at Burnley during the 1960s and 1970s but his playing career at Turf Moor was a short one for a player who was beset with injury from a young age.

North Easterner Brown was spotted by Middlesbrough whilst playing junior football in Seaton Delaval in Northumberland and he joined them during the latter stages of World War II as a member of the ground staff.

With the resumption of league football just a few months away he signed a professional contract on his 17^th birthday but it was three years before he got his chance in the first team.

Unfortunately he was troubled by back problems and this restricted his appearances for Middlesbrough and when we signed him from them in August 1952 he's made just eleven league appearances for his first club.

He was brought to Turf Moor to replace Reg Attwell who had been a mainstay in the post war team but things didn't work out at Turf Moor. He slipped a disc early in his Burnley career and on his return played extensively in the reserves but was unable to win a place back in the first team.

Joe was a Burnley player for less than two years and was transferred to Bournemouth in the summer of 1954. At Dean Court he was a regular and in six years there made over 200 league appearances. Not only had he finally played some regular football but he'd also spent time qualifying as an FA Coach and on his departure from Bournemouth he took up a coaching role in South Africa.

He wasn't there long before returning to play for Aldershot, but after five games with the Shots he was forced to retire when he was again hit with back problems. By then it was time to retrace his steps and he returned to Burnley to join the coaching staff in 1961.

His role was coaching the 'A' team and he was the coach in charge of the Burnley team that lifted the FA Youth Cup in 1968. But when Harry Potts moved upstairs and Jimmy Adamson took over as manager Joe was appointed assistant.

He carried out that role for six years before replacing Adamson as manager in January 1976 but sadly it didn't work out. He was in charge for thirteen months during which time Burnley said farewell to the first division and were struggling in the second division.

The club offered him another role but he declined and he moved on to work with the young players at Manchester United. When his coaching days were over he continued for some years at Old Trafford working with the youth set up and was there until his retirement.

Maybe he wasn't cut out for management and should have remained as coach at Burnley. He was considered to be a top coach and good judges always felt he would have been a top player but for his back problems. Joe was, and remains, a gentleman and is one of the nicest people involved in football that I've ever met.

He'll probably be remembered at Burnley for that year as manager, but that would be so unfair for someone who had proved to be such a successful coach at the club for some years prior.

Joe sadly passed away on 30th October 2014 following a long illness at the age of 85.