Chris Brass left Burnley on Thursday 15 March, signing for York
City on a free transfer. This was hardly surprising news; it had been some time since
Brass played regularly for the first team, and he had been rumoured to be moving recently.
However, this isn’t just another
departure of a fringe player that can be allowed to pass with the usual paragraph of best
wishes. Brass was Burnley's longest serving player. He had played more games for Burnley
than almost all of our current squad. His departure is, therefore, a significant moment.
It says something about the development of Burnley FC in his time with the club. It also
occurred to me that Brass’ period as a professional at Burnley fairly neatly
coincides with my time living in London, and therefore the period I have been a member of
the London Clarets. This seemed a good excuse to go digging through the archives. Pretty
much every step of Chris Brass’ career has been covered in the London Clarets
magazine and, since 1998, the website. What follows is a view of that career, as seen
through the eyes of our members.
Brass made his first team debut for Burnley coming on as a sub for an
injured Craig Armstrong, in a characteristically dismal 1-0 defeat on a freezing January
day at Portsmouth during our 1994/95 relegation season; his second appearance was again as
a sub, this time for Gerry Harrison, during another away defeat, in March, 2-0, at Wolves.
I recall that he impressed me that night with his aggressiveness and commitment. He ran
around and tried, and sadly, that was enough to mark him out above most of an uninterested
team. He even finished that season with a handful of Man of the Match votes, largely, I
suspect, on the strength of that performance at Wolves.
As it happens, his league debut wasn't for Burnley; that had come while on
loan at Torquay in October 1994. Having joined Burnley as a youth player in 1991, he
turned pro in July 1993, and captained the A team when they won the Lancashire League in
1994, according to the ever faithful ‘Clarets Collection’. He was then farmed
out to the English Riviera to gain experience. I seem to remember that there was some
speculation that they might be interested in signing him permanently, but that didn’t
happen; he came back to play the odd game, filling in at fullback or in midfield as
suspensions (of which that season there were far too many) and injuries took their toll.
Brass got his first start, oddly enough at left back, replacing Chris Vinnicombe, in a 2-1
home defeat against Millwall, and started in midfield for an away defeat, 3-1, at
Southend, struggling badly to replace another injured player, Steve Thompson. Yes, that
word ‘defeat’ keeps being used: he took part in five games that season, only one
of which was a win, and even that a crazy 4-3 cliff-hanger at home to Port Vale. This set
the tone for the next few years of struggle. Brass had hit the first team at a bad time
for Burnley.
By the end of that season, at the age of 19, he'd firmly established
himself in the reserves, with 25 appearances, according to the records. In the 1995-96
season, he carried on playing for the reserves, but gradually began to get more first team
games. Ironically, in view of the fact that this later turned out to be his best position,
the magazine carried a report of an away reserve match at Preston, in which it was
remarked:
"I don't see too many games for Parkinson or Brass as central
defenders."
Brass established himself as the first team right back for a spell when
Gary Parkinson was out, but he was injured in February and missed the rest of the season.
Adrian Heath was the manager by the time he returned to action. One thing in Heath's
favour was that he liked picking younger players, and Brass became a regular, moving from
right back into central defence, often playing as one of three central defenders.
In a report on a dull 0-0 draw at Chesterfield in September 1996, his
emerging importance to the side seems to be emphasised by this remark:
"Brass played well despite three savage attacks on him, all
unpunished."
Speed was one the assets Brass brought to the team, as this comment from a
report on a 0-0 draw at Plymouth in November 1996 shows:
"Brass has supplied extra pace at the back. God knows, it's needed
with Swan in the pivotal role."
Brass was probably at his best when playing in a central back three,
particularly when he had a marking job to do. One of his finest Burnley performances was
in a cup match at Liverpool in January 1997. We lost a poor match 1-0, but Brass emerged
with a lot of credit. We said:
"Chris Brass has matured into possibly our best defender… I
remember not so long ago some of the things that were said about Chris Brass in the first
few games, and yet this weekend he has kept Steve McManaman quiet."
