John Brown's a body always in the right mould for Rangers.

Bargain buy shows class

JAMES TRAYNOR

14 Mar 1994

IT IS probably some kind of reflection on the perverted values by which most of us live.

If the price tag doesn't read like a telephone number the merchandise can't be very good.

If it doesn't have the correct label, it won't do.

It is all nonsense, of course, and sometimes something happens or someone steps forward and reality is brought back into focus.

It happened at Ibrox on Saturday where some expensive footballers, most wearing blue jerseys, were going about their business.

Alexei Mikhailichenko and Duncan Ferguson -- combined value about equal to the cost of a new first-division stadium -- sat uneasily in the dugout watching Mark Hateley maraud and then score his twenty-sixth goal of the season, a lovely header in 74 minutes.

They also saw Gordon Durie dart wide to good effect, and Trevor Steven weave in midfield.

Andy Goram was relaxing in Rangers' goal, but he could afford to, and not simply because Hearts were offering little by way of threat.

Goram had before him Richard Gough, another highly priced footballer, and John Brown, who did more than score a peach of a goal, his first of the season.

He reminded every one of the 41,666 who stood blinking in awe at the class of his goal that greatness does not always have to cost a fortune.

Brown arrived at Ibrox six years ago and Dundee were happy to accept only £350,000 for the defender.

Ever since, he has been labouring in the shadow of expensive signings from various parts of Europe, but the truth is that Brown's performances represent excellent value.

Frankly, he has not had the recognition he deserves.

It is not considered fashionable to dwell too long on Brown because he is the sort of uncomplicated player who gets the job done without fuss or histrionics.

Panache takes second place to his need to prevent the opposition from scoring, and although he is content to bask in secondary adulation, his importance to Rangers should not have been underplayed.

Frankly, Brown, who toiled for Hamilton before Dundee, is a hero and an extremely good defender and his display in the Tennents Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against Hearts merely underlined his quiet, unassuming prowess.

Football supporters are too ready to pigeon-hole players and Brown has been tagged a rugged, no-nonsense defender, the type willing to die for the cause, and while this is partly true there is more to him.

Much more, in fact.

For instance, he is an astute reader of a game's eddies.

His tackles, while robust, are timely and generally clean.

He also distributes the ball with greater accuracy and a more delicate feel than most other defenders in the game.

In short, he is the sort of player on whom others can rely, especially when a match becomes tough or when the opposition are threatening to take command.

Brown will step forward at such times when all seems lost.

His bravery is beyond question, his loyalty supreme.

His instincts force him to get in the way of flailing arms and flying boots and, as we have witnessed often enough, he rarely lies down to injury.

The general conception within football is that successful teams are built on flamboyant, artistic performers, but that is not strictly true.

Players like Brown play fundamental roles also, and no-one who has tracked Rangers these past six years could argue that his contribution has not been as valuable as that of say, Steven at his best or the captain, Gough.

The problem with the Scottish game seems to be that the gap between the top, genuinely skilful players and the artisans is too wide, but if there were more players like Brown in between, the entire standard of our football would rise.

The gifted footballers always will emerge and it is the task of raising the skill levels of the middle men on which we have to concentrate.

In the meantime, we will have to settle for watching Brown, but if he scores any more goals like the one which set up Rangers on Saturday, it will be a pleasure.

A turgid first 45 minutes had elapsed, and if the supporters had anything else to do they would have left at the break.

They had arrived expecting to see a decent cup-tie, but apart from the goals, and Brown's play, there was little to commend this match in which Hearts appeared strangely subdued.

The fans stayed on, however, and four minutes into the second half, they were marvelling at Brown's goal.

He had wandered forward and from approximately 25 yards, hit the ball low into the left-hand corner of Henry Smith's net.

The ball barely left the turf from boot to net.

"When did you last see a strike like that?" Brown asked as he left Ibrox clutching his man of the match award.

Not in a long time, John.

Not in a long time.

Taken from the Herald