Bobby Browne

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Robert James Browne (or Bobby Browne) (born 9 February 1912 in Derry, Ireland and died 1994) was a former Irish footballer who played as a wing half.

Browne began his career with his local team, Derry City FC. There, he won a North-West Senior Cup and represented the Irish League in 1935. However, the Leeds United manager of the 1930s, Billy Hampson, seemed to have predilection for young Irish talent, and one of the first he brought to Elland Road was Derry-man, Browne. It took a £1,500 fee to prise the talented wing-half from Derry in October 1935, and he went on to make well over a hundred appearances in the Leeds first-team.

Bobby Browne, who had grown up more familiar with the Gaelic code, was never assured of his place at Leeds, but was capped six times for Ireland during his stay, the first just weeks after arriving in Yorkshire. During the Second World War, Browne continued to make appearances for Leeds when available, and also guested for Watford.

When the Football League resumed in 1946, Browne was 34 years-old, and he played one more season with Leeds before finishing his career with York City. Later Bobby Browne joined the coaching staff at Halifax Town, and was briefly caretaker manager in October and November 1954.

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