RANGERS Football Club has led tributes to club legend and Helensburgh resident Bobby Brown, who has died aged 96.

Mr Brown's death was announced on the club's official website on Wednesday.

Club chairman Dave King said: “All of us connected with Rangers are deeply saddened to hear that Mr Brown, a genuine Rangers and Scotland legend, has passed away. Our thoughts are with Mr Brown’s family at this time.

“He was a wonderful servant of our club and we will remember him with great fondness.

"He was a gentleman of the game and set standards which typify what Rangers is about.”

READ MORE: From the Archives: Our 2004 chat with Rangers and Scotland legend Bobby Brown

Mr Brown joined Rangers from Queen's Park in 1946 and spent a decade at Ibrox, playing in 296 games in goal for the club – including 179 successive league games between 1946 and 1952.

Throughout his time at the club he played on a part-time basis, combining his football with a professional career as a schoolmaster.

He left the club in 1956 to play for Falkirk, and after retiring became manager of St Johnstone, before being appointed as Scotland manager in 1967.

READ MORE: Eye on Millig: New book recalls Bobby Brown's great days in football

His four years in the post included managing the national team to one of their most famous wins, a 3-2 defeat of world champions England at Wembley in 1967.

He and his wife Ruth moved to Helensburgh in 1970, and they jointly ran a seafront gift and coffee shop called 'Whichcraft'.

Mrs Brown died aged 59 shortly after the couple raised more than £16,000 to buy a blood cell processor unit for the Western Infirmary in Glasgow, following her diagnosis with a form of blood cancer.

READ MORE: Scotland legends mark Helensburgh resident Bobby Brown's 95th birthday

But Mr Brown remained in Helensburgh, and was active in several community groups in the town. 

A book about his life, ‘Bobby Brown — A life in Football, from Goals to the Dugout', was published in 2017.

Three of his successors in the Scotland dugout – Tommy Docherty, Craig Brown and Alex McLeish – attended a special lunch at Hampden Park in April 2018, organised by Variety Scotland, to mark his 95th birthday.

A minute’s silence in memory of Mr Brown will be held prior to Friday’s Scottish Cup tie with Stranraer at Ibrox.

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