Alan Bernard Brazil, born Glasgow, Scotland, June 15, 1959. Born and growing up in Glasgow, Alan Brazil initiated his fascinating soccer career with Ipswich Town at the start of the 1977-78 season. The Arthur Scargill look-alike later proceeded to serve a string of employers, including Manchester United, Coventry City, Witham Town, and Wollongong City.
A strong and powerful centre-forward with a sharp eye for goal, Alan Brazil was handed his first Football League appearance for Ipswich Town by Bobby Robson when the colourful character entered the field as a second-half substitute for Three Lions international Paul Mariner in a 2-1 First Division defeat against Dave Sexton´s Manchester United at Portman Road on the 14th of January 1978 and managed to produce 80 goals during 210 first class matches for The Tractor Boys before he joined Tottenham Hotspur for a transfer fee of £470,000 in March 1983. While at White Hart Lane, the frontman struggled to recapture his old form and he left The Lilywhites the following year when he received a new lease of life by Ron Atkinson who brought him to Manchester United for a transfer fee of around £700,000. The affable attacker was given his First Division debut for United by Big Ron in a 1-1 draw to Elton John´s Watford at Old Trafford on the 25th of August 1984 and registered his first goal for his new side in a 2-2 UEFA Cup First Round Second Leg draw with Hungarian club Raba Vasas ETO at the ETO Stadium in Gyor on the 3rd of October. He followed up by bagging a brace in a 3-0 League Cup Second Round Second Leg victory against Third Division Burnley at Turf Moor on the 9th of the same month and scored his first Division One goal for Manchester United in a 5-1 slaughtering of West Ham United at Old Trafford four days later. In a one-sided match, Gordon McQueen grabbed the opener for Manchester United with a strike from inside penalty area in the 26th minute before Brazil made it 2-0 to the home outfit after a superb individual display three minutes past the half-hour mark. Then, following the interval, Gordon Strachan, Remi Moses, and Mark Hughes added a goal each in the 50th, 63rd, and 76th minutes respectively, while Paul Goddard hit a consolation for The Hammers with five minutes left of normal time.
After scoring a consolation in a 2-1 League Cup Third Round defeat at home to Everton on the 30th of October, Brazil notched a goal in a 3-2 First Division away victory over Leicester City at Filbert Street on the 2nd of November and then netted the opener in a 3-0 top-flight mauling of Queens Park Rangers on home turf on the 15th of December. Unfortunately, his scoring dried up in the second half of the 1984-85 campaign and he only hit two more goals for the rest of the season, both of them coming in a 3-0 Division One triumph over Queens Park Rangers at Shepherd´s Bush on the 11th of May. In total, he delivered nine goals in 26 first team appearances for Manchester United during his inaugural year at Old Trafford, but he would find it increasingly difficult to displace players like Hughes, Frank Stapleton, and Norman Whiteside for a starting position. When it became quite clear to everyone, including himself, that he was not part of Atkinson´s long-term plans for United, he was transferred to Coventry City for a fee of £300,000 midway through the 1985-86 term after having contributed 12 goals in 41 first team outings for The Reds during his two seasons at the club. Failing to settle down at Highfield Road, Brazil was given a free transfer by The Sky Blues and subsequently moved on to Jim Smith´s Queens Park Rangers at the beginning of the 1986-87 campaign. The Glaswegian later provided sterling service to several clubs before he announced his retirement from football because of a serious back injury. A Scotland international, the lethal finisher accumulated a total of 13 full caps for his nation after being handed his senior debut by Jock Stein as a second-half substitute for Manchester United´s Joe Jordan in a 1-0 friendly loss to Poland at Warta Stadium in Poznan on the 28th of May 1980 and he was also a member of the squad which qualified for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Alan Brazil Playing Career: Ipswich Town, Detroit Express, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Coventry City, Queens Park Rangers, Witham Town, Wollongong City, Chelmsford City, FC Baden, Stambridge United. Playing Honours: UEFA Cup 1981, 1984.