No need to be browned off

NINETEEN years have elapsed since Craig Brown was last in the employ of a Scottish club, his ten-year tenure at Clyde concluding in undistinguished fashion in 1986 upon his initiation into the SFA as a coach with Scotland at the Mexico World Cup.

At the age of 65, and somewhat unexpectedly, Brown might be ready to return.

The desire of Vladimir Romanov, below right, to bring in a director of football at Tynecastle has led him to consider many luminaries of the game who could oversee operations at Hearts, but few will have candidacy equal to Brown.

Operating very much in the background at Craven Cottage these days, where he performs an international scouting role for Fulham FC, might, in the true fashion of football irony, be the perfect priming role for the one with which he is being linked in Edinburgh.

However, it is his years with the SFA which may prove more pertinent in relation to any future involvement with Hearts.

A scarcely recognised fact from Brown's time with the association is revealed by his formal title at Hampden. Concurrent with being Scotland's international team manager, he carried the additional title of the association's technical director, a role which his successors, Berti Vogts and Walter Smith, were not asked to command.

Hearts fans who have declared their unwillingness to subscribe to the notion of having Brown at their club should surely withhold judgment.

Hearts are seeking to implement a diplomat in the director of football vacancy - someone able to build a relationship with both the head coach, Graham Rix, and Romanov, the club's majority shareholder.

By the very nature of the job title, having a person who knows their stuff, is well contacted and experienced would also come in rather handy. Any Brown detractors having a rethink? No? Well let's ask some of those with Hearts connections who have worked closely with him.

Paul Ritchie was granted his Scotland debut by Brown in Bremen six years ago in a friendly victory over Germany that stands as one of the outstanding accomplishments of the manager's career. "I think the most important thing for Hearts at the moment is stability and Craig would certainly help that," said Ritchie.

"The appointment of Graham Rix was a surprising one but I've spoken to a few people who have worked under Graham and they say he is an excellent choice.

"I think Craig Brown and Graham would complement each other. Everybody knows what Craig brings to football. His knowledge of the game is second to none and I think he could be a fantastic appointment for Hearts. He's the perfect gentleman, he's articulate, he's great at dealing with the press and knows what he is talking about. His coaching was always second to none and he can give a great input.

"The Hearts supporters will be a bit disillusioned at the moment because of what has happened over the last two months, the way the team was going and then all the changes behind the scenes. But if it's stability you're after then Craig Brown wouldn't be a bad choice."

The opportunity of a warm, gregarious figure whose preparation and attention to detail created modestly over-achieving Scotland teams would fascinate any club hunting a new coach let alone a director of football. Brown's intelligence is exemplified by a Bachelor of Arts degree and a diploma in physical education.

"You must have an appreciation and knowledge of the game," says the former national coach. "If you don't, the players detect it right away. I think you always underplay your hand, you don't get too boastful or cocky, and you should always respect your players. Respect every player even if he is a poor player who has made a mistake, and in turn they will respect you."

That mutual respect ensured that Brown was able to cajole players, Richard Gough apart, into helping him fashion Scotland into an industrious but nonetheless effective side in an era of deteriorating player quality. The pinnacle of his national team tenure was the 1998 World Cup, but it would be reasonable to assume that Don Hutchison's downward header for the winner against England at Wembley 17 months later comes a close second.

Allan Johnston remembers the period fondly. "He has plenty experience through working with Scotland and I always enjoyed working with him. Plus, he has a sound knowledge of players all over the world, which I'm sure Hearts would be interested in.

"His organisation was what stood out. For me, that's what he was best at. Everybody knew their jobs within the Scotland side and he did a lot of work with us related to other teams, showing us video clips and making sure we were briefed and prepared properly.

"We always knew the strengths of the teams we were playing against, and that is part of the organisation. He has plenty of experience to be a director of football. He is diplomatic and therefore would probably be well suited for a job like that.

"He's actually quite a funny guy too, which is always good for the atmosphere in and around a club."

Rix has already declared his fondness for Brown and willingness to work beneath him. The Hearts squad only need concern themselves on a day-to-day basis with the head coach since a director of football's place is never usually on the training field.

Allan Preston first encountered Brown in the late 1980s as a player with Scotland's under-21 side. After Alex Ferguson invited the then Clyde manager to coach Scotland in Mexico, Brown eventually resigned from Shawfield to become national assistant to Andy Roxburgh and coach of the Scotland under-21s.

Preston, who progressed from under-21 cap to play for Hearts later in his career, said: "Craig's contacts throughout the world will be great. He is a very well-versed man in football terms both on and off the park and I think it would be a good appointment for Hearts. He is highly respected amongst coaches and managers throughout the world and someone like him would be spot on. Very organised, disciplined, knows what he wants and just an all-round good person and decent man."

Another ringing endorsement. Romanov may yet be considering approaching such footballing celebrities as Gianluca Vialli or Ruud Gullit concerning the director of football position, but the Lithuanian would do well to ask himself what, if anything, such global superstars could tell him about the inner workings of the Scottish game.

Finding someone with a derogatory word to say about our former Scotland manager is indeed an arduous task. It could just be an unavoidable conclusion that Hearts would be looking at their ideal director of football in Craig Brown CBE [Courteous By Everybody].

Taken from the Scotsman