After his playing career with Rangers, Dundee and Falkirk was curtailed by a series of knee injuries, Brown entered management with Clyde in 1977.

Brown was born on 1 July 1940 in Corkerhill, Glasgow,[2] but brought up with two younger brothers in Troon, Rutherglen and Hamilton, moving with his father's career as a physical education teacher, later a senior advisor on the subject.

[1] He failed to find a regular first team place at Rangers, with his progress halted by a knee injury and the arrival of Jim Baxter who played in the same position, and moved to Dundee on loan in October 1960.

[1] During that time he also completed a course in physical education and primary teaching at Jordanhill College,[1] and was also a member of the pop music group Hammy and the Hamsters formed by six Dundee players.

[8] He was released in 1967 and signed for Stranraer, but his injured knee almost immediately required him to call time on his playing career, and he returned the signing-on fee he had received from the club.

[13] Brown was assistant manager to Alex Ferguson for the Scotland senior team's campaign at the 1986 FIFA World Cup (the appointment he said 'changed his life' as it enabled him to move from being a part-time manager and teacher to a full member of the national coaching setup), and served the same role under Andy Roxburgh at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1992.

He succeeded Roxburgh initially on an interim basis, after the team failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup; his debut was a 3–1 loss away to Italy.

An Ally McCoist goal against Greece, scored with his first touch as a substitute after a long period out of international football due to a broken leg, proved key to securing qualification.

[16] This left Scotland needing an unlikely combination of results from the final games to qualify, but for a while this was happening as another McCoist goal gave them a 1–0 lead against Switzerland while the Netherlands were losing 4–0 to England.

[18] Brown had complained about the poor standard of floodlighting at the Kadriorg Stadium, which prompted FIFA to bring forward the kick-off time on the morning of the game.

[18] The FIFA delegate at the match believed Scotland would be awarded a walkover win, but instead a committee ordered the game to be replayed at a neutral site.

[19] Brown cited a lack of on-field preparations immediately before the game, which were limited by opening match ceremonies, for them conceding the first goal from a set piece.

[22] Brown cited an injury to Paul Lambert, who would have been assigned with the task of marking Scholes, as being key to the Scots losing the tie.

[25] In October 2008, the 68-year-old Brown was linked to the vacant managerial position with Scottish First Division side Dundee, but the job went to Jocky Scott.

[34] Brown had two brothers:[1] Jock was a football commentator, and Bob was the minister at Queen's Cross Parish Church in Aberdeen from 1984 until his retirement in 2008.