Follow Bogie he will lead you


Follow Bogie he will lead you
In the Fairest Manner
And we will show you what we can do
With the black and yellow banner

A precious but tantalising black and gold nugget. Writing in 1984, Anthony Hall had recalled  that in his youth "Bogie Broon from Clackmannan" had inspired Alloa Athletic fans to song in the early years of the 20th century. Alas, memories of Brown and his feats had disappeared with the industries in which those supporters worked. More than 100 years later, nobody at Alloa Athletic remembered who Bogie Broon was. I had already written about William Brown, the Clackmannan born miner who had skippered the Wasps with distinction before being crushed by falling rock deep in the bowels of the Wee County in 1909. Here was the prospect of adding a nickname and a song to the tragic tale of Alloa's lost captain. But the Alloa team of this era had enough Broons to rival a Glebe Street census return. Which one was Bogie? 

Amid fake news and doomed share attempts to win hotel breaks came the answer. A hopeful post on the excellent 'Auld Clackmannanshire' Facebook page produced the magical reply: "Bogie Broon was my Gt-Grandad". Isabel Sinclair knew Sandy Brown had been a footballer but wanted to learn more. Isabel had unlocked the door. I followed Bogie and he lead me, from Alloa to the London Docklands, to Luton and back to Clackmannan, where his story had begun on the miner's row of Duke Street on April 9th 1883. Bogie Brown was elusive from the start. He had been born Alexander Sinclair, a son for Anne, and would carry that name officially throughout his life. The football field, where he was only ever known as Brown, surely betrayed the identity of his father. 


Bogie made his arrival on the local football scene in August 1901 at Clackmannan Juniors, their Chapelhill pitch just a defensive clearance from the house in which he was born. The 18 year old was one of a number of new recruits that summer, the Alloa Advertiser reporting that “Clackmannan Juniors mean to do great things this season”. Brown established himself on the right side of defence as the young team gained valuable experience. They were soon a more formidable outfit, Advertiser columnist ‘Old Player’ noting in October 1902 that “There is no getting away from the fact that the Juniors are a powerful lot this season……they are exceedingly strong at the back and in Brown they have a regular champion, and one who can both kick and tackle”.
OS map from Dave Twydell's 'Rejected FC of Scotland Volume 3' shows the close proximity of Bogie's birthplace on Duke Street and the home of Clackmannan FC.
 
This impressive form didn’t go unnoticed. The natural step up would have been to Clackmannan FC, the club who had formed the Juniors as a nursery side in 1898. Alas for the senior County Lads, they were at something of a low ebb and competed only in cup competition. Their loss seemed to be Alloa’s gain, the local press reporting in April 1903 that Sandy Brown had moved from Clackmannan Juniors to the Wasps. But there was a sting in this tale, the Advertiser revealing that “Alloa Athletic have made a bad mess of the signing of Brown and unless they can prove that he was not responsible, the County lad will still be a junior”. Had Sandy Brown signed his contract with Alloa? 

Amidst great confusion, the SFA stepped in to advise Alloa that they could not accept the registration. The ruling body had “received a letter from Brown with his holograph signature attached which demonstrates of course that he is an exponent of calligraphy as well of as football”. It was an extraordinary situation and one which caused ill feeling in Wee County football that would persist way beyond April 1903. The end of the month saw Clackmannan Juniors face up to Alloa Seafield Thistle in the Junior Challenge Cup final. The Juniors initially named Bogie in their team despite a warning that Alloa would protest if he played. Clackmannan ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the risk and Strang took his place for the cup final, playing his part in a 3-1 win. Poor Bogie Brown, who had just marked his 20th birthday, was left in limbo. A season that had promised much had finished with him kicking his heels, unable to join Alloa or complete the campaign with Clackmannan Juniors. “Brown (Clackmannan Juniors) as a result of his negotiations with Alloa Athletic seems to have fallen into retirement altogether”, reported the Advertiser. 


The close season has special healing qualities and 
Bogie Broon’s retirement didn’t last long. A few weeks off, coupled with a promise from Alloa that they wouldn’t bother Bogie further “if he does not come to them spontaneously” did the trick. He resisted Alloa and when the new season began Brown was back in the colours of Clackmannan Juniors. Another fine campaign followed and this time Bogie was in the thick of the action at the climax. He was the outstanding player on the field as Alva Albion Rangers were beaten 1-0 on the road to the final of the Fife and District Cup. Alva tried their best to force a goal “but Brown was a big obstacle to overcome”. 

Having failed to defeat Clackmannan on the field of play, Alva lodged a protest that Bogie Brown was ineligible as a junior due to previously signing senior forms with Alloa. The protest was dismissed and Bogie saved from the possibility of the Alloa controversy ruining another season. The first trophy of the campaign followed with victory in the Clackmannan Charity Cup final at the Recs against Alloa Vale of Forth. The only goal of the first half came from the boot of Sandy Brown, Bogie converting a penalty after a foul by Baillie. Another goal in the second half ensured a successful defence of the trophy and a week later Clackmannan were celebrating again, a 3-0 victory over Lassodie Juniors securing the Fife and District Cup. The only slight disappointment was defeat in a league decider against Alva Albion Rangers, but Bogie could be well satisfied with his year’s work. The Advertiser reported in early June that he was all set for a move to Hibs, where another Clackmannan lad, Jimmy Harrower, was already well established. A week later it was revealed that East Stirlingshire had made an offer for Brown’s services. 


The speculation came to nothing and Bogie began 1904/05 in the Clackmannan ranks. His first outing of the season was as part of a local junior select picked to face Alloa at the Recs in a charity match. The Wasps put the juniors under some pressure that day “but Brown proved a stumbling block, and his huge kicks gave relief to the juniors”. Alloa eventually triumphed 2-0 but it was another reminder of the qualities of the defender who had slipped through their hands a year before. Sandy’s decision to stay with Clackmannan Juniors turned out to be a good one for 1904/05 was the finest season in the club’s history. Bogie himself started the new season as he had finished the previous one with an imperious display in a 7-0 thrashing of Vale of Wemyss. “Brown played a grand game and was well-nigh unbeatable. Time and again he drove the Fifers back to their own territory”, gushed the Advertiser. The senior Clackmannan FC had now gone into abeyance and the juniors made the most of top billing. Indeed, such was their local dominance that Alva and Sauchie were reduced to again lodging desperate protests over the status of the “much talked of Brown”. At a special meeting of the League Committee in Alloa's Bridge Hotel, Sandy Brown was accused of signing pro forms for Alloa and accepting a signing on fee of £1. Bogie, surely heartily sick of the matter, was cross examined and asked to sign his name. The Advertiser reported that Brown made “a clear case that he did not sign a professional form by writing his name, nor did he accept money for playing football as he never turned out for Alloa Athletic”. The committee came down on the side of Bogie and a saga which had dragged on for almost two years was finally dismissed. 

Brown and Clackmannan could now concentrate on harvesting the local honours. The Clackmannanshire Junior League was won from Alva and the Challenge Cup, Fife and District Cup and Cowdenbeath Cup followed. A glorious campaign was rounded off with success in the Charity Cup final, Alva beaten 3-1 at the Recs. The cup was presented by a Mr Fulton, who was “sure that all local footballers would be proud of the record put by Clackmannan this season”. It was clearly an excellent side and the majority would go on to play senior football. The rumour mill was busy again that summer and Bogie Brown was once more linked with Hibs, the Advertiser claiming that Brown and Clackmannan teammate Fyfe “were as good as signed for Edinburgh Hibernians for next season”. 
The all conquering Clackmannan Juniors with Bogie Broon second from the left in the back row.


