Kevan Brown

Kevan Brown
Personal information
Full name Kevan Barry Brown
Date of birth (1966-01-02) 2 January 1966
Place of birth Andover, England
Playing position Full back
Youth career
Southampton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1987 Southampton 0 (0)
1987–1988 Brighton & Hove Albion 53 (0)
1988–1992 Aldershot 110[1] (2)
1992–1998 Woking
1998–2000 Yeovil Town 22 (0)
2000–2001 Woking 25 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Kevan Barry Brown (born 2 January 1966) is a retired English professional footballer who played at full back in the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion and Aldershot in the 1980s and 1990s,[2] before a career in non-league football.

Football career

Brown was born in Andover, Hampshire, the son of Peter Brown, the former Southampton forward,[3] and his wife, June.[4]

Brown joined Southampton as a trainee, signing as a professional in July 1984. He remained at The Dell until the spring of 1987, without breaking into the first team, although he made over 120 appearances for the reserves.[5] In February 1987, he went on loan to Brighton and Hove Albion, with the deal being made permanent the following month.[3]

After a season at Brighton, in November 1988 he transferred to Aldershot,[3] where he was to remain for four turbulent seasons, making 175 senior appearances.[6] Described as "a talented right back",[6] Brown made his debut for Aldershot in a 1–0 victory over Sheffield United; despite this, Aldershot ended the 1988–89 season at the bottom of the Third Division with only eight league wins all season. In September 1989, Aldershot played Sheffield Wednesday of the First Division in the League Cup. The first leg, played at Hillsborough, finished 0–0 but Aldershot lost the second leg 8–0.[7]

Aldershot finished the 1989–90 season third from bottom of Fourth Division, but were by now in serious financial difficulties, narrowly avoiding being wound up by the High Court in the summer of 1990. After another two years of financial turmoil, with the players going unpaid for long periods, Aldershot eventually folded in March 1992 and were expelled from the Football League.[6]

Brown then joined Woking in the Football Conference whom he helped win the FA Trophy in 1994 and 1995.[8] In 1996–97, he formed a full-back partnership with Steve Foster which was described as "impeccable".[9] In February 1997, Woking played Coventry City in the FA Cup with the first match at Highfield Road being drawn 1–1. In the replay at the Kingfield Stadium, Brown fouled Coventry's Darren Huckerby; Huckerby retaliated by punching Brown, which led to a mass brawl involving all the players other than Steve Ogrizovic. Although both players were booked, they remained on the pitch before an own goal by Steve Foster handed the match to Coventry.[10][11] On 16 May 1997, Woking won the FA Trophy defeating Dagenham & Redbridge 1–0 in extra time.[8]

Brown left Woking in March 1998, joining Yeovil Town with Steve Thompson for a fee of £7,500.[8][12] In August 1998, Woking arranged a testimonial match for Brown against a team from West Ham United.[13] Brown remained at Huish Park until March 2000 when he was released by new manager David Webb. He returned to Woking, to help the club avoid relegation from the Football Conference.[8]

His final period at Woking has been described as "a largely unhappy spell as a player and latterly (and abortively) coach"[14] and ended in October 2001. Following the termination of his contract, Brown issued a statement:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Woking supporters for their tremendous loyalty and support shown to me over many years. I do hope that the side brings you the success that you deserve. I leave the club with a heavy heart and feel that I have been badly let down. The whole thing could have been handled in a better way and unfortunately I'm the sacrificial lamb for someone's self-preservation.[15]

Later career

In 2007, Brown was appointed Director of Sport at St. Francis School in Pewsey, Wiltshire.[16]

Honours

Woking

References

  1. 1991–92 appearances expunged from records
  2. "Kevan Brown". Career details. "Neil Brown". Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. pp. 51 and 611. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  4. "In Memoriam – Peter Barry Brown". Southampton: Daily Echo. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  5. The Alphabet of the Saints. pp. 458–460.
  6. 1 2 3 "Good luck Shots". Football League build up. Aldershot Town FC. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  7. "Hillsborough Return". Aldershot Town FC. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Tom (17 September 2002). "Woking FC". Club Background. www.ciderspace.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  9. Bennett, Neil. "A Season To Remember:1996–97 (Part Three)". Woking FC. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  10. "Ogrizovic keeps Woking at bay". The Independent. 5 February 1997. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  11. "So cruel for Steve; Woking 1 Coventry 2". The Mirror. 5 February 1997. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  12. "Kevan Brown". Soccerbase. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  13. "Woking v West Ham: Kevan Brown Testimonal". Ebay. 7 August 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  14. Bennett, Neil. "A Season To Remember:1996–97 (Part Eighteen)". Woking FC. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  15. "Kevan Brown gets the bullet at Woking". sports.groups.yahoo.com. 31 October 2001. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  16. "Inspiring a love of sport". St. Francis School. Retrieved 28 December 2011. Archived here
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