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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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| 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. |
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”.
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| 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.
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.
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. |
“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.
“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.
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?
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.
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| 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”.
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| 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.
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| 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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