Once more Sandy Brown stayed loyal to Clackmannan Juniors and he was rewarded with a promotion to the role of captain. The skipper's form again caught Alloa’s eye and the Wasps, apparently undeterred by the burach of their previous attempt to lure Bogie to the Recs, drafted in Brown and his Clackmannan colleagues Henderson and Fyfe as trialists for a late November Scottish Combination clash with Thornliebank. It wasn’t a taxing shift for the Alloa defence as Thornliebank were thrashed 8-1, Fyfe grabbing the headlines with four goals. The Advertiser noted that Brown “played his part” and Bogie was invited back the as the Wasps travelled to face Stenhousemuir. Alas, controversy struck again. Two Alloa players, Morris and Fleming, were delayed on their way to Ochilview. The pair had no excuse for they both lived locally to Stenhousemuir. The Wasps were left with the option of fielding Brown and Henderson or starting the match with nine men and sending Morris and Fleming into the fray on their arrival. The decision was taken to start two men down. It backfired, Stenny grabbing the only goal of the game before Alloa's stragglers took to the field. An incredulous ‘Old Player’ branded the decision “ridiculous”, adding that “Brown will not likely be got so easily the next time the Athletic want him when they kept him idle on Saturday under such circumstances”.



This was hardly the way to entice Bogie back into the fold following the botched signing attempt of 1903. Nevertheless, he turned out again as a trialist against Cowdenbeath on New Year’s Day 1906, a game the Fifers won 2-0. The Alloa Committee were busy after the match, transferring teenage Sauchie scoring sensation James Bauchop to Celtic and completing the signings of Fyfe and Malcolm from Clackmannan Juniors. Bogie returned to Clackmannan, keeping out Alloa Seafield Thistle in a 2-0 win, but this would be his final appearance for the club. Brown played for Alloa in a friendly aganst Stenhousemuir the following week and after the game the Wasps made their move. Clackmannan teammate Ferguson signed his form there and then but once again things weren’t so simple with Bogie: “It was not until Monday night that Brown could be induced to append his signature to a professional form”. Bogie's reticence was perhaps understandable but this time the deal was done, and after a chase that had lasted almost three years, the Wasps finally had their man. “Clackmannan’s loss is Alloa’s gain” was the verdict of the Advertiser. That was putting it lightly for a piratical Alloa had decimated the Clackmannan team mid-season. 

Sandy Brown settled quickly at the Recreation Grounds. He struck up a fine partnership at the back with a former rival from the Clackmannanshire Junior League, ex Alva Albion Rangers defender Robert Gibson, and the pair excelled in a 2-1 Stirlingshire Cup semi-final replay win over East Stirlingshire at the Recs. Alloa were aiming to defend the trophy they had won for the first time the previous season. Their opponents in the final would be Falkirk, quite the test for those players who had only recently stepped up from junior football. ‘Old Player’ in the Advertiser recognised that Alloa were up against it: “If the Athletic do lose let us hope they will put up a brave show and so in no way disgrace the colours they represent”. No Alloa team could ever go wrong by following that advice.

Around 1000 Alloa fans followed the team to Falkirk for the big day and they were rewarded with a fine performance. The Bairns were quick off the mark, Simpson and McTavish combining to set up Campbell for an early opening goal . The Wasps were under the cosh  and it was just as well that “the backs were showing splendid form”. Fyfe came close for Alloa on a breakaway but Falkirk went back down the field and Simpson converted a penalty to make it 2-0. The Wasps needed a quick response. Fraser burst into the Falkirk box and was sent crashing to the ground as he prepared to shoot. Morris stepped up but saw his penalty saved by Falkirk keeper McArthur. The quick thinking Morris followed up to head the rebound into the net for a goal “received with great jubilation by the Alloa supporters”. An emboldened Alloa now took the game to their more illustrious opponents, pinning back a Bairns team who seemed surprised by the force of the onslaught. The First Division men reached the break clinging to their 2-1 lead. From the restart Alloa went back on the attack and an attempt from McKenzie came fizzing back off the post with McArthur beaten. Alloa would rue not taking their chances as Mitchell scored from a free kick to make it 3-1. Still the Wasps rallied and a penalty from Morris – without the need of his head this time – set up a grandstand finish. There were further opportunities but no more scoring as Falkirk prevailed on a final score of 3-2. Alloa had been defeated but this was a performance which certainly did no disgrace to the colours.



Next up was a man of the match performance – “BRILLIANT DISPLAY BY BROWN” - as St Bernards were thrashed 4-0 in the Penman Cup quarter-final. This set up a semi-final clash with Hearts of Beath and a meeting with William Brown, a man born on the same street as Bogie and destined to join him in the Alloa defence a year later. The Wasps opted to play up the slope in the first half and made light work of the disadvantage, Fyfe and Fraser scoring to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Boynes got the only goal of the second period as Alloa cruised into the final on a 3-0 scoreline. “Brown was the better of the backs” noted the Evening Dispatch. 

500 Alloa followers made the short trip to Cowdenbeath a week later as the Wasps took on Raith in the Penman Cup final. The Fifers had the upper hand for much of the first-half and Alloa needed a “miraculous save” from Davie to keep the score at 0-0. Rovers were not to be denied and went ahead through a penalty from McDonald. The Wasps had a chance to equalise almost immediately with a spot kick of their own, Cummings taking out Fyfe as the former Clackmannan Juniors man prepared to shoot. Up stepped Morris only to see Dowie block his effort. Alloa's efforts were rewarded however,  Fleming making up for giving away the penalty by levelling the game up shortly before half-time. The Wasps came out after the interval and grabbed the initiative, forcing Raith back and creating a number of chances. Alloa failed to capitalise and Raith hit back with a sucker punch, two quick goals making it 3-1. That’s how it finished and it would be another 15 years before Alloa would claim the Penman Cup for the first time.



The Recs was a hive of activity that summer as plans were passed by the Alloa Dean of Guild Court for a new stand at Recreation Park. The structure would cost £220 and house 500 fans. There was no hanging about for the new facility was to be ready for the Alloa Games in July. The new season began with the visit of Rangers ‘A’ to the Recs for Alloa’s first match in the Scottish Union. A fine crowd turned out to mark the opening of the stand and were most impressed by what they saw. The view was “well worth the humble threepence charged”, said ‘Old Player’ in the Advertiser. The columnist wasn’t quite so happy that the promised press box wasn’t yet ready “for pressmen are entitled to some consideration in this respect if their work is to be done well and with comfort”. If Old Player had to slum it with the punters that was his only complaint as Rangers ‘A’ were beaten 3-2. An action packed first half included Rangers keeper Dickie making a tremendous save to stop a Bogie Brown penalty kick, followed by a contentious Alloa disallowed goal. The sides turned around level at 2-2 and the second half was an altogether tighter affair. There was only one more goal and it came from Alloa’s debutant winger Scotland, turning a corner from Boynes into the net. “Gibson and Brown, the old favourites, gave their usual good display at the back”, added Old Player, who concluded that “I think the Wasps are in for a successful and prosperous season”. This optimism looked misplaced the following week as Alloa travelled to Renton without their hamper. Kick off was delayed as the Wasps waited for their shirts to arrive and a difficult afternoon concluded with a 4-3 defeat.

