Often Partisan

The Rise of Reece Brown

Reece Brown made his debut in Birmingham City’s 3-0 defeat to Burnley, capping a meteoric rise for the seventeen year old. Capped by England at u17 level, Brown made his debut despite still being an academy scholar and is working towards his first professional contract.

I first saw Brown play for the u18 team in the FA Youth Cup last season and he immediately stood out as a real prospect in the middle. Although he is still quite slight and small, he showed some real skill on the ball and some good vision with his passes which earmark him as a playmaker type, who can dictate the pace and tempo of a game.

In both home ties in the FA Youth Cup I saw (WBA and Bristol City) Reece was either man of the match of close to it. At 16 he was one of the younger players in the squad yet he outshone the older players around him due to his class – I can remember the coaching staff purring with delight in the press box over the way he was able to win the ball and start attacks.

He continued his growth within the team playing for the development squad in the preseason friendly against Solihull Moors, scoring twice and again standing out as potentially one of the men of the match. Whilst his first goal was a tap-in thanks to the unselfish work of others his second was a 25 yarder that ripped into the net and embarrassed senior players like Peter Lovenkrands who had been shot-shy all evening.

Despite Blues having a relative surplus of midfielders – particularly central midfielders Brown has been around the first team squad since the start of the season and made his non-competitive bow for the first team in the final friendly of the season against Hull City, where once again he didn’t look out of place.

I think it would be too much to ask of the youngster for him to feature too often for the first team but he has set himself a bar now to reach – making a first appearance in the first XI is seen by many as a pinnacle of achievement for an Academy scholar but the reality is the hard work begins now to maintain that standard and keep making appearances. It will be a test of the Dudley-born midfielder’s mental strength and drive; however, from what I have seen he has got the right attitude and has pushed on hard – and there is just a chance he could become the latest starlet to roll off the Academy production line into a pro contract.

I think Clark is also trying to make a point by playing Reece Brown to other players within the team who maybe aren’t giving it as much in training; Clark has never seemingly had a qualm with dropping players who he thinks aren’t putting the effort in and bringing in kids who are. It might just be that other central midfielders at the club might be given a subtextual message that they won’t get game time unless they train hard and show they’re worth a position. I know some people don’t agree with this methodology but I think it worked wonders for Ravel Morrison last season and it’s only a shame West Ham are reaping the rewards of that rather than Blues.

For Brown, however, his next challenge is simple. A pro contract and a first team start – and if he continues improving at the level he has of late he won’t be waiting long for either.

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41 Responses to “The Rise of Reece Brown”

  • Frankie says:

    Wouldn’t it be an idea to get him signed up on a 5 year contract then ?

    • almajir says:

      Five year contracts cost money. What don’t Blues have?

      (also, I wouldn’t have thought Blues would offer more than 2-3 years at the very most for an academy prospect).

    • Mike says:

      I hope Brown develops well and helps us in our times of trouble, however the owners will still flog him for twopence the moment someone offers it !!! Get used to it !!

      Yeung and Pannu are a disgrace to all football !!!!

  • dave mann says:

    i bet the lads really proud to represent blues at such a tender age,lets hope he develops
    with us and we can keep hold off him, well done on your debut reece,the only shinning
    light on a bad night at burmley.KRO.

  • James says:

    He looked good on tuesday night, raw but decent, not afraid to take a man on which is something we have been missing, quick feet aswell.

  • Bluepenguin1976 says:

    Lets hope he doesnt do too well…..he will be sold in January!.

  • fletch says:

    MY FAVOURITE SIDE WOULD BE

    1.. COTON
    2.. LANGAN
    3..DENNIS
    4.. KENDALL
    5.. BLAKE
    6.. BURNS
    7..CAMPBELL
    8…FRANCIS
    9..LATCHFORD
    10..WORTHINGTON
    11.. DOMINGEUZ

    SUBS
    MONTGOMERY… HATTON… GALLAGHER… HOPKINS…. TODD

  • fletch says:

    MY WORST EVER SIDE

    1 … ANDY GOSNEY
    2…TOMMY CARROLL
    3…ARCHIE STYLES
    4… DEAN PEER
    5… BRAGSTAD
    6 .. ADRIAN BIRD
    7… PAUL GORMAN
    8… TREVOR AYLOTT
    9… CARL RICHARDS
    10… MARCUS BENT
    11… TONY VAN MEIRLO

    I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO COME UP WITH A WORST FORWARD LINE THAN MINE [LMBO]

  • Blue graham says:

    Whats the point of playing them anyway, if they do well and add to the side like Reilly/ Hancox undoubtedly did the 2nd half of last season you get dropped ?

