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Players Index Page Last Updated
17 January 2025
 
 

Arthur Brown

Sheffield United FC

 2 appearances, 1 goal

P 2 W 1 D 1 L 0 F 7: A 2
75% successful
1904-06

captain: none
minutes played: 180

Timeline
  Arthur Samuel Brown
Birth Tuesday, 6 April 1885 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.
  registered in Gainsborough April-June 1885.
  "He was born at Gainsborough on 6th April 1885." - Football Echo, Saturday, 19 September 1908.
Baptism Sunday, 31 May 1885 at All Saint's Church in Gainsborough.
Education Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Gainsborough.
 

According to the 1891 census, Arthur S. is the fourth child of five children to Arthur and Lucy Fletcher (née Smith), living at Tennyson Cottage in Tennyson Street, Gainsborough. His father is a stone mason. They have one servant.
 

According to the 1901 census, Arthur S. is the second oldest child of seven children still at home with their parents at Tennyson Cottage (now in Spital Terrace).  Arthur is an apprentice stonemason for his father.

"DEATH OF MR. BROWN ...OF GAINSBORO'.
 "The death took place at Gainsborough on Staurday night of Mr. Arthur Brown, a well-respected townsman. Mr. Brown, who was the head of a flourishing stonemason's business, had suffered a long time with lung trouble. One of his sons is assistant surveyor to the Urban Council, and another is Sheffield United's centre-forward." - Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Tuesday, 3 April 1906
Marriage to Floris Louise Hinitt, on Monday, 16 December 1906, at noon, at All Saint's Registry Office, Manchester, Lancashire. Married by special licence.
  registered in Chorlton October-December 1906.
"The marriage took place on Monday, by special license at All Saints' Church, Moss-side, Manchester, of Mr. Arthur Samuel Brown (Sheffield United's centre forward), second son of the late Mr. A. S. Brown, stonemason, of Gainsborough, and Miss Floris Hinitt [of Lea-road, Gainsborough], second daughter of Mr. William Hinitt, foreman engineer at Messrs. Marshall, Sons, and Co., Gainsborough. The bride was given away by her mother, and Mr. E. Poucher, of Manchester, officiated as best man." - Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Tuesday, 18 December 1906/Ripley and Heanor News, Friday, 21 December 1906.
Children Arthur and Flo Brown had one son together. Arthur (b.17 July 1907).
Public Notices "TO STONEMASONS, BUILDERS, & OTHERS.—To be SOLD, as a going concern, by Private Treaty, the old-established BUSINESS of a Stone and Monumental Mason and Builders' Merchant, now carried on by Arthur Brown at Spital-terrace, Gainsboro'.—For particulars apply at the Stone Yard, Gainsboro'." - The Stamford Mercury, Friday, 3 July 1908
 

According to the 1911 census, Arthur is a professional footballer, married to Floris and a son, also called Arthur. They live a 12 Parnell Street in Gainsborough.
His mother died in 1917.
 

According to the 1921 census, Arthur is a stone mason, still married, still with one son, now living at 7 Charles Street in Gainsborough.
  According to the 1939 register, Arthur S., a retired master stone mason, and Floris L. are still married, and still living at 7 Charles Street with their son, Arthur.
Death Tuesday, 27 June 1944 at his home at 7 Charles Street, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, after a long illness.
aged 59 years 82 days registered in Gainsborough April-June 1944.

Obituary
"PLAYED FOR ENGLAND WHEN HE WAS 17.
"Arthur Sam Brown, of Charles-street, Gainsborough, who at the age of 17, was the youngest international footballer playing for England, has died at his home after a long illness. Mr. Brown, who was 59, was associated with a number of clubs during his career as a footballer, having played for Gainsborough Trinity, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Fulham." - Lincolnshire Echo, Wednesday, 28 June 1944.

"WAS YOUNGEST INTERNATIONAL—Death of Formed Noted Footballer
"One of the youngest professional footballers of his day and the youngest centre-forward to play for England, Mr. Arthur Sam Brown, of 7, Charles-street, Gainsborough, died on Tuesday, at the age of 59. Known to football supporters as 'Doggy' Brown, he joined Sheffield United from Gainsborough Trinity at the age of 17, and went on to Sunderland, Middlesbrough, and Fulham. He played centre-forward for England at the age of 17. He was also a noted cricketer, and played for Gainsborough Britannia Works club for several seasons. He was educated at Gainsborough Grammar School, and was a conscientious member of the Lincolnshire Special Constabulary (Gainsborough Town section). At one time he was prominently connected with the Gainsborough Church Lads' Brigade. He leaves a widow and one son, who is a police war reserve stationed at Immingham." - Lincolnshire Chronicle, Saturday, 1 July 1944.
Funeral at Gainsborough General Cemetery, Cox's Hill, Gainsborough
Probate "BROWN Arthur Samuel of 7 Charles-street Gainsborough Lincolnshire died 27 June 1944 Probate Lincoln 22 November to Charles Fletcher Brown architect and Percy Wheeler company secretary. Effects £3838 9s. 6d." [2024 equivalent: £144,400]
  His wife, Floris Brown, will die in the early part of 1967.
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Playing Career