Thereafter however, Alloa settled into a fine run of form to keep the pressure on Rangers ‘A’ at the top of the league. The team lost just once in almost three months but suffered a blow in November as the influential Brown was injured at Ochilview. Bogie returned to the field after treatment but struggled to see out the match. “Brown came a cropper in attempting one of his huge kicks – straining his leg – and was of little advantage during the major part of the game.” A spell on the sidelines followed and the absence of Bogie was blamed for a 5-2 defeat against St Mirren ‘A’ at the end of the month. “Brown was badly missed at the back as Cummings and Gibson made a lot of mistakes”, reported the Advertiser. 

December 1906 arrived with a throng from Alloa on the road to Glasgow. There was no word of Christmas shopping among the Wee County crowd though, but rather the top of the table clash with Rangers ‘A’ at Ibrox. The Ibrox reserves hadn’t lost in the league since their defeat at the Recs. Three points behind in the table and having played a game more, Alloa knew this was a match they really needed to win. Fitness tests probably weren’t too demanding in this era and Bogie Brown was back in the team for the big game. There was an early kick off to allow for a wrestling match at Ibrox later in the day and alas for Alloa and Bogie, the men in Black and Gold were quickly on the canvas. Davie made an early save to deny Wallace but Rangers ‘A’ went ahead with their next attack, Bell’s effort deflecting off Gibson on the way to the net. The home team continued to enjoy the majority of possession and only fine work from Brown and Gibson kept the score at 1-0. Shortly before the break however, Rangers scored again, Ruddiman slicing through the Wasps defence and driving the ball beyond Davie. Any hope Alloa had of rescuing the game disappeared early in the second period when Ruddiman added a third. A long range shot from Bell completed the scoring as Rangers ‘A’ cruised to a 4-0 victory. It was a most disappointing outcome for Alloa and the large contingent of “Glasgow Alloaonians” who had turned out to support their home town team. The Alloa Advertiser blamed the Wasps attack. “The inclusion of Brown was expected to work wonders, but the backs cannot score goals, and so the forwards were just as poor as ever”. In Alloa’s defence, this Rangers ‘A’ team contained players who would go on to represent Rangers and Scotland, and in Willie Kivlichan a man who would later win fame for Celtic.

Alloa battled on in the league whilst progressing once more in the Stirlingshire Cup. Falkirk Amateurs were thrashed 6-0 in the first round before Stenhousemuir were dispatched 4-0 at the Recs in the semi-final. Sandy Brown showed the physical nature of his game in this tie, twice fouling opponents before Patterson of Stenny was carried from the field after “an encounter” with Brown. Bogie added a goal from the spot as Alloa progressed to play East Stirlingshire in the final.  The Wasps followed up the Stenhousemuir victory with a 3-2 league win over Broxburn in which Bogie excelled in defence and converted yet another penalty - “Brown was the hero of the back division” purred the Advertiser.
Bogie of Clackmannan Juniors.


The Stirlingshire decider went ahead at Brockville on the 30th March 1907. The committee were desperate for glory and goalkeeper Davie, who had been transferred to Hamilton earlier in the year, was brought back for the big day alongside Logan of Queen’s Park Strollers. The Wasps also made an audacious but unsuccessful effort to re-sign local forward James Bauchop on loan from Celtic. In opposition were Alloa stalwarts of the past and future in Morris and Orrock.

Scottish League Shire had the best of the first half and it was no surprise when they went ahead, McNair drilling the ball past Davie. McMillan then added a second goal from a free kick to give the Falkirk men a commanding 2-0 lead. It was almost three early in the second period, Bogie reduced to dragging down McTaggart as he closed in on goal. The same player burst clear again after another spell of pressure and again he was stopped by Brown, this time within the rules. Alloa failed to make much headway thereafter and the match finished 2-0 for East Stirlingshire. The Advertiser felt that the Shire “had all the luck going”, but Alloa would have to wait for another chance at Stirlingshire Cup glory.

There was more frustration in the Scottish Union. The Wasps completed their league campaign with a 2-2 draw at home to Renton, a result that put them clear at the top and ensured that they finished the season unbeaten at home in the competition. Unfortunately for Alloa, Rangers ‘A’ did enough with their remaining fixtures to pip the Wasps by a point and win the inaugural Scottish Union. A season that had promised much had ultimately delivered no silverware, but the Wasps could  be quietly satisfied with their work.  The new stand had been hailed a great success, the Wasps were well established as the Wee County’s senior team, and three Stirlingshire Cup finals in a row were proof of their standing in the wider area. But something was stirring down the road that threatened to upset this local dominance. Perhaps inspired by Alloa, or maybe just keen to put the Wasps in their place, the Clackmannan committee resurrected their senior team. 

The existing Clackmannan Juniors side provided the backbone of the new side and ambitious secretary Mr Malcolm went into the transfer market to bring the local senior players home to Chapelhill. 1902 Scottish Cup winner Jim Harrower agreed to return to his first club and Sandy Malcolm came in from Hearts. Next up was striker Jim Fyfe, tempted home from English Division 2 side Glossop. Fyfe had started with Clackmannan Juniors before a short spell with Alloa caught the attention of Glossop. Mr Malcolm wasn’t finished there. In an audacious swoop he raided the Recs to sign Bogie Brown, Scotland, Gardner and Paton. The fact that the Alloa contingent agreed to move to a club which still didn’t have a league to play in was surely revealing. Bogie was already an Alloa stalwart but local loyalties were king and first and foremost he was a Clackmannan boy. “Clackmannan are going great guns on the signing on line”, reported the Alloa Advertiser in something of an understatement.



The County Lads had one more hurdle to overcome in their senior return and it turned out to be a big one. Clackmannan applied to the Scottish Union and Central Combination but found themselves rejected by both. It’s not hard to imagine Alloa, smarting over the loss of several players to their local rivals, encouraging other Scottish Union members to vote against the County Lads. 



Mr Malcom’s grand plans were now in disarray. He had assembled a fine team but could offer them only occasional cup games. The Clackmannan players had shown their first loyalty was to their local side but that loyalty didn’t extend to spending a season on the sidelines. “There is likely to be trouble between the new senior club at Clackmannan and some of the players they signed on this season”, reported the press in Stirling. “Now that it is seen that the club will not be admitted to the Scottish Union or the Scottish Combination, a number of players would like to give their services to other clubs but they cannot get their release, and likely enough the matter will come before the Scottish Association”. As Alloa, King’s Park and Dunfermline eyed late summer bargains, Mr Malcolm was reported to be offering his star signings for sale in exchange for bumper transfer fees.  An unimpressed ‘Old Player’ in the Advertiser accused the County Lads of putting the players “into the market like slaves to go to the highest bidder”. Strong stuff, and in the following week’s paper a rather sheepish ‘Old Player’ admitted that his comments “had not gone done well with the Clackmannan people”. A beleaguered Mr Malcolm claimed he hadn’t offered his players to anyone and was instead fending off bids from the hovering vultures. He was forced to admit defeat as Gardner, Scotland and Harrower made the short trip to Stirling to sign for King’s Park, with keeper Harvey Carmichael going south to Grimsby. 



Alloa had hoped to attract some of these players to the Recs but in the end they got their top target. On the eve of the 1907/08 season it was announced that Sandy Brown had moved from Clackmannan back to Alloa, three months after going in the other direction and without having kicked a ball for the County Lads. As Mr Malcolm smouldered in Clackmannan, Bogie's defection was quietly forgotten at the Recs, the returning hero appointed captain of the Wasps. His old defensive colleague Gibson had moved to Falkirk but a familiar face arrived in his place. William Brown was a year older than Bogie and had been born on the same street in Clackmannan. Perhaps there was even a family link. Alloa brought William in from Hearts of Beath and his younger brother John, a flying winger who had previously impressed for Clackmannan Juniors, soon joined the squad too.



