Brown: Michael Robert (Michael)

2011-2014 (Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Hartlepool: 25-01-1977

Debut v Southampton (a): 06-08-2011

5’7” 11st 9lb (2010)

Brown was a product of the Manchester City Academy and signed professional terms for the club on 13th September 1994. He debuted for City on 26th August 1995 in a 0-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers. He soon established his reputation as a midfield "hard-man" with a penchant for accumulating red and yellow cards, when, after coming on as a substitute at Loftus Road, he was dismissed after being on the pitch for just ten minutes. He didn't make any first team appearances for a few months after that as City had made a disastrous start to the season. They did not manage a win until November, but after that Brown became a regular in the team for a couple of months. However, City had another slump in form and Manager Alan Ball reverted to experience and Brown was out of the team. He was recalled and played half-a-dozen of the final games, to bring his total, including substitute appearances, to twenty-one for the season, but City could not avoid relegation. However, on a personal note, Brown had made his England Under-Twenty-One International debut against Croatia at Roker Park in a 0-1 defeat on 23rd April 1996. The following season was another disaster for the Sky Blues and after playing the first month, Brown lost his place in the team, as City's Managerial position became a revolving door after Alan Ball had resigned in August. Apart from the odd appearance as a substitute he remained out of favour and only took the field eleven times in the season. On 27th March 1997, he went on a month's loan to his home-town club, Hartlepool United. They were in deep relegation trouble when he made his debut for them on 29th March 1997 in a 1-0 home win over Colchester United. He scored the first goal in a crucial 2-1 win at Darlington on 19th April 1997 and by his final game in a 4-0 home win over Barnet on 26th April 1997, he had scored once in six starts and the Monkey-Hangers had won four games and avoided relegation. 1997-98 started with Brown unable to find a first team place, but, after a series of poor performances by City, Brown forced his way back into the team in October and kept his position for the rest of the season. He did miss five games in the season's run-in and it did not help the club as they were relegated, but again on a personal note he was elected "Player of the Year" by the supporters. 1998-99 saw Brown overlooked by new boss Joe Royle, but he scored his first goal for the club when he was given a chance in the F.A. Cup Second Round Replay on 15th December 1998 and came up with the only goal of the game in extra-time. He retained his place in the team for the rest of the season and scored his first League goal on 16th March 1999 in a 2-1 home win over Notts County. Brown wore the Sky Blue on thirty-one occasions in the season and was instrumental in City gaining promotion, even though it was on penalties after extra-time in the Play-off final at Wembley against Gillingham on 30th May 1999. Again at the start of the 1999-2000 season he found himself out of favour and loaned out to Portsmouth on 19th November 1999 and he made four League starts before returning on 5th December 1999. He was almost immediately loaned out to Sheffield United on 19th December 1999 and again made four League starts before the Blades made the deal permanent on 13th January 2000, when they paid a fee of £400,000 for his services. He had scored two League goals in seventy-one starts and twenty-one games from the bench, scored three times in the F.A. Cup from twelve games, one being as a substitute, and started two and come from the bench on four occasions in the League Cup as well as one appearance in the Play-offs, without scoring, while with Manchester City. He had also played four times for the England Under-Twenty-One's. Neil warnock placed great faith in Brown and made him one of the pillars of his team which saw success in the 2002-03 season, when they finished runners-up in the Division One Play-off final as Brown missed a penalty and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat them 3-0 to eliminate the from contention of promotion to the Premier League. Brown was also selected by the fans as "Player of the Year" and he was similarly selected for the Division One Team of the Year. He was a star performer as the Blades twice defeated Premier League Leeds United in both the League Cup and the Sixth Round, before going down to Arsenal 0-1 at Old Trafford in the F.A. Cup Semi-Final. Leeds were said to have made an approach to take him to Elland Road, but nothing eventuated. Suspensions began to hinder his worth to the club as he was sent off twice in the early games of the 2003-04 season and Neil Warnock decided not to renew his contract at the end