Club(s)		 Started his early career with Gainsborough Church Lads Brigade FC. Joined Gainsborough Trinity FC early in 1902, originally as an amateur. He joined Sheffield United in April 1902 for a £350 transfer fee. During the 1908 summer, Brown implied that he would be applying for a free transfer, with possibility of then re-signing for the Trinity. This created undue attention. However....
"THE F.A. AND ARTHUR BROWN. 'RECKLESS AND CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE.'
"The Sheffield United Secretary (Mr. J. Nicholson) has received from the offices of the Football Association an official minute of the findings of the Commission which sat at Crewe some time ago to decided the dispute between Sheffield United, Gainsborough Trinity, and United's player Brown, who has, since the date of the dispute, been transferred to Sunderland. The text of the findings of the Commission is as under:—
   (1) That the evidence tendered and extracted from the respective witnesses does not show that there has been any breach of rules either of the Football Association or of the Football League on the part of Gainsborough Trinity, as was to be inferred from various statements by Arthur Brown.
   (2) The statements by Arthur Brown are reckless, contradictory, and unworthy of credit, and may have resulted in serious mischief, and Brown is ordered to pay the costs of the meetings of the Commission which those statements made necessary." - The Bolton Evening News, Tuesday, 18 August 1908
Brown had joined Sunderland AFC on 22 June 1908 for £1000, despite an intention from Everton FC.
"ARTHUR BROWN'S SUSPENSION
"Arthur Brown is still under suspension at the hands of the directors of the Wearside club. The directors require all players to reside in the town, or outskirts, and Brown, because of his wife's health, seeks permission to live and train at Gainsborough. He is living there at present, and doing what he can to get his injured knee thoroughly right again. The suspension will continue until Brown again resides at Sunderland, and commences training there." - The Yorkshire Post, Friday, 19 August 1910.
Brown was eventually allowed a move south to Fulham FC on 19 October 1910, who allowed him to remain at home in Gainsborough. He returned north on 3 May 1912 when he joined Middlesbrough FC for £400.

League honours
276 appearances 134 goals		 Gainsborough Trinity FC 1902 three appearances, two goals
debut (division two): 5 April 1902 Gainsborough Trinity FC 1 Middlesbrough FC 4.
Sheffield United FC 1902-08 178 appearances, 102 goals
debut: 25 October 1902 Notts County FC 1 Sheffield United FC 1.
Sunderland AFC 1908-10 fifty appearances, 21 goals
debut: 1 September 1908 Manchester City FC 1 Sunderland AFC 0.
Fulham FC 1910-12 41 appearances, nine goals
debut: 29 October 1910 Stockport County FC 1 Fulham FC 1.
Middlesbrough FC 1912 four appearances
debut: 4 September 1912 West Bromwich Albion FC 2 Middlesbrough 0.
last: 21 September 1912 Middlesbrough FC 0 Blackburn Rovers FC 0.
Club honours Football League Division One third place 1908-09 (38ᵃ 18ᵍ);
Individual honours Top Goalscorer Football League Division One (22, 1904-05)
Distinctions Also played cricket with Gainsborough Britannia Works CC
Height/Weight 5' 9", 11st. 12lbs [1907]. 5' 9", 12st. 0lbs [1912].
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career
Player number One of seven who became the 290th players (295) to appear for England.
Position(s) Centre-forward
First match No. 80, 29 February 1904, Wales 2 England 2, a British Championship match at The Racecourse, Mold Road, Wrexham, aged 18 years 329 days.
Last match No. 86, 17 February 1906, Ireland 0 England 5, a British Championship match at Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast, aged 20 years 317 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1903-04, 1905-06;
Team honours British Championship winners 1903-04, shared 1905-06;
Individual honours The North (one appearance, January 1906);
The Professionals (one appearance, 2ᵍ December 1906);
Distinctions At the time of his first appearance for England, he was thought to be the youngest, as it was thought he was a seventeen year-old - a fact reiterated by Kenneth Wolstenholme in his commentary in April 1955. However, in 1904, there was still four younger players to have been honoured. (Even if he was the seventeen year old - Prinsep and Rostron were still younger!)

Beyond England
In 1907, his vocation was given as master builders' merchant and monumental mason. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.49-50.


The Numbers
parties Appearances comp. apps minutes goals ave.min comp. goals captain
2 2 2 180 1 180 min 1 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
2 1 1 0 7 2 +5 0 1 3.5 1 75 +1
Both of his matches were played in the British Championship competition and at an away venue

Tournament Record

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1903-04 1 0 1 0 2 2 =0 0 0 2.00 2.00 50.0 =0
BC 1905-06 1 1 0 0 5 0 +5 0 1 5.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 2 1 1 0 7 2 +5 0 1 3.50 1.00 75.0 +1

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 2 1 1 0 7 2 +5 0 1 3.50 1.00 75.0 +1
2 1 1 0 7 2 +5 0 1 3.5 1 75 +1

Match History

 Club: Sheffield United F.C. - two full appearances (180 min) 1ᵍ F.A. International Select Committee - two full appearances (180 min) 1ᵍx

apps match match details comp res. rundown pos

Age 18
1 80 29 February 1904 - Wales 2 England 2
The Racecourse, Wrexham		 BC AD   cf
 

one of seven who became the 290th player (295) to appear for England
one of two who became the thirteenth Sheffield United FC player to represent England
the fifth youngest player to represent England

Age 20 trial  
one appearance - The North vs. The South, January 1906;

2 86 17 February 1906 - Ireland 0 England 5
Solitude Ground, Belfast		 BC AW 32 cf
 

Age 21 trial  
one appearance - The Professionals vs. The Amateurs, December 1906;


  

 
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