​It was hailed as “the biggest shock of the soccer season.” Sunderland stood a mere forty-five days from their First Division opener when, seemingly from nowhere, the Bomber delivered the bombshell: he was resigning to take the manager’s position at Sheffield Wednesday. Brown had assumed control in the wake of the Mr. Smith scandal, the illegal payments affair that unsettled the club in 1957. The repercussions of that debacle rippled far and wide, ultimately contributing to Sunderland’s first-ever relegation in 1957/58, a misfortune that coincidentally befell Sheffield Wednesday as well.
Brown’s tenure saw a sweeping, root-and-branch overhaul of the club. He was granted extraordinary authority by the board, shaping every facet from the playing staff and coaches to training facilities, and establishing a nationwide scouting network designed to uncover the brightest young talents across the region and the country. Under his leadership, Sunderland set out to craft a team defined by skill, resilience, and integrity, with character as much as talent at its core.
Recognised as one of the most progressive coaches in the country, Brown’s methods earned praise from the Football Association. Its secretary, the renowned Stanley Rous, convinced Brown to return to football after his retirement from playing, and the FA frequently enlisted him to deliver coaching seminars and courses. The appointment reflected a broader belief that his approach could raise standards nationwide.
It took six demanding seasons, including two agonising near-misses at the end of campaigns, before promotion finally arrived in 1963/64. During those years, Brown often described himself as “one of the most hated men on Wearside,” as he faced hostile crowds seeking instant success and a local press that was all too ready to join the chorus of protest when results faltered. Yet, many within the game and among his players believed that Sunderland, once promoted, would establish themselves in the First Division and build on that success.
Len Ashurst, a product of Brown’s recruitment in 1957, typified Brown’s former players in many ways. In his autobiography, Left-Back in Time, he contended: “Under respective managers Don Revie and Alan Brown, Sunderland and Leeds were expected to push on and take the First Division by storm after winning promotion in 1964. Leeds did exactly that, sweeping all before them domestically and abroad. Sunderland, however, descended into almost terminal self-imposed decline. The reason, in our view, was our manager, Alan Brown, who bitterly and incredibly departed the club a few weeks after the glorious promotion season had ended.”
Captain Charlie Hurley was taken aback by the news, as close as any player to Brown and utterly unaware that such a move was imminent. He recalled it as “very sad, a sad day for me and I know a sad day for all the youngsters he had given a chance to.”