Craig Brown - The Game of My Life. Craig Brown
came into the side we seemed to go through a bit of a slump. We were beaten 3–0 at Partick and then had a stern test away to Celtic. We lost that one as well, 2–1, but I was pleased with my own performance, and one of the journalists at the game wrote: ‘I was particularly impressed by young Craig Brown. The former Ranger showed something of the play which, as a youth internationalist, hinted at taking him right to the top.’ Another newspaper made me Dundee’s top player for that game and I, of course, took great encouragement from such things. It didn’t go to my head, but it didn’t do my confidence any harm either.
I might have guessed that it was all going too well for me by now. There had to be another blow just around the corner and, sure enough, it was waiting for me when we played away to Raith Rovers. My left knee let me down again and I had to go off. Another trip to hospital beckoned and, as you may imagine, I was pretty distraught. I desperately wanted to continue in the side as we entered the run-in to the season. It had developed into a two-horse race between ourselves and Rangers, and I wanted to do my bit to bring home the championship to Dens Park for the first time in the club’s history.
There was nothing that I could do except enter Fernbrae Nursing Home and keep reading the newspapers, listening to the radio, and watching television. I was forced to sit in that Dundee nursing home, hungry for any news of what was happening to my team. Our rivals, Dundee United, actually did us a very big favour. Rangers seemed to have taken the initiative in the title chase even though we were still picking up points. Our standard of play seemed to have slipped a little, while theirs was gaining in momentum. Despite all that, Ibrox was stunned when Rangers came up against our rivals Dundee United and slipped up. On the day that we scraped a 1–0 win over Hibs, mighty Rangers went down 0–1 against United. I was overjoyed at the news but more than a little sad that I had not been able to play. It is very frustrating to be in a hospital bed while your teammates are playing their hearts out.
Dundee United might well have done us a favour with that spectacular victory away to Rangers, but they were no less determined to beat us in the return local derby game in April. A 20,000 all-ticket crowd witnessed a great game which Dundee won 2–1, with Alan Gilzean driving a sensational shot past Rolando Ugolini to get the winner with just four minutes left. With two games remaining, Rangers had to go to Aberdeen and Dundee were at St Mirren. When the news came through that Rangers were trailing 1–0 there was a buzz of excitement around the ground which reached the ears of the players. Pat Liney, in goal, must have been inspired by it because he saved a penalty with a spectacular leap which stopped St Mirren skipper Jim Clunie’s shot going right into the top right-hand corner of the net. It was 1–0 at the time and touch and go. The relief of that penalty save encouraged Andy Penman to score our second goal, bringing the championship even closer to reality.
The last game of the season was absolute agony for me as so much was at stake. Everything hinged on getting at least a point from a visit to St Johnstone – who also needed points to save them from relegation. It is amazing how often history repeats itself. Just thirteen years earlier, Dundee had been in a similar position, needing to take points from the last game of the season or risk Rangers stealing the championship at the last gasp. On that day everything went wrong and a 4–1 defeat saw Dundee having to make do with the runners-up spot.
I have never been one to bite my nails but, if I had, I would have been down to my elbows before the final scores came through. Rangers had been held to a 1–1 draw by Kilmarnock, while Dundee had gone through a battle royal with St Johnstone, who included in their line-up the very same Alex Ferguson who has demonstrated so often since how much he hates the taste of defeat. St Johnstone gave Dundee a number of scares early in the game as the tension seemed to get to everybody but, in the 24th minute, there was a flood of relief when Alan Gilzean headed home. ‘Gillie’ scored again in the second half and then Andy Penman drove home via the crossbar to make it 3–0 and signal the start of the party.
The whole of Dundee celebrated that piece of football history while I was still in my hospital bed. It would have been very easy for everyone at the club to have forgotten all about me during those ecstatic celebrations, but the manager made sure that I was not neglected. We were all paid in cash in those days and on the first pay-day after that championship-winning game he came to see me personally with my brown envelope.
‘I’ve brought you this, son,’ he said as he put the envelope on my bed. I stared at it – it looked very much bigger than usual. I thought for a moment that he had brought me a letter telling me that my services would no longer be required by the club. Tentatively I opened the envelope while he watched me with a smile on his face. Inside was a big bundle of cash.
‘That’s your bonus for winning the championship, son!’ said Bob Shankly. ‘You played your part just the same as the others.’
I was amazed. It wasn’t the money – it was the fact that I was being treated no differently to the other members of the side who had played in many more games. They were the big shots as I saw it, and yet here was the club treating me in just the same manner. I was one of the exclusive band of only fifteen players who were involved in Dundee’s first-ever Scottish championship. I received the same bonus as everyone else and – more importantly – I also received my championship medal, something which I cherish to this day.
I also cherish the experience of having worked for such a great manager as Bob Shankly. He always expected the best from his players, but he invariably gave them the best too and I learned an enormous amount from him. He also got me into a habit that I have maintained to this day.
After winning the title, Dundee went on a summer tour to New York. The manager took the trouble to send me a postcard because I was still undergoing treatment for my knee injury. He wrote, ‘Sorry you missed this trip Craig…’ What a thoughtful gesture!
That card meant a lot to me. Bob Shankly was a busy man and I really appreciated the fact that he had taken time out to get in touch with me. It was also a thrill to get a card from someone whom I had grown to respect and admire so much.
Yes, but you were talking about a habit! I can almost hear you say it. Well, receiving that card meant so much to me that it taught me a lesson. It taught me that there are those left at home when you are away on your travels and they could well do with a card from you – even with the smallest of notes. I picked up the habit of sending cards to friends all over the world whenever I was on my travels. I have become quite famous for it among my circle of friends – and it all started with that postcard I received from Bob Shankly, one of the finest managers and men it has ever been my privilege to know.
I don’t just stop at sending cards to friends either, because I also learned then what a morale-booster such a message can be. To give you an insight into how I ran the Scotland team – if I had to leave a player out of my plans because he was injured, or just not suitable for a particular game, I always tried to make sure that he does not feel rejected. I arrange for him to be sent postcards, faxes and anything else that will help to make him feel that he is with us in spirit at least. I learned that from Bob Shankly, and I am sure that it has gone a long way to helping with the great team spirit we had in the Scotland camp.
I must tell you a little more about life at Dundee when I wasn’t injured, because it was a great set-up. I had been among friends at Rangers, and that certainly didn’t change when I joined Dundee. I stayed in digs run by a lady called Mrs Garvie, who had four other Dens Park players staying at her place. We quickly became known as the ‘Garvie Five’, and consisted of Ian Ure, George Ryden, Tommy Mackle, Hugh Robertson and Craig Brown.
We were notorious for being late for training because we all used to travel in the one wee car – which had a habit of refusing to start. We had all sorts of fun together while we were at Mrs Garvie’s. My next digs were at Mrs Duncan’s in Sagar Street, and then later Doug Houston and I moved to Mrs Clark’s digs in Americanmuir Road in Downfield, Dundee. So you see, during my time with Dundee I was in three different lots of digs, but, I hasten to point out, I was never evicted from any of them!
Another thing that happened while I was at Dundee was that I completed my PE course at Jordanhill and also another one-year course which I looked upon as a kind of insurance. The latter course qualified me to teach subjects