In a magazine editorial in March 1997, when Heath's strengths and
weaknesses were discussed, on the positive side was:
"He has blooded several of the youngsters and stood by them when they
were criticised. When Brass first played, nobody rated him. Look at him now!"
There was even a moment that season when promotion looked possible, when a
group of young players produced a stirring 3-1 win at Walsall. This list is a glimpse of
what might have been:
"Weller, Matthew, Cooke, Brass and Smith were all outstanding."
However, at the end of that season, which fizzled out, it seemed to be
felt that the defence as a whole was weak and we conceded soft goals. It was said that:
"We need two quality defenders to play in the centre with
Brass."
And Heath himself seemed to acknowledge the shortcomings of his defence,
stating in an interview that it was unfair to expect Brass to play against huge attackers,
and that he would have brought in two specialist central defenders, but didn't have the
money.
This was probably Brass' best season. He finished second to David Eyres in
the end of season Player of the Year vote: not bad for a 21 year old.
As we know, Heath didn’t hang around to do the job, but Brass didn't
do too badly under next manager chris waddle either. At least, he did less badly than
many.
For the opening day of that 1997/98 waddle season, when we lost 1-0 to
Watford away, it was stated:
"Eyres and Brass simply carried on their excellent form of last
season."
However, as we know, it didn’t take long for waddle's failings to
become plain. He couldn't help tinkering with line ups and formations. After one
particularly abject defeat, at home to Rotherham in the FA Cup, we said:
"Brass and Weller started as wing backs. Brass is not a wing back,
good defender though he is, and Weller was on the wrong flank."
It was during the thankfully brief waddle reign that Brass scored his only
goal for Burnley, in an emphatic 7-2 home win against, naturally enough, York, that came
in January during a brief and unsustained purple patch of form.
When Marlon Beresford left suddenly in March 1998, Brass became, already,
the club's longest serving player, at the still tender age of 22. He thereby symbolised
the turmoil the club was in and the lack of continuity that dogged us.
It was a traumatic year, and Brass was one of our few players to emerge
with credit. In an editorial from April 1998, near the end of that rotten season, waddle's
lack of fighting talk was discussed, and it was observed:
"I've heard more of this from Chris Brass than from waddle."
Which sums up Brass's attitude, and waddle's. As we know, somehow we
stopped up. In the 1997/98 Player of the Year vote, Brass came sixth. This was decent for
a still young player in a badly struggling team. Far more experienced players had let the
side down in comparison.
As several of the above comments suggest, there was always some discussion
about where best Brass might play. Although initially a right back, his best games came in
central defence. Under waddle, he was back to playing right back for much of the time. As
was observed in November 1997:
"Brass seems out of position at right back. Ironically this was his
former position, but he became so accomplished in that centre back / sweeper berth.
Reversion seems difficult for him."
He was pretty fast and a good tackler, but passing wasn't his strong point
and he could get caught out of position. As in the game against Liverpool, the thing he
really excelled at was man-marking, which called on his strengths of determination and
hard work. He would simply attach himself to his opponent and follow him about the pitch,
trying his best to stop him getting and using the ball. I think the debate about what his
best position was indicated, at least, some agreement amongst the support that he should
be in the team somewhere. Given that, at 5'9", he was short to play as a central
defender, there was always some discussion about whether he could play in midfield. Such
debate was usually settled on the rare occasions when he did play there. As ever, he would
try his hardest, but he was only ever a peripheral player in that area. After our
scandalously inept 4-0 hammering at Fulham in December 1998, we observed, with clinching
decisiveness.
"We can all see that Brass cannot play in midfield."
Despite this tendency to pick him in an unsuitable position, Ternent, who
was of course by then the manager, obviously rated him at the start. Brass was given a new
contract in July 1998, shortly after Stan had taken over, and was made captain for the
start of the 1998/99 season. At 23, he was a young captain. Perhaps he was too young to
lead the side. Perhaps it was a tough break for his career to be handed premature
responsibility. But those were hard times, and our squad was translucently thin. Kids were
making up the numbers, and there were far many players less experienced than Brass.
