From a journalist’s perspective, Craig Brown was an absolute dream.
He was engaging, polite and always tried his best to give you something interesting to write about.
Despite the many demands and pressures of being manager of Aberdeen Football Club, Craig always made time to speak to the local press.
His stint working as a match reporter for the Sunday Post probably meant that he was far more sympathetic than most football managers to those working against a deadline and with empty pages to fill.
Warm and heartfelt tributes
It has been no surprise to read the many warm and heartfelt tributes to Craig since the sad news of his death was announced.
When I first met Craig he was about to speak at a graduation ceremony for Aberdeen College students.
I had sent him a text asking if he had 10 minutes for a quick chat on the phone to preview an upcoming match, he replied telling me to meet him at the Beach Ballroom.
We sat for a good while before the ceremony got under way with him asking more questions about me than I managed about Aberdeen’s upcoming game.
That was my first week working on The Press and Journal sports desk and I thought it was incredible for someone who had led his country at the World Cup to sit chatting with a young sports reporter for so long.
Never too busy for a chat
Craig turned out to be hugely helpful to me and the rest of my colleagues on the sports desk during his time in charge of the Dons and beyond.
Despite having been interviewed by hundreds of journalists during his illustrious career, he had a genuine interest in people.
He was never too busy for a chat and on the occasions he didn’t answer he would always ring you back.
I remember one time I sent him a message early in the day to find out if he had five minutes for a quick call.
I subsequently discovered in a chat with a Dons press officer that Craig was off to a funeral of a close relative.
I sent him a message to pass on my condolences, told him I had a Scott Vernon interview I could bring forward and not to worry about phoning me back.
Nevertheless later that day, the phone rang and it was Craig thanking me for my message and saying he was happy to speak.
“If you’ve got the questions, I’ve got the answers,” he’d say with a smile.
When he learned of our shared passion for golf we tended to speak about the latest tournaments on the European or PGA Tour for a good 10 minutes before getting down to the subject of the call, be that Aberdeen or Scotland.
He had a great way of making his interactions with you feel special and unique – and yet he was just as generous with his time to so many others.
When Derek McInnes succeeded him as Aberdeen manager and he joined the Dons board, he made a point of saying he wouldn’t discuss the Dons or provide analysis on how things were going as he felt that would be unfair on his successor.
He apologised profusely but it was a totally understandable and principled stance.
Passion for Aberdeen – club and city
He had a real passion for Aberdeen – both the football club and the city as a whole. He was really determined to play his part in bringing some pride back to the Dons, having been appointed manager in 2010 when the club was in disarray.
Similar to his time in charge of Scotland, Craig’s work was possibly appreciated more after he left Pittodrie than at the time.
He inherited a struggling team at the foot of the table and he guided the Dons away from danger. He also helped lay the foundations for the success that was to follow under McInnes by recruiting players such as Russell Anderson, Niall McGinn, Jonny Hayes and Mark Reynolds.
As Scotland manager, the national team was regularly competing at major tournaments.
He remains the last man to take Scotland to a World Cup – some 25 years ago now – but there was no one more happy than Craig when Steve Clarke guided the national team to Euro 2020.
As Craig would often remind us, when he was taking the country to major tournaments it was far tougher to qualify. At Euro 96 there were only 16 teams, there will be 24 at Euro 2024 in Germany next year.
Thirty-two teams competed at the 1998 World Cup in France, while 48 countries will be in action at the 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
As you can imagine with someone who was so devoted to international football, he was particularly proud when his own players received international recognition.
I recall receiving an excited message from him when Josh Magennis had been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for the first time. Like a proud parent, he was absolutely delighted for Josh.
The sincere and touching tributes from so many of his former players following the news of his death highlights how highly he was regarded by those he managed.
It was certainly the same for those who had the pleasure of interviewing him.
He was incredibly generous with his time and his positivity, insight and humour will be greatly missed.
“Have you got enough now?” he would usually ask at the end of any interview. If only they were all like Craig.
A life in pictures: Former Aberdeen and Scotland manager Craig Brown
