The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Brewster still showing his true colours in new venture
Craig Brewster may be 500 miles away but the colour of the strips proves his heart still lies at Tannadice.
The feeling is mutual, too, with the love for the big man forever guaranteed thanks to his scoring the most important cup goal in Dundee United’s history.
A standing ovation for Brewster is as integral a part of any United supporters’ dinner the legend attends as the tangerine and black napkins or video footage of the good, old days.
No one who was there to see Brewster blast the loose ball over the line from a yard out to beat doubletreble-chasing Rangers 1-0 at Hampden in the Scottish Cup final on May 21, 1994 will ever forget it.
Rest assured, though, that Brewster will always fondly remember the club he served as both prolific striker and manager.
He has lived in Horsham, a market town of 50,000 people in West Sussex in England, for just shy of a decade.
However, the launch of his own coaching school, CB Pro Coaching, provided proof that he will always be a United man even if he is surrounded by shires rather than hills and glens.
“The lads play in tangerine strips!” he declared, when asked about his new venture.
It should also be noted that the CB Pro Facebook page is topped off by a big picture of a beaming Brewster holding the Scottish Cup on that memorable day, as well as a stylish badge made up of his initials in – yes, you guessed it – the Tannadice team’s colours.
He added: “I have started a venture of my own, called CB Pro Coaching, and in the few months it has been going I have been blown away by the interest.
“As well as unattached kids, we get youngsters from the Horsham under11s, 12s and 13s. “I absolutely love it.”
It is coming up for a year since Brewster joined Horsham F Cast heir sporting director.
They operate in England’s Isthmian League, three tiers below the Sky Bet League Two.
Changes implemented due to the coronavirus saw his role change to the club’s football development coordinator and he is loving that job, too, which he works in tandem with the pro school.
They are his hometown team, having based himself there while working elsewhere in that part of England.
“I have been down here for nine and a half years now – all in the same house,” said Brewster, who is also an honorary member of the Dundee United Supporters’ Foundation.
“I first came down to be first-team coach at Crawley Town and had a couple of years there, including time as caretaker manager.
“I was then at Whitehawk as assistant before going to Brighton to coach the kids down there.
“Five years ago, I moved to Plymouth Argyle to be second in command to Derek Adams.
“I eventually ended up at Horsham almost exactly a year ago as sporting director before, after a change due to the coronavirus, I became football development coordinator.”
As Brewster revealed, Horsham have enjoyed one privilege not shared by clubs in Scotland.
He said: “We have actually been quite lucky in that we have been getting crowds at our games.
“We are allowed approximately 600 per match, all socially distanced and abiding by the rules.
“I know you lads up in Scotland haven’t been so fortunate but hopefully that will change soon.
“The football is a good standard , too , with Horsham playing in the Isthmian League, which is three levels below our nearest club Crawley in League 2.
“We have a new stadium and a good set of loyal fans.
“What is also a bonus is there are not a lot of rival teams nearby,” he added.
“Crawley is the closest and about 10 minutes’ drive away then you have 25 miles down to Brighton.
“It is really a fantastic place to be and if we can, both at my own place and at the club, push a few kids on to successful careers then I will get enormous job satisfaction out of that.
“These have been really strange times but I have managed to keep busy.”
Inevitably, the talk turned to United and, in particular, a certain Lawrence Shankland.
As a prolific striker himself, Brewster is full of admiration for the Scotland international.
“I always keep up to date with how United are doing.
“I am particularly keen to see how Shankland is doing as a striker myself!
“He has goals in him and a proven track record so it’s up to United to get the best out of him.
“He proved last season at Tannadice just how prolific he can be and if he gets the ammunition to score then he will do so.
“He is obviously confident and why should he not be as he is a Scotland international now and hasn’t let anyone down at that level.
“The best thing about him as far as I am concerned is that he often doesn’t even need a proper chance to score because he is so good at getting into position, shaping his body and is such a clean striker of the ball.”
“These have been really strange times but I have managed to keep busy