Greg Brown

NSL Career: Melita Eagles, West Adelaide 123 (57) / 1989/90 - 1993/94

Socceroos Career: 12 (1) A Internationals / 4 (2) B Internationals

New Zealand's loss was Australia's gain when Englishman Greg Brown came to the NSL and became one of its most clinical and skilful strikers during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Towards the end of his playing career, Brown was part of a group of NSL players that formed Australia's first football players union. With cap 378, Brown was the NSL's last foreign import to represent the Socceroos.

Born in Manchester, England - Brown began his junior career at Manchester United before joining Greater Manchester side Stalybridge Celtic where he made his first team debut in the regional Cheshire County Football League at the age of 18. Brown spent a season with Sunday league side Mather & Platt before joining semi-professional side Mossley (Northern Premier League) in the 1983/84 season. Brown left England in 1985 after unsuccessful stints with Northern Premier League sides Hyde United and Southport.

Joining New Zealand National Soccer League club Napier City Rovers midway through the 1985 season, Brown made an immediate impact - winning the inaugural Jack Batty Memorial Cup as the best player in Napier City's Chatham Cup Final win against North Shore United.

Napier City were relegated at the end of the season despite Brown's impressive goalscoring form and the English striker moved to Miramar Rangers, during which time he was selected for the New Zealand national team, representing the All Whites in four B internationals.

Injuries prevented Brown from making a full international debut but the Englishman scored 15 goals in 21 NZNSL games for Miramar in the 1986 season as the side finished close runners-up to Mount Wellington, thus missing out on qualification for the inaugural Oceania Club Championship. Brown moved to Australia in 1987 and signed for NSL hopefuls Melita, but would have to play his football in the NSW Division One until 1989 when the club won back-to-back championships and gained promotion to the NSL.

As the 1989 Division One top scorer, the 27 year old Brown started his NSL career in red-hot form, scoring 14 goals in 24 league games to finish second in the NSL Golden Boot standings. The following season proved to be Melita's best in the competition up until that point - with Brown combining well again with strike partner Marshall Soper and personally scored 12 goals in 27 league games to help the club qualify for the finals series for the first time. 

Brown scored three goals in the NSL Cup - including a late winner in the final to claim Melita's first piece of silverware in the NSL before scoring the opening goal in Melita's elimination semi-final against Marconi, who won four-three in a penalty shoot-out. Brown's tally of 26 goals in his first two NSL seasons earned him a Socceroos call-up where he made his full international debut against his former representative country New Zealand. 

Following the 1990/91 NSL season, Brown had a short stint with K League club POSCO Atoms (later Pohang Steelers), making just two appearances before returning to Melita where he scored eight goals in 19 league games during the 1991/92 season. Faced with the undesirable transfer system at the end of his contract with Melita that allowed the club to stamp their own transfer fee on the striker - Brown was inspired to form a player's union. Brown had a short stint with NSW Super League side Avala before joining West Adelaide in the NSL. 

The striker scored 10 goals in 28 league games for the club, helping West qualify for the finals series for the first time. At the end of the season, Brown became the inaugural president of the Australian Soccer Players' Association (later PFA) which was formed with lawyer Brendan Schwab and NSL players such as John Kosmina and Kimon Taliadoros. 

Brown spent one more season with West, scoring 13 goals in 25 league games before retiring from top flight football. During his tenure as ASPA President, Brown helped the organisation became members of the MEAA (Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance) to settle legal disputes, established a NSL Standard Player Contract and abolished the counterproductive Transfer and Compensation Fee System.

Following his stint as ASPA President, Brown spent several seasons with Queensland Premier League club Mitchelton before hanging up his boots at the age of 41. While playing for Mitchelton, Brown was coach of the Matildas (1997-1999) - winning the 1998 OFC Women's Championship and coached the side in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.