John "Bomber" Brown

[falkirkNS 6,298]

Shared from a friend.

Player Profile : John Brown (1988 to 1996)

Very best wishes to a big favourite of mine, John Brown, who turns 61 today. 

John signed for his boyhood heroes just over 35 years ago when manager Graeme Souness paid Dundee £350,000 to secure the services of the versatile 25 year old. It was money well spent but few would have predicted the contribution he would go on to make at Ibrox over almost two decades initially as a player and later as a coach. 

‘Bomber’ made his debut in a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle on 16th January 1988 but could just as easily have been lining up in maroon that day had the ‘Jam Tarts’ not pulled the plug on a deal late in the day due to concerns over an ongoing knee problem. If there were any lingering doubts over John’s fitness his mental strength and determination were always likely to overcome any minor difficulties. 

Durability was certainly not a problem during his Rangers career, he would appear in all but the last of our sequence of nine successive league championships having frustratingly suffered a barren debut partial season. In addition to those successful league title campaigns, John would feature in 3 League Cup and 3 Scottish Cup winning sides. 

A fiery red head, John was certainly not one to take prisoners but his ‘hard man’ image possibly meant that he did not receive the plaudits he deserved in terms of his playing ability. He could could play almost any position on the left hand side or centrally. His distribution was very good, he could certainly beat a player and provide a decent delivery when operating as a full-back and throughout his career he had proved he could score goals from anywhere (as we often found out to our cost). 

The treble winning season of 1992/93 was John’s greatest season at Ibrox when he formed an excellent central defensive partnership with Richard Gough. Whether up against Cantona, Boksic or Voller during our extended European run, John took it all in his stride. 

The 1990/91 league title decider with Aberdeen probably best portrays John and what the Club means to him. With the squad decimated by injury, John started the game knowing full well that he would not finish it due to an ongoing Achilles problem. As anticipated, this finally snapped during the game and John was stretched from the pitch in agony leaving the ground on crutches. Crucially by then, Rangers were well on the way to winning the match and securing ‘3 in a row’. It was a classic example of John going the ‘extra mile’ for Rangers to his own detriment. 

John would call it a day at the end of season 1995/96 going out at the very top following an emphatic Scottish Cup Final win over Hearts at Hampden. He would continue to coach and play for the Reserves and youth team for the next decade and after a period of absence later returned and continues to undertake various scouting roles. His long service was rewarded with a much deserved Testimonial once his playing career was over. 

In all, John made 278 appearances for Rangers scoring 18 goals including his favourite at Parkhead when he rifled home in front of the Rangers  support during the New Year fixture of 1992. The stuff of dreams.

🔴⚪️🔵

 

[Negri's lovechild 14,056]

Loved Bomber.

Heart, steel, grit, desire.

All of those things are in our dna as a club and a support. Bomber embodied the lot and for me is a bit of an unsung hero. 

Happy Birthday to him, they don't make em like him anymore.

[falkirkNS 6,298]

2 minutes ago, Negri's lovechild said:

Loved Bomber.

Heart, steel, grit, desire.

All of those things are in our dna as a club and a support. Bomber embodied the lot and for me is a bit of an unsung hero. 

Happy Birthday to him, they don't make em like him anymore.

The sadly dont mate. 

Big bassey gave us that last season.

[Unionblue 3,566]

Signed 35 years ago?  fuck , I'm getting old.

[The Specky Forum Organiser 64,734]

13 minutes ago, falkirkNS said:

The sadly dont mate. 

Big bassey gave us that last season.

The other day you were moaning about Lundstram taking pain killing injections and playing through an injury 

[ayro 3,001]

Scored one of my favourite goals against the filth at the old piggery when he celebrated by jumping over the hoarding and ran around the back of the goal in front of about 20,000 of us going mental to seal a 3-1 win.

Happy days.

[falkirkNS 6,298]

3 minutes ago, The Specky Liar said:

The other day you were moaning about Lundstram taking pain killing injections and playing through an injury 

Take a day off weeman 👍

No one in our current team comes near john brown for bravery. Did you grow up wi 9 in a row?

[falkirkNS 6,298]

3 minutes ago, ayro said:

Scored one of my favourite goals against the filth at the old piggery when he celebrated by jumping over the hoarding and ran around the back of the goal in front of about 20,000 of us going mental to seal a 3-1 win.

Happy days.

Better days imo. 

[The Specky Forum Organiser 64,734]

1 minute ago, falkirkNS said:

Take a day off weeman 👍

No one in our current team comes near john brown for bravery. Did you grow up wi 9 in a row?

I grew up during 9iar in the same way you had to endure Mo Johnstone 

[ayro 3,001]

8 minutes ago, falkirkNS said:

Better days imo. 

Yeah probably for the football as I was about 19, we had our foot on their throat and life was full of opportunity.

Roll on 30 years and the world and football are in a different place some for the better some for the worse.

I would rather look forward than back but each to their own.

[graeme_4 34,534]

Met him on the Ibrox tour. Had a good chat with him and he was happy to get pictures etc.

Very nice guy. Remember him more as a bit part player, but being a right hard warrior bastard. Could use more like him at Rangers. 

[BlueboyG 5,238]

Remember taking a blind guy up to ibrox as he wanted to stand on the pitch and Bomber was jogging around the track, he came over and i said this is Brian and told Brian Bomber was here with us, Bomber said "welcome to Ibrox Brian, you will no doubt have heard that im the silky player here"  the boy was loving his patter. If only we had a hardy boy in the team like Bomber who just got it.