John’s debut came in a tumultuous Qualifying Cup tie against Dunfermline at the Recs. A controversial penalty awarded to Alloa early in the game set the tone for the afternoon as the large visiting support voiced their unhappiness to the referee, a Mr Forrest of Edinburgh. Sandy Brown kept his cool, stepping up to drill the ball to the net and give Alloa the perfect start. When Snadden added a second after the break the frustrations of the Pars support boiled over. Hundreds of supporters poured onto the field and surrounded the unfortunate Mr Forrest, the official later testifying to the SFA that he had been “kicked black and blue on his back and legs”. The match was abandoned but the result stood. “Captain Brown at right back was quite the hero of the match, his powerful kicking being the admiration of friend and foe”, exclaimed the Alloa Advertiser. Alloa’s Qualifying Cup adventure didn’t last much longer though, the Wasps knocked out in the next round by Bo’ness. That defeat sent the Wasps into a merry adventure in the inaugural Scottish Consolation Cup.

It started with an away tie against Selkirk and looked likely to end there too as the Borderers raced into a 3-0 lead. Back came Alloa with John Brown starring in a thrilling revival. A 3-3 draw sent the sides back to the Recs where a merciless Alloa delivered a 10-1 thumping. On one of the few occasions the Borderers found themselves in the Alloa penalty box they were denied by Bogie Brown, the skipper stopping them “in a novel way by sitting on the ball. Considerable amusement was caused when the captain refused to rise until the players around him had cleared out of his way”. The Wasps were up and running now and Scottish League Vale of Leven were their next victims. Victory sent Alloa to Stirling for a derby against rivals King’s Park. Captain Brown was again to the fore, first clearing “in a remarkable fashion when a goal seemed inevitable”, then dispossessing Horn of King’s Park when he seemed sure to score. A John Brown goal at the other end proved decisive and Alloa advanced 1-0, Bogie Brown rated the outstanding player on the field. The soldiers of the 2nd Highland Light Infantry were easily dispatched 4-1 in the next round and Alloa were through to the semi-final.

March 1908 would be a make or break month with King’s Park visiting Alloa in the Stirlingshire Cup semi-final and Leith Athletic coming to town at the same stage of the Consolation Cup. Another close tie was anticipated against the neighbours from Stirling but on this occasion Alloa cut loose. The Advertiser reported that the King’s Park defence came under bombardment from the off and it was no surprise when Coutts gave Alloa the lead with a fine solo goal. There was no let up as Alloa smashed home a further five goals to lead 6-0 at the interval. It could have been seven with Bogie Brown seeing a penalty saved. However reliable he was in defence, Bogie’s record from the spot was rather mixed. That didn't stop him demanding the ball whenever Alloa were awarded a penalty. The miss didn’t matter and the Wasps put their feet up after the break, failing to add to their tally as the game finished 6-0. The improved second half display from King’s Park did nothing to appease the press back in Stirling, the local Sentinel branding their display as “nothing short of scandalous” and suggesting that their performance at Alloa “could have been equalled by any eleven ignorant of the game of football”. Another Stirling XI visiting Alloa 90 years later would attract similar criticism from their supporters on a day when the Wasps did indeed manage the magnificent seven.

The Recs was packed again a week later as Alloa faced up to Scottish League Leith in the Consolation Cup. This was a much harder game but the big crowd saw Alloa squeeze through 2-1, the Browns at the back again taking the plaudits for a strong defensive display. Once more there was controversy, a stick wielding Alloa fan attacking Hotchkiss of Leith as he left the field, but Alloa were through and now had two finals to prepare for. 
The Stirlingshire Cup.


First up it was Scottish League East Stirlingshire in the Stirlingshire Cup decider. This was Alloa’s fourth successive appearance in the final and the team were determined to capture the trophy for the second time after defeat at the final hurdle in 1906 and 1907. The cup exploits of Alloa’s class of 1907/08 meant they didn’t fear higher ranked opponents and they gave as good as they got in front of 5000 fans at Brockville. After a goalless first half, the Shire edged ahead early in the second period, McTaggart racing away from Bogie and firing the ball beyond Jack in the Wasps goal. Alloa continued to press and in the closing stages their persistence was rewarded, the referee pointing to the spot after a handball. Captain Brown was Alloa’s regular spot kick taker but on this occasion Jimmy Croal grabbed the ball – Bogie perhaps paying the price for his miss against King’s Park in the semi-final  – and the attacker drilled the ball home to save a well-deserved draw for Alloa. The media were impressed, a Stirling Observer columnist recording that “It taxes my memory to recall a time when the Alloa club had an all-round team like the one they have at present”. The performance of Captain Brown had also caught the attention of the Observer. “Brown, the Alloa Athletic right-back, has a huge kick. Some of his punts at Brockville were eye-openers. He believes in encouraging his team also, and shouted advice throughout the whole game. All the same, he didn’t forget to play himself”. Bogie was showing just why he had been picked to lead the Wasps.

The teams were back at Brockville three weeks later and once again there was little between them. The game remained goalless deep into the second half when Alloa managed to open up the Shire defence with a sweeping move that set up Herbert Young. The Wasps' forward was felled in the act of shooting and the referee once more pointed to the spot. Croal was still on the penalties and the future Scotland cap made no mistake. It was the only goal of a tense afternoon and Alloa were Stirlingshire Cup winners for the second time. The sides retired to Matheson’s Tea Rooms in Falkirk where the trophy was presented to Bogie, whose performance the Advertiser described as “heroic”. Speeches and toasts followed with the occasion rounded off with a rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’. But the celebrations were just beginning. A horse drawn brake took the Wasps to Larbert where they were enthusiastically welcomed by the locals. The team boarded the train for the final leg of their journey home. As they emerged from Alloa Station at 8.20 “they were greeted by a moving mass of people who completely blocked the larger portion of Primrose Street”. The victorious Wasps paraded through the streets of Alloa in another horse drawn brake, the Alloa Instrumental Band leading the way through the thousands of cheering onlookers. “The cup was prominently displayed in the front of the brake by President McLauchlan and Captain Brown, while Trainer McDonald did not forget to wave the club’s colours. Altogether the scene was a most imposing one, and one of the most enthusiastic that has been seen in Alloa for many years”, reported a delighted Advertiser. Times change, but it is unfortunate that a tournament which gave the local clubs such excitement is now in abeyance.  Back in 1908 the party ended up in the Bridge Hotel “where the cup was duly filled and the health of the club pledged with the upmost enthusiasm”. The celebrations continued long into the night, but the Wasps were soon back in training for they would return to Brockville the following Saturday for the final of the Scottish Consolation Cup.

