Frank Brown

Frank Brown

By Malc King

John Frank Brown played for Gloucester from 1876 to 1883, and was captain from 1879 to 1883. He was a splendid and inspiring leader, who built the Gloucester side into a formidable team.

His final year as captain, 1882-3, was the club's first unbeaten season.   Under his captaincy the game grew greatly in popularity in Gloucester, and it was mainly through his efforts that the club rose to high national status. This all happened before the formation of Gloucester Association Football Club in 1889, and was therefore instrumental in establishing Gloucester as principally a rugby city, a legacy which persists to this day.  

Part of his leadership contribution was to expand rugby into the local community - he organised the Gloucester Post Office and Gloucester Thursday teams, and also encouraged the establishment of parish teams, which were later to prove such an asset in the development of players who would go on to play for Gloucester. Indeed the first 2 working class players, George Coates and Tommy Bagwell, were recruited into the Gloucester team under Frank's captaincy.  

In 1884, his huge contribution to the club was marked with the presentation of a testimonial in the form of a gold watch and chain. £60 was collected for this purpose - it would undoubtedly have been more but for Frank declining to have collecting boxes placed around the ground - he wanted people to come forward voluntarily.  

Frank Brown was born in Bristol, but his father, a railway foreman, moved the family to Gloucester and they lived at 41, Upper Falkner Street. Frank went to the CryptSchool, and by the time he started as a Gloucester player he was employed as a post office clerk. The qualities which he had demonstrated on the rugby field served him well in his job as well, and later in life he ended up as Post Master General in South Africa.  

He was a sportsman in many fields. He was captain of Gloucester Cricket Club, for whom he was a demon bowler, and he organised the County Cricket Club, as well as the Gloucester Amateur Athletic Association and Rowing Club, and was Chairman of the Lawn Tennis Club.