Scottish football icons turned out in force to pay their final respects to former Scotland, Aberdeen and Motherwell manager Craig Brown at an emotional memorial service at Ayr Racecourse this afternoon.
The legendary boss died at the age of 82 following a battle with illness last month as tributes poured in for one of the most beloved personalities and iconic figures in the game, who remained a familiar face in Scottish football until his passing.
The venue flew flags at half-mast as a mark of respect and the rememberance service was streamed live on the Scotland National Team YouTube channel for those who were unable to attend. Stars including Andy Roxburgh, Archie Knox, Dick Campbell, Alex McLeish, Tom Boyd and Willie Miller were all in attendance.
Born in Glasgow in 1940, Brown enjoyed a career in football spanning 60 years. Best remembered for leading the Scotland National Team to Euro 96’ and the 1998 World Cup, Brown was a passionate advocate of Scottish football - a real one-off.
Despite his playing career - which included spells with Rangers, Dundee and Falkirk - being cut short by a series of knee injuries, Brown embarked of a hugely successful managerial career, particularly with the men’s national team.
A hero in the eyes of the Tartan Army, Brown started his reign as Scotland manager in 1993 and stepped down from the position in 2001. He remains the country’s longest-serving manager to date and was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Scottish FA President Mike Mulraney wrote: “Words cannot do justice to the impact Craig Brown has had on Scottish football and on behalf of the Scottish FA, and his friends and former colleagues at Hampden Park, I send our deepest condolences to his family. As Scotland men’s national team coach, he took us to EURO 96 in England – a tournament that only recently he described as one he and the players simply could not allow the fans to miss out on. He also took us to the World Cup in 1998 where we opened the tournament against Brazil with the iconic ‘kilt walk’ pre-match.
“But he was much more than that - he was meticulous in his coaching preparation and passionate in his support of Scottish football. The greatest tribute that can be paid to his professional capabilities is the respect in which he was held by his peers, who also happened to be our all-time great coaches: among them Jock Stein, Sir Alex Ferguson, Walter Smith, Jim McLean and Andy Roxburgh.
“Craig deserves his place in the pantheon of great coaches. He will be missed – but never forgotten – by those who had the pleasure of his company, or by the fans and players who shared in his successes as Scotland manager.”
Current Scotland boss Steve Clarke paid his own fitting tribute to Brown. He stated: “Craig led the way in bringing sustained qualification to the men’s national team, first as assistant to Andy Roxburgh and then in his own right. He was a student of the game and I am proud to say that I followed in his fotsteps by taking a Scotland tam back to a major tournament. The thoughts of the players and my backroom staff go to Craig’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
GlasgowWorld takes a look back at 10 of Craig Brown’s best quotes during his managerial career:
1. Craig Brown
Former Scotland manager Craig Brown was one of a kind.
2. On asking Monaco midfielder John Collins for French lesson at France 1998
"I said to him, 'can you give me some French for my interviews?' and he gave me a phrase that startled the journalists. It was 'victoire ou défaite, importe c'est la fete', which translates to 'victory or defeat, the most important thing is the fun'."
3. On receiving a phone call from Alex Ferguson to ask him to be assistant manager of Scotland
“He said, “Broon, how would you like the holiday of a lifetime? I’ve been asked to take the Scottish team to the World Cup in Mexico. I’d like Walter Smith, Archie Knox and you to join me as the coaching staff. We have a minimum of 3 games to play, but we won’t let that interfere with our enjoyment!”
4. On managing Ally McCoist
“I told him to warm up when we played in Saint Etienne during a match and he replied cheekily ‘Not before time!’ which made everyone laugh as it was in jest. While he was warming up, we only went and scored with a goal by Gordon Durie. I had to tell Ally that he wasn’t coming on now to which he replied ‘Durie has one goal in six years… prolific stuff’ and again that made everyone laugh as there was no anger or malice to it. Only Ally could get away with that and I loved working with him.”