More Scottish League opposition lay in wait in the shape of a Dumbarton side who were battling at the top of the Second Division. Despite Alloa’s cup heroics, the Sons of the Rock were favoured to win the inaugural Consolation Cup. The Wasps were in black and white this time and brimming with confidence. They swarmed around Fraser in the Dumbarton goal, forcing the Sons custodian into two fine stops in the early stages. Dumbarton survived and promptly created the best opening so far as Hill found himself one on one with Jack. “A goal was looked for by everyone, but the hopes of the Dumbarton men came to naught when Hill missed badly and sent the ball yards past the post”. It was a lucky escape for Alloa and the closest that either side came to breaking the deadlock in a goalless first half. With so much at stake the match became bogged down in the second period and a number of players sustained heavy knocks. Skipper Bogie was among them but the Wasps captain always led by example and the Advertiser noted that “he played manfully all through, and saved the situation time and again”. Ritchie of Dumbarton was less fortunate, the big centre half suffering a dislocated shoulder. No subs in 1908 and the Sons went down to 10 men as poor Ritchie was taken to Falkirk Royal Infirmary. The pendulum had swung in Alloa’s favour and the Wee County men poured forward. As the game entered the closing 10 minutes, Alloa struck. Young cut in from the left and “beat Fraser with a magnificent shot from about fifteen yards out. Vociferous cheering emanated from the Alloa section of the spectatorate”. There was no let up and Cairns drove in the killer second goal from a tight angle. The Sons were a beaten team and the final whistle blew on a scoreline of Alloa 2 Dumbarton 0. The Alloa fans celebrated once more but there was no trophy presentation this time. Perhaps testing the water with this inaugural Consolation Cup, the SFA hadn’t got around to actually purchasing a cup. Instead the SFA President made his way to the Alloa dressing room where he presented the match ball to Wasps skipper Bogie.

It didn’t serve to dampen the Wee County celebrations as the conquering heroes returned home on the evening train “and as the previous occasion were accorded a great reception by large numbers of the townspeople”. The team paraded through the streets once more behind the Alloa Instrumental Band. ”Everywhere they were received with great enthusiasm…. the home-coming scenes at night in Alloa beat all records”, reported a delirious Advertiser. It was party season in the Wee County. “Four Second Division clubs – and good ones too – have had to acknowledge defeat at their hands, and the record is indeed one to be proud of”, added a beaming ‘Old Player’. This was truly a vintage Alloa team, a side who had conquered at both local and national level. The SFA eventually organised a trophy which was presented to Bogie and co in the Crown Hotel in late summer 1908,  President Liddell admitting that the authorities “possibly owed Alloa an apology for the delay that had occurred with regard to the procuring a Cup”. The SFA man thought he was right in saying “that this was the first national cup that had come to Alloa”, and hoped “it was only the stepping stone to something better”. Alas, it would be 91 years before the Wasps again triumphed on the national stage - Craig Valentine joining Sandy Brown in the history books as Alloa’s victorious Challenge Cup skipper in 1999.
The Scottish Consolation Cup.


Back in 1908 Bogie must surely have allowed himself a wry smile. But for Clackmannan’s failure to gain league membership a year earlier, he would have missed it all. And given the role played by the captain, perhaps Alloa’s double triumph wouldn’t even occurred had he been in the colours of Clackmannan. This was Bogie Brown at his peak, the victorious local skipper parading silverware through the streets of Alloa in front of thousands of cheering fans, some perhaps singing his song. The man born Alexander Sinclair in 1883 had come a long way. In the summer of 1908 Bogie Broon was the king of the Wee County.

Down the road Clackmannan were accepted into the Midland League for 1908/09 but they had no hope of luring captain fantastic Brown away from Alloa again at this point. As the Advertiser reported that he had signed once more with Alloa there was also a mild rebuke; “the captain could be doing with a little less forcible work at times. He does not require to practice this art”. Bogie stuck to what he knew as the Wasps started the new season with a draw at Renton. Brown saved the day with an eye catching overhead kick to deny a Renton goal but also incurred the wrath of the home support. The Advertiser noted that Brown “put in a lot of good work, but he was at times rather forcible in his tactics and the spectators did not forget to let him know about it”. November saw Bogie star in an impressive 3-2 Scottish Union win over Bathgate. The sides were tied at 2-2 deep in the second half when Alloa were awarded a free-kick 40 yards from goal. Up stepped Sandy Brown to drill an incredible effort to the net. “His effort was a masterpiece” eulogised ‘Old Player’ in the Advertiser, adding that Brown “well deserved the great ovation he received from the spectators”. Bogie wasn’t finished there either. As Bathgate desperately tried to save the day “he was here, there and everywhere and in the end saved the situation”. The same edition of the paper reported that Alloa had applied to the SFA for permission to play a benefit match for Bogie and that the matter was under consideration.

There was a blow the following week as Brown injured his ankle against St Mirren ‘A’, an injury that would dog him in the months ahead.Bogie was forced to hobble off against Broxburn in late March and uncharacteristically unable to return. The powerful back wasn’t able to take to the field when St Mirren visted the Recs two weeks later for his benefit match. Indeed, it would seem that fate was very much against Bogie at this point. The Advertiser reported that “the weather was of the worst possible description, a heavy rain falling continuously throughout the day and consequently there was only a mere handful of spectators present when the teams took the field”. The conditions and tiny crowd made for a very low key encounter with the Paisley Buddies cruising to a 4-0 win. Less than £1 was taken at the gate but the club had advertised the game thoroughly and tickets purchased in advance ensured that all was not entirely lost on Bogie Broon’s big night. 

Alas for Bogie, his troublesome ankle meant he didn’t kick a ball again in 1908/09. He was a frustrated onlooker as Alloa played three finals at the end of the campaign. First up was the Dewar Shield where the Wasps were edged out 2-1 by Aberdeen ‘A’ at Pittodrie. William Brown had been the junior partner alongside Bogie at the back the season before but he was taking on greater responsibility in the absence of his former Clackmannan neighbour, and was rated as the best defender on the field against the Dons. The Wasps made up for the defeat a fortnight later as Falkirk ‘A’ were defeated 2-1 at the Recs in the final of the Stirlingshire Cup, William again taking the plaudits. It was a successful defence of the trophy for Alloa and there were joyous scenes once more, culminating in a sing song in the Crown Hotel. It was quite the contrast for Bogie who had been at the centre of the celebrations a year later. The Wasps must have wished he was available for their last decider of the season the following week when they were defeated 3-1 by Raith Rovers, in the Penman Cup final. The Advertiser reported “curious decisions” from the ref and “rough tactics” from the Fifers. Just the kind of behaviour that Bogie Broon didn’t tolerate from opposition players. 

Despite the defeat, it had been another fine season for the Wasps and hopes were high that a rejuvenated Sandy Brown could inspire them to even greater heights in 1909/10. But there was a bombshell to follow as news filtered through that Bogie Broon had once again decided to join up with Clackmannan. The issue merited a special column in the Alloa Advertiser on the eve of the 1909/10 season. “Alloa footballers will be somewhat surprised to hear that Alex Brown has signed for Clackmannan”. The Advertiser reported that Alloa had offered Bogie “a special arrangement”. If he could prove that the injury problems which had blighted the previous campaign were behind him, the club were willing to give him “most liberal” offer to stay on. Indeed, the paper claimed, some supporters felt the club were “far too generous to some of their players”. Whatever, the deal didn’t suit Bogie, to the outrage of the Advertiser. “It certainly seems a bit ungrateful of this player to leave the ranks after Alloa paying him all last season when he was on the injured list, but not only that, in addition giving him a benefit match over which the club lost badly owing to the unfavourable weather. It is quite possible that the player will regret his actions before too long, and on the other hand there is every likelihood that the Athletic may get on without his services”.