That season, Brass played initially at right back, before moving to
central defence when Gordon Armstrong was signed, and becoming part of a back three when
Brian Reid joined us. Does that give you some idea of our meagre playing assets at that
time? He then got pushed into midfield for a home game against Wigan, during which he
picked up an injury which kept him out for a month. Despite his inability to play in
midfield, that was where he continued to be picked, presumably as much because of our lack
of a squad as any other reason. He still looked more the part when he was allowed to play
in central defence. After a 1-0 home win against Blackpool in November 1998, we wrote:
"Brass was outstanding in central defence, enjoying easily his finest
hour so far in that difficult position. He held the line, kept things organised and
avoided the spread of the panic which has proved our undoing in recent games."
He was voted man of the match in several early season games, but as the
team began to struggle, so did Brass. When in December 1998 we inspiringly re-signed Steve
Davis, it was Brass who was dropped. In the game before that, a dreadful 1-1 home draw to
Lincoln, we noted:
"Brass couldn’t get near his man… Even Brass’ lunging
attempt at an own goal couldn’t put the ball in the net."
For Davis' first game back, a 0-0 home draw against Walsall, Brass had
dropped to the bench, and was sub not used.
At that half way point of the season, this is what was said:
"Currently the future looks bleak for Chris Brass, who looked
completely shot on my last viewing. With the Davis signing it looks like Stan will play a
flat back four, whereas Chris' big strength was being the extra man in a five, in the
Heath/Ward era. He didn't look absolutely convincing last season as right back, and my
guess now is that he will serve as a stop gap right sided defender. I feel really sorry
for Chris as he has had injury problems and got landed with the burden of captaincy at a
very young age in a very difficult era. Furthermore he has probably suffered more than any
other player, with the exception of Cooke, from the managerial merry go round, playing
under four different managers and even more assistants. Unlike Cooke, Brassy has also had
to carry the burden of filling a number of roles for which he is unsuited, such as
midfield dynamo. Hopefully he will re-gain his confidence as, on his day, he is one of the
best defenders at the club."
After starting the season as captain, he was now once again playing for
the reserves. And, after playing in most of the games before then, his only appearance in
January was as a sub for an injured Gordon Armstrong in a 2-1 defeat to Chesterfield. By
the end of that month, he wasn't even on the bench. As the squad had grown and added
experience, he was out in the cold.
It was towards the end of February that he got back into the team, thanks
to the usual suspensions in central defence. Despite the fact that it was another terrible
day, with a depressing 2-0 defeat at High Wycombe, Brass played well. Our report said:
"We should acknowledge Brass’s efforts. For after a shaky start,
he became our best player. His frantic covering duties must have made him feel at home.
December once more. He will have good reason to feel pissed off if he doesn’t keep
his place next week."
He kept his place, but unfortunately, 'next week' was the infamous
horrorshow that was our 5-0 home defeat by Gillingham. Brass was substituted at half time,
by which point we were 4-0 down. Suspension kept him out of the even worse subsequent 6-0
hammering by Man City. After that, of course, we rallied. Brass played a vital part in the
run that took us to safety. What comes through from match report comments of that time is
his determination and commitment. And at home to Bournemouth, his man-marking skills were
again apparent in a 0-0 draw:
"They were shot shy, which may seem surprising, given that they had
excellent-player-at-this-level Mark Stein leading their attack, but he was man marked out
of the game by Brass, who has found his best position and was again given a role at which
he excels… Bournemouth's approach to the game was summed up by the substitution of
Stein with a minute to go. He took an age to slouch off. It was surprising Brass didn't
follow him."
While away at Stoke, for an extraordinary, Little-inspired 4-1 win:
"Our defending was at times heart stopping and last ditch, but then,
Brass is an excellent last ditch defender."
Then there was the home match against Fulham, when we beat the Champions
1-0 to stay up:
"Brass spent the whole afternoon groping and grinding with Hayles,
refusing the lightning striker any space to run into. Definitely a home win, there…
It was good to see Brass regain form and confidence."
