Ken Brown

Ken Brown was an English footballer and manager, born on 16 February 1934. He played as a centre-half, turning professional with West Ham United in 1951 and spending most of his playing career there before moving to Torquay United. He earned a single England cap. Brown was part of West Ham’s 1964 FA Cup-winning team and their 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup-winning side. Later, he managed Norwich City, Shrewsbury Town, and Plymouth Argyle.

Brown began his professional career at West Ham on 16 October 1951, having previously played for local side Neville United. He broke into the reserves quickly but had to wait until February 1953 for his first-team debut, stepping in for Malcolm Allison against Rotherham United. National service between 1952 and 1954 limited his early appearances. He became a regular in central defence from the 1957–58 season, missing just one game as West Ham won the Second Division title. His only England appearance came on 18 November 1959, a 2–1 win over Northern Ireland at Wembley. He played alongside Bobby Moore in the 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup final.

After a testimonial in May 1967, Brown joined Torquay United for £4,000, following his friend John Bond. He had made 386 league appearances for West Ham, scoring four goals. At Torquay, he played 42 league games and scored once before moving to Southern League side Hereford United in May 1969 for a final season as a player.

Brown moved into coaching in 1970 when Bond appointed him trainer at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. He followed Bond to Norwich City as assistant manager in November 1973. When Bond left for Manchester City in October 1980, Brown took over as manager. He could not prevent relegation that season but led Norwich back to the top flight at the first attempt. Norwich won the League Cup in 1985 but were relegated that same season, only to bounce back again as Second Division champions the following year. The next season, Brown guided Norwich to fifth place, their highest ever finish, and they topped the league at the halfway point. He was sacked the following Christmas after a poor start.

Brown had a sharp eye for talent, signing players like Dave Watson, Steve Bruce, Ian Crook, Mike Phelan, and Bryan Gunn from lower-league or reserve sides. Watson later won league and FA Cup honours with Everton; Bruce and Phelan enjoyed trophy-laden spells at Manchester United; Crook spent 11 seasons at Norwich; and Gunn remained at the club for 23 years as player, coach, and briefly manager.

In December 1987, Brown took charge of Shrewsbury Town for one Second Division match but declined the permanent role. He became Plymouth Argyle manager in July 1988, signing his son Kenny from Norwich. Kenny was later sold to West Ham for £170,000. Brown was sacked in February 1990 and stepped away from management for good. He later scouted part-time for England managers Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle, and Kevin Keegan, while running the Lakenham Leisure Centre in Norwich. In February 2004, he was guest of honour at Carrow Road for a new stand opening, where he was presented with a special tribute for his 70th birthday.

Brown’s son Kenny also played and managed; his daughter Amanda was a tennis junior international, twice winning the Australian Open girls’ singles. In April 2015, burglars stole Brown’s medals from the 1964 FA Cup, 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup, and 1985 League Cup from his home in Blofield, Norfolk. West Ham offered a £5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. As of the source, Brown is the oldest living former West Ham player.