of the season. There was reportedly interest from Rangers, but he eventually joined Premier League Tottenham Hotspur on 1st January 2004, for an undisclosed fee as the Bramall Lane club sought to cash in before his contract ran out. He scored thirty goals in one hundred and fifty League games, of which five were from the bench, scored three goals in six F.A. Cup starts, and another three in fourteen League Cup ties, of which one was as from the bench, in his four year stay with Sheffield United. Tottenham had been impressed by Brown's ability to score goals from midfield, but he was not employed as an attacking midfielder, finishing up playing as a defensive midfielder. He then found that Spurs had plenty of young, mobile midfielders and Manager Martin Jol also bought several midfielders, which added even more to the competition. Two years later, on 31st January 2006, Brown moved across the Thames to join Fulham, after only netting twice in fifty League games, of which eleven were as a substitute. He also scored once in four starts and one game from the bench in the League Cup, but none in nine starts in the F.A. Cup, while at White Hart Lane. He was not off to a good start at Craven Cottage, as he was initially plagued by injuries, but when he did get his Fulham career underway he was handed the captaincy. However, once more he became more noticed for his indiscretions rather than his performances, which did improve as the season progressed. With the departure of Chris Coleman as Manager at the end of the 2006-07, Lawrie Sanchez came in and brought in many new signings which made Brown's position insecure and after forty starts and one game from the bench in the League and three starts in the F.A. Cup and no goals to show, Brown left Craven Cottage for Wigan Athletic on 31st July 2007, on a three year contract, for an undisclosed fee. He was the seventh signing of the summer for Chris Hutching, the Wigan Manager, and he went straight into the team for the pre-season against Barnsley at Oakwell and was off to a winning start as the Latics won 2-0. Due to indiscretions while at Fulham, Brown was suspended for the first two games of the season and he made his Wigan League debut on 18th August 2007 at the JJB Stadium in a 3-0 win over Sunderland, when he came on as an eighty-second minute substitute. He was a virtual ever-present for the Latics in that season and was again a regular in the 2008-09 season, but less than a month into the ensuing season Brown was again on his travels, after Robert Martinez took over as Manager, and his place became insecure. This time he returned to one of his former loan clubs, Portsmouth, on 28th August 2009, for a nominal fee, on a two year contract, with an option for a third. While at Wigan Athletic he didn't score in any competition and played fifty-eight League games, of which eleven were off the bench, and in each of the F.A. Cup and League Cup, he started twice and made one appearance as a substitute. He made his Portsmouth debut in the Premiership 0-1 Loss to Manchester City on 30th August 2009. He scored his first Pompey goal in a 1-2 defeat by Aston Villa at Fratton Park on 18th April 2010. Portsmouth's form in the League was abysmal and they were relegated long before the season was completed but in the F.A. Cup they had their chance of Glory. In the Third Round they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Championship side Coventry City on 2nd January 2010, before sneaking past them in the final seconds of extra-time of the Replay at the Ricoh Stadium on 12th January 2010, winning 2-1. Round Four saw Portsmouth come from behind to win 2-1 in a home tie with fellow Premiership side Sunderland on 23rd January 2010, but Brown picked up an injury and had to be substituted after nine minutes. As Portsmouth financial problems continued to increase, Brown was injured and missed the Round Five 4-1 win over local rivals Southampton by 4-1 at St Mary's on 13th February 2010. The Sixth Round brought a home tie with Birmingham City, and Brown was back to play his part in a 2-0 win on 6th March 2010 to ensure at least one trip to Wembley as they were drawn to meet Tottenham Hotspur on 11th April 2010. Thanks to some woeful attempts on goal by Spurs the game remained goalless after ninety minutes, but in the end Portsmouth put behind them the relegation and financial implosion to score twice in extra-time to win through to the Wembley Final with Premier League Champions Chelsea on 15th May 2010. There was, unfortunately, for Portsmouth and Brown, no happy ending, as Portsmouth failed to convert a penalty minutes before Chelsea scored, and the Pensioners completed their double by winning 1-0 and Brown had to be content with a losers' medal. Brown chose to stay at Fratton Park despite relegation and financial instability, he was a virtual ever-present in the 2010-2011 season, until he reached the point where one more game for Pompey would trigger a clause in his contract which granted him a wage increase. Portsmouth could not afford the increase and so he never played again. He scored four goals in the League from forty-two starts and three games from the bench and made six starts in the F.A. Cup, without scoring, while in the League Cup he scored once in four starts and two games as a substitute for Pompey. