Funeral and memorial service to be held for ex-Scotland boss Craig Brown

Former Scotland manager Craig Brown’s funeral takes place on Tuesday.

It will be followed by a memorial service at Ayr Racecourse that is being livestreamed by the Scottish Football Association.

Brown died in hospital last month aged 82 following a short illness.

He took Scotland to a World Cup and a European Championship finals and was involved in a coaching capacity in three other major tournaments.

The former schoolteacher also led the country’s under-16s to a World Cup final and the under-21s to the last four in Europe.

The remembrance service for Craig Brown will be streamed live on the Scotland National Team YouTube channel.

The stream will be live here from 1pm tomorrow: https://t.co/aDJ6H0DGdk
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) July 24, 2023

Brown’s career was undermined by a knee injury which finished his playing days at the age of 27 but he began his professional spell at Rangers and won a league winners’ medal with Dundee in 1962 before being part of a squad which reached the European Cup semi-finals.

His coaching career hit new levels after his stint at Mexico 86, when he was appointed assistant to new Scotland manager Andy Roxburgh, who he would succeed in 1993.

He is the last man to take Scotland to a World Cup finals, leading the team out for the opening match of the 1998 tournament in France, where Scotland lost 2-1 to a star-studded Brazil side in Paris.

Craig Brown: The last man to manage Scotland at the World Cup | STV News

Brown went on to manage Preston, Motherwell and Aberdeen, where he became a director in 2013 after his management career ended.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who has also been at the helm of both Aberdeen and Scotland, was among those who paid tribute to Brown last month.

“It was with great sadness to hear of the passing of Craig Brown, a thoroughly wonderful man, and my thoughts are with his family,” the former Aberdeen and Manchester United manager said in a statement released by the League Managers Association.

“Craig and I had been friends since Scotland Schools Team in 1957/58, with Craig as captain.

“When I was given the honour of managing Scotland at the World Cup finals in Mexico there was one man I had to take, for all his attributes and knowledge, that was Craig.

“He had a great career as a manager of several clubs but his service for his country stands out.

“In an industry that questions a man’s capabilities, Craig never wavered in that situation, he always kept his head and his composure. Well done Broon!”

Brown, who died in hospital in Ayr after a short illness, is survived by his two sons, Hugh and John, and his daughter, Val.