Away at Wigan, for a meaningless 0-0 draw on a blindingly sunny day:
"This made it all the more important that Brass continued along this
new sensible and solid career trajectory, where once he seemed in unstoppable
decline."
Chris Brass came a creditable fifth in the London Clarets Player of the
Year results for 1998-99. It seemed that he would consolidate his position in the team and
go on to develop as a player. And then we signed Mitchell Thomas and Dean West. Now,
unlike ever before, he had competition. It was significant that, when squad numbers were
introduced for the first time that summer, West was 2, Thomas 3, Davis 5 and Armstrong 6.
Brass was 14. As it happened, he missed the start of that season with a groin strain.
With Thomas in stupendously commanding form in central defence, and West
getting picked at right back, when Brass recovered he tended to be sub, and a sub not used
at that. This was a sudden change in status. His only game in the early months of the
season was the away match at Bristol Rovers, where with Davis injured, he was detailed to
mark the lethal Jamie Cureton:
"Only real highlights were the performances of Thomas and Brass, who
both had storming games."
But Brass was back to being a sub not used for the next game, and once
again a mainstay of the reserves. He only got in now when West was injured, as happened
for a couple of games in November. When he got another game, he probably wished he was
still on the bench. He came in for an unwell Mitchell Thomas at Bury on Boxing Day, and it
finished 4-2. We said:
"Brass was hopeless in the centre of defence. It underlined how
important the, at the time much maligned, signing of Thomas has been to the club, and of
course we were disadvantaged by Davis' sending off, but I expected better from Brass. He
looked lost."
He wasn't even a sub in the next game. He fared no better in his next
appearance, as a sub in a 1-1 draw at Chesterfield. Two comments from the match were:
"Brass replaced Armstrong on 52 minutes but struggled badly,
mistiming tackles and falling in critical situations."
"We replaced the only player who looked comfortable, Gordon Armstrong
(apparently he was injured) with a player I thought was Brass but played more like
me!"
It was at about this time that the first rumours that he would be allowed
to leave Burnley began. When we signed Ian Cox in February 2000, the writing was truly on
the wall. Indeed, early reports suggested that Brass would be a makeweight in the deal,
going the other way to Bournemouth. Whatever the truth of this, the rumour itself was
significant. It wouldn't be surprising if he went now, and he clearly no longer had a
future with us. Ternent had, it seemed, decided that the answer lay elsewhere, and even in
the face of injuries and suspensions, would shuffle his team about rather than call on
Brass. It had been an unexpected change of fortune for a player who had played so many
games in the three seasons before.
His last game of that season, and what turned out to be the last of his
134 games for Burnley, came in March, when he came on as a half time sub for Andy Cooke in
a 3-0 home defeat by Preston. Two comments from that game are:
"Brass did little wrong but his introduction was never going to bring
the inspiration required."
"Brass introduced some pace into our less than fleet-footed defence
and had a good half, often the only man back as we pushed forward."
But it was a downbeat end. As we bounced back from that low to surge on to
a joyous promotion, Brass was reduced to watching from the sidelines. Characteristically,
he still played a key role in leading the celebrations of our success.
At the end of the season, he wasn’t forgotten:
"Am at a loss to explain Brassy’s season. At one time the rising
young star of the Claret defence. Had a great game at Bristol man-marking Cureton, and at
Cambridge, but was poor at Luton… Tends to clear the ball via the stratosphere a bit
too much for my liking. One year on his contract to go, and really a make or break
season."
In the summer, Brass said he would stay and fight for his place at the
club, but he wasn't even in the squad for the first team friendlies. Then he picked up
another injury. But on 23 September, Brass returned to first team football… for
Halifax. He'd joined them on loan, one of five reserve players going out on loan on the
same day, in what looked like a Ternent statement of intent. Brass' first game for Halifax
was a win against his other club, Torquay. On the same day, Burnley were emphasising the
change in our status with a 1-0 away win at Huddersfield.
Brass was back after a month. Halifax's new manager, Paul Bracewell, said
they'd like to sign him but couldn't afford him, while Ternent maintained that he'd
recalled him. Brass himself said it had been good to play again, but added, winningly:
"I would have run back to be playing at Burnley."