    • James says:

      Hancox has only just come back from injury, and I dont see where Reilly would fit in with Spector and Adeyemi playing well

      • chris says:

        well spector has also been playing at the back and Elliot and Adeyemi can’t be playing that well when we’re leaking goals and not scoring (not just having a dig at those 3) so why doesn’t reilly get a look in?
        it’s okay LC saying do it in training but if those playing aren’t doing it, you have to try someone else at some point.

  • edd77 says:

    lingard has signed for a month from utd

  • Murph says:

    I really liked reilly last season and was hoping for more of the same , don’t want to slate Clark but we need more strength up front but he seems to keep getting in players like Allan that we don’t really need .

  • Bluenosesol says:

    Hoping that Reece, Lingard and Ziggy can make the difference on Saturday. Jones reckons that Wednesday have a good chance, because of the pressure that the Birmingham fans are putting the players under at home!!!!

    http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-owls-can-cash-in-1-6061609

  • dave mann says:

    ide include murphy in that to Bluenosesol, lets see them play saturday and get a result
    because jones is right the blues fans do put to much pressure on the team, some fans should realise that this is a team off cast offs, loanes and freebies and cut out the bullying that
    some fans put on the players, weve more chance off winning by SUPPORTING them and
    not crucifiying them, take hint all you boo boys!.KRO.

    • chris says:

      Don’t think the fans are expecting too much and i’m sure the manager and maybe some of the players create that pressure on themselves, when they have only won 8 league games in just over a year at home.

  • dave mann says:

    lingards only with us till october 20th when he can play in the live game against leeds
    so a message to lee clark, play him and not leave him on the bench because otherwise
    whats the point! KRO.

  • James says:

    Lingard will start saturday but Ziggy still not fit

  • dave mann says:

    why did he get injured in the u21s game cause ive heard nothing?KRO.

  • Chris W says:

    He showed some good touches against Hull, I remember saying he will be one to watch this coming season.
    Though he came on for the last 20 odd minutes Tuesday he was a rare bright spot on a otherwise miserable night, again showing he is not afraid or overawed by his rise to the first team.
    Hopefully he will be a bigger part of this hard long season.
    KRO

  • Tony says:

    Lingard is an attacking midfielder, please god dont play him up front

  • mark says:

    Returning back to reece brilliant news that clark got the balls to play the young fella. If it keeps the loans players out surely that credit to us. After all they are loans players. Quietly our homegrown players are slowly coming back in….. I hope clark continue with bedding our young players in. I have mentioned before love to see our team with home grown players in.

  • mark says:

    Point I must say is reece will have no better place than the championship to do the business……..

  • sutton apex says:

    great prospect but another sign of a team full of kids,freebies,loans etc – relegation battle a cert !!

  • Marky mark says:

    Zigic and Murphy will be on the bench at best as there not match fit, Lingard will be played out of position, Reece Brown will be dropped as he showed promise, Loverman could get a start because he ran quickly in training today, Novak will definitely start as he won a round of paper,rock, scissors against Green.

    The rest of the squad have to wait to see if the come out the hat, god help us!

  • mark says:

    Funny really a couple of wins and your half way in the table….. Any team can just click, with 39 games to go…….. I would panic with 10 to go and in the same position……..people really do need to chill…….. Myself i would like to see as many fans who can get to the match on saturday who want to be there get behind the lads.

  • mark says:

    Dan you said you watch u21 do we have any of our younger players what can play defensive midfielder role who loves defending, break play up…. Do we have any young players with that ilk coming through???……..

  • Tony says:

    Who the hell is running the press office down there? photo of lingard holding up what looks like a vile shirt with a no 9 on the back and no name.Bad to worse

  • blue exile says:

    Saw Lingard out here in Oz against the All Stars. Had a good game and scored a couple…..could easily have been a hat trick…..showed good skill and awareness around the box. Hope he fits in quickly with us…but then again he can’t be any worse!!

  • Alex T says:

    Well, I hope Reece Brown doesn’t get too much success too quickly….

    If he plays out of his skin and commands a regular 1st team spot by the end of the season, and our loser owner and his puppet havent sold the club before then, you can guarantee he’ll be sold for £2.50, a Beano and a packet of space invaders!

    P.s. I had a dream the other night that Pannu got sent down with Yeung…. Now wouldn’t that be great!? They could share a cell :-D

  • Lee says:

    With the set up the way it is at blues at the mo this could be a breath of fresh air for us, besides one or two most of our new signings clearly are just not good enough, others on loan and the out of contract players must be an absolute nightmare to manage, most can just walk away after collecting their salary for a year and just not give a f**k, this young lad had everything to prove, and above all will want too, play him every week for me


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