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest both showed signs of interest, then, after he was released when his contract ran out, both Middlesbrough and Queens Park Rangers also appeared interested. However, ultimately it was Leeds United that finally took him to Elland Road on 11th July 2011, on a free transfer and a one year contract with an option of a second. He completed the signing in Scotland, at the Leeds training base for their pre-season Scottish tour. He started the game against Falkirk on 13th July 2011, playing a half game, like all the Leeds players, and similarly he had fifty two minutes after starting against Motherwell. There was again a start and sixty-seven minutes at Hillsborough as United drew 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday and another start as United used a friendly to give all their players playing time as they went across to Norway to play Sandefjord. He had a full game against Premiership Newcastle United at Elland Road in their final pre-season friendly which they won 3-2. He made his League debut for Leeds on 6th August 2011 and was substituted in the fifty-fourth minute by Billy Paynter as Leeds chased the game agaist Southampton at St Mary's before going down 1-3. He played his second game against Bradford City at Elland Road on 9th August 2011 and had a full ninety minutes as Leeds won 3-2 in the Carling Cup. Brown played the first three League games, after his debut he played in the the home games against Middlesbrough and Hull City. After picking up a calf injury, he was in and out of the side, only making the starting eleven once, in the home game with Crystal Palace on 10th September 2011, until he started from the bench at Leicester City on 6th November 2011. He was reinstated to the first team run-on side when Simon Grayson expanded his midfield for the visit to Nottingham Forest on 29th November 2011 and after a 4-0 win the same team was chosen for the home game with Millwall on 5th December 2011. He sustained an ankle injury and had to be replaced in the first half but after sitting unused on the bench for the next fixture at Watford he was restored to midfield for the home game with Reading and the visit to Derby County. He then became a fixture in the squad for the next seventeen games, of which he made two appearances from the bench and sat unused on five others, until he was red carded for the first time in Leeds colours, in the Easter Monday home clash with Derby County on 9th April 2012, which saw him miss three games before playing the final game of the season at home to Leicester City on 28th April 2012. He scored his first, and to date the only, goal for Leeds in a 7-3 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on 20th March 2012. On 2nd May 2012 Neil Warnock announced that Brown had been offered a new contract at a reduced wage for a further season but significantly he also stated that he felt that Brown was the type of player he wanted to keep around the club both on and off the pitch. His No.8 shirt was given to new signing Rodolph Austin and he took on a new number of No. 17, an indication that he was not likely to be the first choice. However constant injuries to other midfielders such as Austin, Norris and Tonge ensured that he featured in enough games for him to invoke an appearance clause in his contract to extend it to a third year and keep him at Elland Road until June 2014. His only goal of the season came ib a 2-2 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion on 2nd November 2012, but while the ball touched Luciano Becchio on its way to the net and initially was given to the Argentinian striker, it was awarded to Brown by the club. He was released by Leeds at the end of his contract and was signed by Port Vale as a player/coach. He made his debut for his new club as an eighty-sixth minute substitute for Chris Lines in a 1-1 home draw with Walsall on 9th August 2014. He scored in his second match when he found the net for Port Vale's fourth goal in the sixty second minute of a 6-2 League Cup home win over Hartlepool United three days later, after coming on as a half-time replacement for Michael O'Connor. Manager Micky Adams appointed him the second team coach but it turned out that he was cast more in the role of player as he scored four goals in thirty starts and six games from the bench in the League and two goals in one start and one as substitute in the League Cup and one start without scoring in the Football League Trophy.