Halifax, by the way, had mostly employed him in a midfield holding role.
Things didn’t get any better for the lad. He was immediately linked
with a loan move to Rochdale, which is pretty insulting. The nearest he got to a first
team game was being sub not used in the New Year's Day 2-1 home defeat against Wolves,
when Davis was out, and he was then rumoured to be interesting Northampton, perhaps for a
loan. His last game in any kind of Burnley shirt turned out to be against Wolves Reserves,
in a 2-1 home reserve win. It had already been strongly rumoured by then that Brass was
one of a clutch of players who had been told he could leave, and Rotherham were reported
to be interested, having failed to sign, ironically, Gary Parkinson. York's move for him
rather came out of the blue. Having got good value out of an earlier Burnley free
transfer, Peter Swan, they must have been tempted to try another. Brass, still only 25,
had gone. Stan Ternent commented:
"Chris has been a great servant to this football club. He has been
part of the first team squad for many years and has done a tremendous job for Burnley
Football Club."
Brass was a heart and soul player, never one of the most skilful, but
bursting with commitment. Ultimately, he probably suffered a bit because of his
willingness and workrate. That made managers think of him as a ‘filling in’
player, who could play in a variety of positions, but really, he couldn’t. He was too
often asked to play in unsuitable positions, and so never really made one his own. He
would always try his best, but he didn’t really play enough games in his strongest
spot, within of a trio of central defenders. He also suffered from being at the club in
some truly lousy times. Who’ll know how he might have fared at a more stable club
which gave him the opportunity to develop?
On leaving Burnley, Chris Brass said:
"It's disappointing to be moving away from Burnley, with the affinity
that I will always have with the club, but I haven't been playing of late, and I need to
be playing first team football, and moving to York is going to give me that
opportunity… I have absolutely fantastic memories, even from the first year when I
arrived at the club. We got out of the old fourth division when we won the Championship,
and it's ironic that the Championship celebrations that I had at York stick in my memory
every time I have visited Bootham Crescent, and when I have been having talks with York,
and I am sure that every time I play for York. I will always have fond memories of then.
The progress made by the club is phenomenal. People have had a few moans here and there,
but everything seems on the right track now. It's good to see, and because of the time and
service that I have spent at the club, I have ultimately become a fan, so I will always
look out for the club and I think as the old saying goes 'Once you're a Claret you are
always a Claret'. I will certainly miss Burnley Football Club, and especially the fans. I
have gone on record, on a number of occasions saying how much the fans are important to
Burnley Football Club, and I think they are the biggest part of the Club. I came to the
Club when I was 13 years old, and watched a game, when there was about three and a half
thousand, against Mansfield, and even then, it is just a special feeling about Turf Moor,
and looking across at the Director's box, and across at the Longside, it does get to you.
I would also just like the fans to know that it is has saddened me to leave Burnley
Football Club, and I don't think many footballers in today's game can put their hand on
their heart and say that. These days it's a lot of me, me, and me in football, but I'll
always have fond memories of Burnley, and I know I will always get a warm welcome when I
come back. I will still be around in the area, because I have a lot of contacts and a lot
of friends here. I will be leaving a lot of friends behind, but I am sure I will move onto
pastures new, and meet a lot of new friends."
As a Burnley supporter, this is of course heart-warming stuff. It sums up
the man, and to say he doesn't come from Burnley (Brass was born in Easington in Durham),
it's clear that Burnley has had a profound affect on him. If I was a York fan, however, I
might feel a bit worried about that statement. I might think that a player harping on so
much about his old club lacked the focus he needs to succeed at his new club. After all,
it’s a make or break move for Brass. He either has a career now, or he hasn’t.
But I think they can be assured that he will work hard and try his best. If they play him
at the back, they’ll find him a useful player. Just don’t pick him in midfield.
Firmo
with comments taken from contributions to the London Clarets magazine and
website from:
Julian Booth, Cozzo, Dave Parker, Hego, Tim Quelch, Whitto and Igor Wowk
March 2001