Well, this missile was always likely to hit the target. A reply promptly arrived from ‘A County Lad’ of Main Street, Clackmannan. He considered that the article on Sandy Brown’s move “as an example of sour grapes in journalism would be hard to beat”. Fair comment perhaps. “We have not the least doubt that Brown was well enough treated in the past by Alloa Athletic, but who, may I ask, deserved better at their hands, than the one who has been the backbone of their side for several seasons? In conclusion, I may only say that it would have done your Football Editor infinitely more credit, besides being more sportsmanlike, to have congratulated the struggling Clackmannan officials on the return to the fold where he learned his football of such a strong player and to wish him every success in his new quarters”. A worthy riposte but the Advertiser Football Editor was unmoved: “With all due respect we are still of the opinion that our remarks last week were quite justified”.
Bogie Broon in 1912.

Bogie’s move shouldn’t really have been a surprise. It had taken Alloa three years to prise him from Clackmannan Juniors, despite the clear step up in standard of football. Had the senior Clackmannan FC not been in abeyance they would surely have been Sandy’s destination. He excelled in Black and Gold but promptly jumped the dyke again at the first opportunity on Clackmannan returning to senior football in 1907. It was only the County Lad’s failure to gain league membership that summer that saw him head back to Alloa. Having then skippered Alloa to great success he did commit to the Wasps, but after spending much of 1908/09 on the sidelines, a return home to Clackmannan – who had by now secured a place in the Midland League – was always going to be an attractive option. It was understandable that Alloa were sore at losing an inspirational player  – and to their biggest rivals – but ‘County Lad’ had a good point, it would have been more fitting to thank Bogie for his sterling efforts and to wish him well back with his first love. And perhaps with a little breathing space for passions to cool that might have been the outcome, for after all the sides were in different leagues. Fate had other ideas. When the draw was made for the Scottish Qualifying Cup there was only one tie worth talking about in the Wee County: Alloa v Clackmannan.

“The meeting of the County rivals at the Recreation Grounds on 4th of September promises to provide a great tussle and a huge gate” predicted the Advertiser. Alloa, unbeaten at home in cup competition for eight seasons, would put their proud record on the line against their upstart neighbours. While Clackmannan were underdogs, the County Lads had no lack of experience. No less than ten of their players had previously served Alloa – most of them it should be said having originally arrived at the Recs via Clackmannan Juniors. Clackmannan’s combative president, Mr Malcolm, fanned the flames in the build up to the game. “Out Clackmannan way, the President says, they have no doubt about the result of the Qualifying tie. Brown & co are confident that they will stop the progress of the Athletic right away”. The Advertiser Football Editor had already nailed his colours to the mast and while he accepted that it would be a “glorious triumph” for Clackmannan if they could win, the feeling was that the Wasps would just have too much: “Alloa will be the victors, and with a little to spare”.

And yet how close Clackmannan came to making the columnist eat his words. A large crowd squeezed into the Recs, the late summer sun making for ideal conditions. The Alloa Instrumental Band entertained the fans before an almighty roar greeted the two teams. The Advertiser had promised a battle royal and Clackmannan at least lived up to their billing. The County Lads played like “deevils”, exclaimed the Stirling Observer, and “quite put the Athletic off their play”. With Sandy Brown excelling at the back, Clackmannan held Alloa scoreless and threatened even to snatch victory. The game ultimately finished goalless and Alloa's famous unbeaten home record was still intact.

All roads led to Chapelhill a week later as the emboldened County Lads aimed to finish the job. There was an extra incentive for the Clackmannan team with one of their supporters promising a pair of Norwegian slippers for the first home player to find the net. Perhaps wary of the reception awaiting them down the road, the Alloa team gathered at the Recs where they changed before making the short trip to Clackmannan. With such tension surrounding the match it was no surprise when tempers boiled over in the early stages, Lancaster of Alloa and Snaddon of Clackmannan ordered off following an off the ball incident. Alloa went into attack and Fairley forced Bogie into conceding a corner. Fairley himself took the kick which was immediately cleared back to his feet. The Alloa man burst into the box and fired a shot on goal which Bogie “in attempting to effect a clearance had the misfortune to put the leather through his own goal”. Things didn’t improve for Brown after the break. Fairley again broke free to set up McMillan whose powerful goal bound effort was stopped by the despairing hand of Sandy Brown. Up stepped William Brown – the man who had replaced Bogie as Wasps skipper - to drive the penalty kick into the net. Alloa were in total control and two more goals ensured an easy 4-0 win for the visitors. For Sandy Brown, so often the hero, this was a dismal afternoon. Not only had his old team thrashed his hometown side, he had played a major part in their victory. A mischievous Alloa Advertiser noted afterwards that Bogie had earned himself some fancy Scandinavian footwear with his own goal “but whether or not he will get the slippers is a different matter. I am afraid he won’t”.

Alloa had put down the first effort from Clackmannan to wrestle back local supremacy but football rivalries were almost immediately put to one side when Wasps skipper William Brown was killed in a mining accident in Kennet on the Monday after the game. This was a tragedy which directly affected both communities for William had been born in Clackmannan, indeed on the very street as Sandy Brown. The pair had played together for Alloa and Sandy too spent parts of his working life underground. The sad passing of William Brown put football in perspective locally, for a while at least.

Back on the field of play Clackmannan made some progress and finished the season on a high with a 2-1 win over King’s Park at the Recs in the final of the Stirlingshire Consolation Cup. Bogie was on target along with John Gardener as the reformed County Lads celebrated their first trophy of the 20th century. Although the Midland League season was not completed, Clackmannan did finish top of the table. These were encouraging signs that must have made up to some extent for the thrashing at the hands of Alloa. But Clackmannan were hungry for revenge against their greatest rivals and they wouldn’t have to wait too long for another opportunity.


“The first round draw for the Scottish Qualifying Cup is due on Tuesday. What price Clackmannan v. Alloa?” asked ‘Old Player’ at the dawn of a new campaign. Inevitably, the draw promptly brought the sides together once more .The County Lads were underdogs again, Old Player himself suggesting that they would “serve up a stubborn game, but it will surprise not even myself, but even a great number of their supporters if they succeed in lowering the colours of the Athletic”. And there was a sore blow for Clackmannan in the build up to the derby. Former Alloa player Robert Jack, who had gone south in the late 19th century and starred for Bolton and Preston, had just been appointed as manager of Plymouth Argyle. Jack had maintained his links with the Wee County and had posted his intentions to lure Alex Fraser of Sauchie and Alex Brown of Clackmannan to Plymouth. The County Lads took to the field at the Recs on September 3rd 1910 wondering if their inspirational skipper was playing his final game in blue and white.




The speculation didn't affect Bogie Broon. Back on the pitch where he had excelled as a Wasp, he won the toss and elected to defend the Clackmannan Road end of the ground. And defend he had to as Alloa began strongly in front of the bumper crowd. The County Lads stood firm and gradually came into the game. From a throw in on the right they burst down the flank and sent the ball over where Gardner – another former Wasp – was waiting to drive the ball beyond Adamson into the Alloa net. The Wasps pinned Clackmannan back and the Advertiser reported that “the referee had to reprimand the Clackmannan linesman for interfering with his decisions”. Alloa couldn’t find an equaliser though, indeed it was the County Lads who had the ball in the net before half-time only for Fyfe – yes, another who had once worn black and gold – to be flagged offside. The half-time whistle blew with Clackmannan 1-0 up, the Alloa Instrumental Band taking to the field to provide some light relief.


On the restart Alloa went straight into attack down the old slope to the Railway End and Rae in the Clackmannan goal made a fine save to deny Hannah. The County Lads had the bit between their teeth now though and Alloa were struggling. “The Alloa players showed some glimpses of football but against the forceful tackling of Brown & Co it did not last long”. Frustration mounted. Twice Liddell found the net for the Wasps and twice he was flagged offside. In a desperate final few moments, Alloa threw everything at Clackmannan but Bogie and his colleagues stood firm. The final whistle sounded on a score of Alloa 0 Clackmannan 1. 