[Wullies_bowly_legs 3,806]

Just think - you had John Brown and Ian Ferguson in the same team as both joined in 1988. That was enough to scare the shit out of most.

[ayro 3,001]

https://youtu.be/NOtjz3BGoqY

[superallysbears 7,583]

Am sure he never played for Scotland tae which I find inexplicable.

[G.E.C. 18,784]

45 minutes ago, falkirkNS said:

Take a day off weeman 👍

No one in our current team comes near john brown for bravery. Did you grow up wi 9 in a row?

Tav playing on in Antwerp with a serious knee injury took a lot of balls.

[Negri's lovechild 14,056]

4 minutes ago, superallysbears said:

Am sure he never played for Scotland tae which I find inexplicable.

Mental when you think the likes of Tosh McKinley and Tom Boyd were getting capped around the same time. 

[falkirkNS 6,298]

12 minutes ago, ayro said:

https://youtu.be/NOtjz3BGoqY

Magic

[The Dude 20,026]

1 hour ago, falkirkNS said:

Shared from a friend.

Player Profile : John Brown (1988 to 1996)

Very best wishes to a big favourite of mine, John Brown, who turns 61 today. 

John signed for his boyhood heroes just over 35 years ago when manager Graeme Souness paid Dundee £350,000 to secure the services of the versatile 25 year old. It was money well spent but few would have predicted the contribution he would go on to make at Ibrox over almost two decades initially as a player and later as a coach. 

‘Bomber’ made his debut in a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle on 16th January 1988 but could just as easily have been lining up in maroon that day had the ‘Jam Tarts’ not pulled the plug on a deal late in the day due to concerns over an ongoing knee problem. If there were any lingering doubts over John’s fitness his mental strength and determination were always likely to overcome any minor difficulties. 

Durability was certainly not a problem during his Rangers career, he would appear in all but the last of our sequence of nine successive league championships having frustratingly suffered a barren debut partial season. In addition to those successful league title campaigns, John would feature in 3 League Cup and 3 Scottish Cup winning sides. 

A fiery red head, John was certainly not one to take prisoners but his ‘hard man’ image possibly meant that he did not receive the plaudits he deserved in terms of his playing ability. He could could play almost any position on the left hand side or centrally. His distribution was very good, he could certainly beat a player and provide a decent delivery when operating as a full-back and throughout his career he had proved he could score goals from anywhere (as we often found out to our cost). 

The treble winning season of 1992/93 was John’s greatest season at Ibrox when he formed an excellent central defensive partnership with Richard Gough. Whether up against Cantona, Boksic or Voller during our extended European run, John took it all in his stride. 

The 1990/91 league title decider with Aberdeen probably best portrays John and what the Club means to him. With the squad decimated by injury, John started the game knowing full well that he would not finish it due to an ongoing Achilles problem. As anticipated, this finally snapped during the game and John was stretched from the pitch in agony leaving the ground on crutches. Crucially by then, Rangers were well on the way to winning the match and securing ‘3 in a row’. It was a classic example of John going the ‘extra mile’ for Rangers to his own detriment. 

John would call it a day at the end of season 1995/96 going out at the very top following an emphatic Scottish Cup Final win over Hearts at Hampden. He would continue to coach and play for the Reserves and youth team for the next decade and after a period of absence later returned and continues to undertake various scouting roles. His long service was rewarded with a much deserved Testimonial once his playing career was over. 

In all, John made 278 appearances for Rangers scoring 18 goals including his favourite at Parkhead when he rifled home in front of the Rangers  support during the New Year fixture of 1992. The stuff of dreams.

🔴⚪️🔵

 

You’re younger than I am and Bomber was largely finished by the time you’d have been old enough to watch him. 

[The Dude 20,026]

51 minutes ago, falkirkNS said:

Better days imo. 

How would you know? You were a toddler at the time 😂

[superallysbears 7,583]

3 minutes ago, Negri's lovechild said:

Mental when you think the likes of Tosh McKinley and Tom Boyd were getting capped around the same time. 

Fucking diddies like that getting a Scotland cap and bomber no even picked, Scotland never ever made the most of Rangers players and the country was always weaker for it.

[McEwan's Lager 30,525]

6 minutes ago, Negri's lovechild said:

Mental when you think the likes of Tosh McKinley and Tom Boyd were getting capped around the same time. 

Boyd is a fair point but McKinlay only got called up after Brown had ceased to be a regular for us. 

[Negri's lovechild 14,056]

1 minute ago, superallysbears said:

Fucking diddies like that getting a Scotland cap and bomber no even picked, Scotland never ever made the most of Rangers players and the country was always weaker for it.

The Leighton / Goram thing always got me.

Jim was an excellent goalie in his day, but the Goalie was world class and imo the better keeper. 

[The Dude 20,026]

2 minutes ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Boyd is a fair point but McKinlay only got called up after Brown had ceased to be a regular for us. 

1995 McKinley got his first cap iirc. Brown was just getting ready to retire at that point. 

[G.E.C. 18,784]

3 minutes ago, Negri's lovechild said:

The Leighton / Goram thing always got me.

Jim was an excellent goalie in his day, but the Goalie was world class and imo the better keeper. 

Was listening to Craig Brown recently and as much as he’s boring with his stats he said Leighton kept about 36 clean sheets for Scotland which is pretty remarkable.