*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Alan Brown
Appearances: 35 Goals: 28
Date / Year of birth: 17th October 1935
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1960/61
Season of last appearance: 1960/61
Also played for: Canterbury City, Gravesend & Northfleet, Deal Town, Bexley United and Whitstable Town
Tall, prolific marksman born in Nottingham who was also an England Test cricketer.
Alan started his career with Canterbury City during the 1953/54 season and spent over four years with City before joining Gravesend & Northfleet for the 1957/58 campaign.
Alan scored 58 goals for the Fleet's reserves during 1958/59 and but only made 26 first team appearances, scoring 15 goals, before joining Margate in June 1960. In total he'd scored 105 goals at all levels for the Fleet.
He made his debut in a Southern League Cup tie at Dover on 7.9.60 and scored twice in a 3-3 draw. Statistically Alan enjoyed an excellent season for Margate during 1960/61, scoring 28 times in 35 appearances. He was one of the Southern League's leading scorers but he was also something of a controversial figure as despite often displaying great pace and powerful shooting Alan was sometimes criticised for his low work-rate. He was also felt to have a tendency to miss good goalscoring opportunities. This led to him being dropped to the reserves a few times during the season where he sometimes turned out at centre-back. Alan was also unfortunate to be stepping into the shoes of Margate legend Freddie Kearns who was still with the club but playing principally for the reserves by that time.
However Alan's goalscoring record could hardly be faulted and his tally included a hat-trick in a 4-1 win at Merthyr on 12.9.60 and a run where he scored in five consecutive games. Despite being the club's leading goalscorer Alan was released at the end of the season and he rejoined Canterbury in the summer of 1961.
During the 1961/62 campaign Alan scored five goals in 13 Southern League appearances for City and during 1962/63 he made a further seven league appearances, scoring once. He was also top scorer for City's reserves.
Alan joined Deal for the 1963/64 season and he was the club's leading goalscorer before moving on at the end of the campaign.
Alan played for Bexley during the 1965/66 season and he later returned to Canterbury where he made two Southern League appearances during the early part of 1967/68 without scoring.
He then rejoined Gravesend for a second spell and made 17 appearances during the remainder of the 1967/68 campaign. Alan scored seven goals to finish the season as the Fleet's top scorer but left the club in the summer of 1968.
He joined Whitstable early in the 1968/69 season and made his debut in a game at Sittingbourne on 7.9.68. Alan scored three times in a total of six games for the Oystermen before leaving the club in October 1968. He told Whitstable that he was retiring from the game.
Alan came out of retirement during the 1969/70 season when he returned to Deal for a second spell.
Alan's cricket career was very distinguished, as a fast bowler he represented Kent from 1957 to 1970 and played in two Tests (against Pakistan and India) for England during 1961/62.
He worked as a salesman at New Northfleet Paper Mills whilst with Margate and later became a postman in the Gravesend area.
In 2010 Alan was a guest at a Kent County Cricket Club dinner at the St.Lawrence Ground in Canterbury that was held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a County Championship win.
In 2013 he was still living in Gravesend.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1960/61 (MFC) |
35 (50) |
N/A |
28 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (15TH OF 21) |
4QR |
2R |
2R |
1R |
|