Biography

Craig Brown was the 13th person to take charge of the national side. The previous incumbents were Andy Beattie, Matt Busby, Ian McColl, Jock Stein (first term), John Prentice, Malcolm McDonald, Bobby Brown, Tommy Docherty, Willie Ormond, Ally McLeod, Jock Stein (second term), Alex Ferguson and Andy Roxburgh.

Although he never played for Scotland at A international level, Craig was selected for Scotland at Schoolboy, Junior and Youth level. He played for Rangers, Dundee and Falkirk before his career was brought to an early end by a serious knee injury which has required several operations.

While with Dundee he won a Scottish League Championship medal for season 1961-62, and was in the squad which reached the semi-final of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup the following year. Following his retiral as a player, Craig combined a career in education with football management. A four year term as Assistant Manager with Motherwell was followed by ten years as Manager of Clyde, when the club won two League Championships.

He joined the SFA’s staff in August, 1986. In seven years as Assistant Technical Director and Assistant National Coach, Craig was in charge of Scotland’s Under 21 team which was third in Europe in 1992, the Scotland Under 19 team which was sixth in the World Cup in 1987, and the Scotland Under 17 team which lost on penalties to Saudi Arabia in the World Cup Final in 1989. After one game in temporary charge, against Italy in Rome (1-3), he was appointed International Team Manager on 17th November, 1993, in succession to Andy Roxburgh.

Under his charge, the Scotland international team qualified for Euro ‘96 in England, failing by the narrowest of margins to get to the quarter finals, and continued its run of excellent results by qualifying for France ‘98. He resigned following the 2-1 victory over Latvia in October, 2001, and although he continued with the SFA as Director of Football Development, he left the SFA after he was appointed manager of Preston North End in May, 2002.