Alloa’s cherished nine year unbeaten home cup record had been shattered by their greatest rivals and it was a bitter pill to swallow. “The defeat is a severe blow both in finances and prestige to Alloa, and has caused a sensation in the district”, reported the Stirling Observer. “The “bottle blowing” town was a place of gloom….I haven’t seen such a set of dejected set of followers for a long time” added the correspondent from Falkirk. ‘Old Player’ was among them, claiming that Clackmannan’s victory was down to a poor Alloa performance. Perhaps mindful that the Clackmannan folk hadn’t always been impressed with his pro Alloa stance in the past, he did manage to find some praise for the County Lads: “the fact remains that after such a good fight on their part no one can begrudge Clackmannan their victory”. And that was certainly true. Clackmannan had endured a challenging spell with their senior team in abeyance whilst several of their fine young players excelled in the colours of Alloa. Even on reforming the senior team they had been frustrated in their efforts to join the Central League and that first crack at Alloa in 1909/10 had ended in ignominy. A year down the line they had their revenge and how sweet it must have tasted. Nobody could have enjoyed it more than Bogie Brown. Always a Clackmannan man at heart, he had skippered his team to success at the home of their greatest rivals, the very place where he had once been an Alloa hero. If this was indeed Bogie’s last game before his move to Plymouth then it was the perfect goodbye. 


As the media lauded Clackmannan's effort though, Bogie seemed to have second thoughts.  “It was a case of local talent triumphing over a team of professionals drawn from all quarters”, the Stirling Observer had exulted. The paper pointed out that the team was made up entirely of local players, most of them miners, and run on an amateur basis. There was a warning for future opponents too: “Clackmannan, however, are not novices at the game, as other clubs may find out ere the season closes”.  Perhaps now believing that he could lift some silverware as captain of his local team just as he had with Alloa, Sandy Brown decided against travelling south to Plymouth and an application was made to cancel the transfer. Alas, the SFA and FA were unable to resolve the issue in time for Clackmannan’s next Qualifying Cup tie against Stenhousemuir. A frustrated Bogie Broon travelled to Ochilview with his teammates but could only look on from the sidelines as the Warriors coasted to a 4-0 victory. All of the goals came before the break with the Advertiser suggesting that the defeat “was due in large measure to the absence of Alex Brown from the back division”. It was a sore defeat for Clackmannan and Brown perhaps questioned his decision to stay in the Wee County.




Clackmannan’s Qualifying Cup defeat at Ochilview saw them parachute, along with Alloa, into the Scottish Consolation Cup, the trophy which Sandy Brown had held aloft as Alloa captain in 1908. The Wee County rivals progressed through the early stages of the competition before fate again intervened to pair them together once more at the Recs in the 3rd round. Alloa now had an opportunity to put the local upstarts in their place and show that the Qualifying Cup defeat had been a freak result. The Wasps had put that result behind them with progress in both the Consolation and Stirlingshire Cups, while at the same time performing steadily in the Central League. Clackmannan on the other hand had been hampered by the farcical nature of the Midland League. They had fulfilled only three league matches by February and they wouldn’t play anymore. Surely this time Alloa would triumph in the Wee County derby?


The game had again caught the imagination of the locals and a large crowd squeezed into the Recs on the afternoon of Saturday 4th February 1911. There was nothing unusual in the old grass pitch being heavy in the winter months, but on this occasion there was a thaw on too after a spell of freezing temperatures. Somewhere between frozen and waterlogged, the surface was described as “treacherous” with players struggling to stay on their feet. The conditions favoured a Clackmannan side known for their physical and direct style. “Fouls were more numerous than they should have been, the Clackmannan team being the greater sinners in this respect”, reported the Dundee Courier. But the County Lads were more than holding their own as Alloa, just like the Qualifying Cup tie, became bogged down and frustrated. And just like that game, only one goal was required to separate the sides and again it came from a former Wasp in the colours of Clackmannan. This time the scorer was Jim Fyfe, his goal ten minutes from the end securing another famous Clackmannan triumph over Alloa. 

That their own Consolation Cup adventure ended with defeat at Broxburn a fortnight later probably didn’t matter too much to the County Lads. With their two wins over Alloa, they held all the bragging rights in the Wee Count in a dramatic role reversal. For Sandy Brown however, there was perhaps a realisation that these local successes – welcome as they were – were probably as good as it was going to get in a Clackmannan shirt. Maybe the decision to turn down Plymouth Argyle earlier in the campaign was still gnawing at him. Bogie was 28 and unlikely to get many more chances at a higher level. If he still had any doubts then Clackmannan’s failure to secure league football of any sort for 1911/12 probably sealed the deal. 
The Lions of Millwall, 1911/12. Bogie Broon fifth from left in the back row. With thanks to David Sullivan.


‘Let em all come down to the Den’. So goes the song of London club Millwall, and that’s exactly what Bogie Brown did in the summer of 1911, finally venturing out of the Wee County. Millwall was a good fit for this club of the London dockers had significant Scottish roots. The Lions were founded by workers of the Scottish company J.T Morton at Millwall Dock on the lsle of Dogs in 1885. Bob Hunter was among several Scots who were prominent at Millwall Rovers at the end of the 19th century. Hunter  had joined up at Millwall on his arrival in London in 1897 and would go on to serve the Lions in different roles for 36 years. Hunter kept up his links with home to bring Scottish players to Millwall, several of them from the Wee County. Bill Halley of Clackmannan and Billy Hunter of Alva played for the Lions in the early years of the 20th century and goalkeeper Harvey Carmichael, who had played with Bogie at Clackmannan Juniors, had signed for Millwall in 1908. Alva’s Duncan McDougall and Alex Tainsh would follow later. This was the link that took Bogie south in June 1911. The club, now known as Millwall Athletic, were just settling in at the Den after their move from the Isle of Dogs a year earlier. On their arrival at the new ground they had been presented with a brass lion with the Gaelic inscription Chan Eagal Dhuinn Ge B' E Caite'n Teid Sinn- We Fear No Foe E'er We Go’. Sandy Brown could sign up for that. And Bogie didn’t disgrace himself at Millwall on the occasions that he played in the first team, described as “a sturdy and dashing full-back who possessed a superb tackle and decisive in his distribution”. 

Alas for Sandy, Millwall, who had reached the FA Cup semi-final twice in the previous decade, already had two fine full-backs in Joe Kirkwood and Jim Jeffrey. Indeed, such was Jeffrey's prowess that the FA were lining him up for an England cap until they discovered a slight stumbling block: he was from Blairgowrie. With Kirkwood and Jeffrey excelling at the back, the Wee County man frequently found himself in action for the Lions reserve team. His first big chance came in November 1911 when a knock for Kirkwood allowed Bogie in as Millwall visited great rivals West Ham, another club who had emerged from the docks. The Hammers were too good on this occasion, seeing off the Lions 2-1. Brown at the back “did not perform at all badly” but Kirkwood’s return to fitness saw Bogie back in the reserves. 

