Ken Brown Sr, a West Ham United great, turns 90 this month, and supporters are welcome to join him in celebrating.
Ken, who now lives in Norwich, has fond memories of his long and illustrious footballing career, particularly at West Ham United, where he developed in his formative years under the renowned Academy greats of the 1950s before becoming a key member of the 1958 Second Division title-winning team, the 1964 FA Cup-winning side, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph a year later.
Ken, a fearless and dominating centre-half, developed a remarkable partnership with Bobby Moore in the mid-1960s. He made 474 appearances for Claret and Blue throughout a 15-year playing career, including Hammer of the Year in 1959 and one full England cap the following year.
Ken, a charismatic and larger-than-life character, moved into management after retiring from football, leading Norwich City to League Cup triumph in 1985 before going on to coach Shrewsbury and Plymouth. Ken’s outstanding career was recognized in 2018 when West Ham United presented him with our Lifetime Achievement Award.
As he approaches his 90th birthday, Ken’s family is asking cards from friends and supporters, particularly those who may have special recollections or anecdotes from his football career or from seeing him in person.
Ken’s wife, Elaine, stated, “On his 80th birthday, we presented Ken a book with many letters from family and friends, which he adored.
“We felt it would be a nice idea to contact people and ask if they wanted to send a card, possibly commemorating any particular recollections or personal experiences they had with Ken over the years.
We’ll give him all of the cards when we come together as a family to celebrate his birthday. We’ll capture his reactions so that others can understand what it means to him. We would greatly appreciate it.