Brown finds way to Easter Road after 45-year journey

New Hibernian assistant manager Billy Brown reckons his move across the Edinburgh football divide could be his last port of call 45 years after having the chance to start his career at Easter Road.

Brown, who served in the dugout alongside Jim Jefferies for 23 years at Hearts, Kilmarnock, Falkirk and Bradford City, was unveiled by the Leith outfit yesterday as manager Colin Calderwood’s new number two.

Musselburgh-born Brown grew up as Hibs fan but opted to join English side Hull City in the 60s when he made the move into the professional game.

He said: “It just so happens that I’ve ended up where I could have started, I had a wee chance to join Hibs when I left school. Maybe the club I thought was going to be my first club could end up being my last one.

“When I was a wee boy, I think it’s widely known that I had a Hibs affiliation at that time. I think in general, that kind of thing is exaggerated.

“When I left school at 15 to go to Hull City, Hull City were my club and every club I’ve been with since then I’ve been their best supporter and been behind everything they’ve done.”

Brown, who will be in Hibs technical area for the first time in today’s lunch-time clash at Dunfermline, added: “I was of the generation that a lot of people used to go to Easter Road and Tynecastle and I went to Tynecastle as well.

“Predominately I went to Easter Road because a pal of my dad’s was Willie Wilson, the Hibs goalie. We got free tickets to go there and watched the likes of Joe Baker. I was also at the Real Madrid game when Jock Stein was the manager, I was very young at that time but I can remember it and I could tell you the Hibs team. When I came back from England, Eddie Turnbull was still here and I saw his good team as well. I can remember all the great Hibs players, the best I’ve seen was Willie Hamilton.”

Hibs defender Paul Hanlon welcomed the arrival of Brown. “He’s got lots of experience in Scottish football and he knows the game here inside-out,” said the Scotland Under-21 international. “The manager has his own ideas and is trying his best to get them across, but if he feels he needs an assistant then that’s his decision.”

Hanlon also called on Hibs fans to get behind the side as they attempt to move off the foot of the SPL.

The Easter Road side have taken a meagre four points from six matches, with the poor start to the campaign including a morale-sapping defeat at Tynecastle and a dour 0-0 home draw with second-from-bottom Aberdeen, after which Hibs were jeered from the field.

Hanlon admits that “the table doesn’t lie” as Hibernian sit in the relegation zone ahead of today’s tussle with Dunfermline.

The 21-year-old defender, who could captain the team at East End Park if Ian Murray’s knee complaint keeps him out, knows it is imperative for his side to start putting points on the board. “We’re bottom of the league; the table doesn’t lie,” he said. “But it is in our hands to get out of this and we’ll be looking to put things right. I’d ask the fans to stick with us. They pay good money to watch the team and we’re not giving them the performances that they want.

“[Booing] is not a worry; they’re just showing frustration. It is the same frustration as we have, because we want to win games too. That’s football, and we need to try to put that right. Hopefully if we can get things right on the field then they’ll come and give us their backing, like they always have.

“Dunfermline will undoubtedly be tough. They’ve done very well since they came back up to the SPL, but first and foremost we have to concentrate on ourselves and try to play our own game.

“It might be a case of a small bit of luck – an own goal or a deflection – which could win us the game and change our season, but we won’t be relying on luck.”