And there he stayed, largely, until a tragic accident in Brighton later in the campaign. There seemed to be little danger when Samuel Wightman of Luton Town cleared the ball against Brighton and Hove Albion in a Southern League fixture in April 1912, even when Fred Goodwin of Brighton clattered Wightman with a late challenge. There was no great concern even as Wightman was helped from the pitch. However, unknown to those watching, Goodwin’s challenge had ruptured Wightman’s small intestine. Wightman died in hospital four days later, but not before making an extraordinary statement “with the knowledge and fear of immediate death before me” that he had been “maliciously kicked” by Goodwin. The matter went to court where a jury found that the incident was purely accidental. Fred Goodwin had been exonerated but Luton had suffered a terrible loss – and were also now short of a right-back. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, with the papers reporting that S.Brown of Millwall Reserves had stepped into the breach. “It is pleasing that Luton’s old friends and rivals should have done them such a good turn in the hour of need”, reported the local press, adding that “Brown acquitted himself very well” on his Luton debut, “being a safe tackler and a cool kicker”. 


Back at the Den for the new season, Brown had to wait patiently for his next chance and it finally arrived in November 1912 through another injury to Kirkwood. Bogie was named in the Millwall side to face Crystal Palace in the final of the Kent Senior Shield. Palace won a number of corners which “were generally headed away by the Millwall backs, Brown and Jeffrey, who were indeed safe”. Millwall won the game 2-1 and Bogie had a senior medal in English football to add to those he had won north of the border. His impressive performance meant he kept his place for Millwall’s next match. It was another big one too, another derby against West Ham. In their match preview, the Daily Herald noted that the teams were “not only ancient, but also very warm rivals”. The paper also mentioned that A.Brown “did a lot of good work in the Kent Shield Final”. A crowd of 15,000 greeted the teams at Upton Park and they saw West Ham go in front through former England international George Hilsdon. As the atmosphere heated up Bogie Broon was to the fore. “Sandy Brown is certainly not a polished defender, but he goes all out every time”, reported the Daily Herald. The Lions kept battling and Lipsham scored a fine equaliser after the break. That’s how it finished and Millwall and Bogie went back over the Thames with a point. Bogie’s hopes of a run in the Millwall team were dashed however, when he sustained a bad injury against Watford just before Christmas 1912. The Lions were reduced to 9 men but battled to a 1-0 win as Bogie was carted off to hospital following a collision with a Watford player. 
Millwall Reserves teamline featuring Bogie. With thanks to David Sullivan.


Thereafter Kirkwood reclaimed his regular berth on the right side of the Millwall defence and Bogie, on his return to fitness, was back in the reserves, where he remained until the end of 1912/13.  And that was that for Bogie Broon in the blue of Millwall. While there were a few memorable games,  it was a rather frustrating spell for Bogie. Having finally made the move south, he landed at a club with two established full-backs that he just couldn’t shift. Perhaps Brown was a little late in making his big move too. Come the start of 1913/14 and shortly after his 30th birthday, Sandy Brown was back home with his young family in Clackmannan and back in the colours of Clackmannan FC. And perhaps inevitably, controversy was just around the corner. 


It was a cold, wet, windy winter afternoon in West Lothian and things weren’t going well for Clackmannan. Central League strugglers Bo’ness had expected a hard fought Penman Cup tie against the County Lads, a team who were going well in the Eastern League and who had been labelled one “of the most forceful and bustling clubs in provincial football”. But after a promising start that January 1914 day, Clackmannan had lost their way. As the rain lashed down on Newtown Park, the goals flooded flew past Clackmannan keeper Rae. The underworked Boyd in the Bo’ness goal was more concerned with staying warm than any threat from Clackmannan and was spotted sheltering in a winter jacket in the second half. As Bo’ness scored a disputed fourth goal – Clackmannan were sure it was offside – it all became too much for one visiting defender. Sandy Brown had known much better days than this. Always a man who played on the edge, this time ‘Bogie’ went too far. As the referee awarded the goal, the Linlithgowshire Gazette reported that he “was surrounded and hustled, his bonnet being knocked off”. The offender, a Mr A.Brown of Clackmannan, was ordered off but flatly refused to leave the field. A lengthy stoppage ensued. Bo’ness were no easier on Clackmannan when play finally resumed and the unfortunate ref, bunnet back on his head, eventually blew the whistle on a 6-1 Bo’ness victory.



It wasn’t Bogie Broon’s finest hour. A fortnight later the Scotsman reported that the Clackmannan stalwart had been handed a 10 month ban for striking an official. By the time he returned Clackmannan had fulfilled a long held ambition by achieving Central League status. The County Lads struggled badly at the higher level however, and were hampered further by several players and officials signing up to serve king and country on the outbreak of WW1. There was a growing realisation that the conflict was not going to be resolved quickly and at the end of 1914/15, sitting adrift at the bottom of the table, Clackmannan packed away their shirts and ball. Little did they know that it would be four years before they would again take to the field at Chapelhill, four years during which the Wee County, like so many other places, paid a heavy price in support of the war effort. 



Clackmannan eventually marked their return with a 4-1 friendly defeat against Alloa at the Recs in August 1919. Two weeks later a crowd of 1000 saw the County Lads defeat East Stirlingshire 2-1 at Chapellhill on their return to the Central League. And leading from the back? 36 year old Sandy Brown. But old father time was now catching up with Bogie Broon. It was almost 20 years since he had first signed for Clackmannan Juniors. Always a physical player, Bogie had struggled at times with ankle injuries. His labouring in the mines and brickworks of the Wee County probably had an impact too. Clackmannan found that younger reinforcements were required and the name of Sandy Brown, synonymous with Clackmannanshire football for two decades, quietly slipped off the County Lads teamsheet.



Alexander Sinclair – back under his birth name now that his football career was over - was looking on from the sidelines when Alloa and Clackmannan were elected to the Scottish League in 1921, surely rueing the fact that this development hadn’t occurred a few years earlier. The Wasps flourished, famously winning promotion to the top flight at the first attempt. Clackmannan found the going much tougher. The County Lads dropped out of the Scottish League in 1926 and gave up altogether in 1931. It was junior and amateur football for the footballers of Clackmannan from then on. This at least removed the great dilemma of Bogie’s football career – Clackmannan or Alloa – and he passed on his love of the game to the next generation. So much so that his oldest son and namesake was later arrested for running onto the field at the Recs to celebrate a famous Alloa win. The Wasps were still the only show in town at that point.



As the decades passed however, the passion the Wee County folk had for football cooled somewhat and loyalties were all too often transferred to teams from other parts of the country. By the time Alexander Sinclair passed away in Alloa in August 1971 at the fine old age of 88, the younger generation could hardly imagine thousands waiting to meet the cup winning Wasps from the train, or those heroes being carried through the streets of the town.
Alexander Sinclair - Bogie Broon - in later life.




But there were some who remembered. Now and again Alloa folk would greet members of the Sinclair family by calling out ‘Bogie Broon’. In his 1984 book 'The Changing Face of Alloa', local historian Anthony Hall recorded the song the Alloa fans sang in praise of their captain. The song was key to making contact with Isabel Sinclair, a connection which  unlocked the door for this article. A story to accompany the oldest surviving Alloa football song, the tale of the first Wasps skipper to lift a national trophy: “Follow Bogie he will lead you, in the fairest manner, and we will show what we can do, with the Black and Yellow banner”.

Adapted from a series of articles first published in 'The Wasp', the Alloa Athletic FC programme, dedicated in memory of Bogie's grandson, Alexander Sinclair, 1926 – 2017.

Thanks to:

Isabel Sinclair
Janet Shaw
David Sullivan of the Millwall Museum
Auld Clackmannanshire Facebook Group
The Changing Face of Alloa - Anthony Hall
The County Lads - David A Allan
Rejected FC of Scotland Volume 3 - Dave Tywdell
Old Player




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