Bobby jumped at chance of a car – but couldn’t drive!
Bobby Brown led some life.
From flying bombers during the Secondworld War to becoming the last amateur to be capped by Scotland to masterminding the legendary win over England’s World Cup winners in 1967, he packed plenty into his 96 years.
But, family aside, it was Rangers he held closest to his heart, and he was attending matches at Ibrox well into his tenth decade on the planet.
So the club’s meltdown in 2012 cut him deeply, as he relayed at the time to our former Chief Football Writer, the late Ron Scott.
“I don’t mind admitting I was nearly in tears as the seriousness of the situation became clear,” said Brown.
“It’s not like me, but I’ve even got a lump in my throat just now only speaking to you about it.
“There was always style and class about Rangers when I played.
“Sadly, that can’t be said today.
“It really breaks my heart to see where Rangers are at present.”
The club’s oldest surviving player until his passing on Wednesday, Brown was cheered by the club’s climb back through the divisions.
He was part of the first Light Blues side to win the Treble in 1949, at one time played 179 consecutive games and was the last line of defence for the rearguard that became known as ‘The Iron Curtain’ – Young, Shaw, Woodburn, Mccoll and Cox.
Brown was regarded as the consummate gent by all who met him – but he wasn’t slow to spot his chance, like the day he was summoned up the marble staircase at Ibrox by manager, Bill Struth.
“My heart sank,” he recalled.
“The usual reason for being called upstairs was to be told if you were being retained or released, or if you’d seriously stepped out of line.
“This time I was called for, along with Willie Waddell, Jock Shaw, Sammy Cox, George Young and Willie Thornton.
“And we were all offered cars by Mr Struth. “At that time, there was a five-year waiting list to buy a car, as they’d been out of production during the war.
“So the fact I couldn’t drive didn’t stop me accepting!”
When he joined Rangers from Queen’s Park in 1946, Brown used his signing-on fee to build a four-bedroom house near Stirling.
He re-visited it some 60 years later, and recalled: “I was walking past it, but couldn’t resist knocking on the door and introducing myself to the current owner.
“He said to me: ‘You’ll be the goalie’.
“I was rather pleased someone still remembered me!”