an interview with central defender kevan brown
5 September 1998: Martin Baker (aka Badger) conducted this interview with Kevan Brown after the home match against Rushden & Diamonds (5/9/1998).
An edited verson appeared in the match programme for the home league game against Northwich Victoria, 12th September 1998. |
Obviously it was disappointing that we lost to Rushden, what good things do you think we can take out of it?
We were playing a side that have obviously made a tremendous start to the season, and have a full time playing squad. I felt we matched them in every department, and that if we had scored from one of the two or three good chances we had, especially in the first half, the game might have been very different. We've all come away from this game disappointed that we lost 1-0, which I think is a reflection on how well we've done.
So do you think we are going into Welling and Northwich in a positive sense?
I think we've got to really. If we look at since the start of the season, we've played seven games. Tony Pennock in all of those games hasn't really been overworked. If we can carry on in the manner we are now, we've moving in the right direction and we've got to be at least aiming to move up into the top six area and then take it from there.
You've played under Colin for a second time now after a successful period at Woking. What is it about Colin that has persuaded you to move down to Yeovil?
I think its a combination of both Colin and Yeovil. Obviously Colin was instrument in me coming here; I worked under him for a long time at Woking, and we had a lot of success together. Over a period of time we've become quite close, and I've got a lot of respect for him as a coach who is very tactically aware. He's ambitious, and he wants to win things with Yeovil. Yeovil are a big club and I'd love to have some of the success that we had at Woking here at Yeovil now.
Other than obviously Steve Thompson, were there any other people you knew at Yeovil before you joined?
I knew Steve Stott from the England set-up. Other than that you get to know players vaguely through playing against them, but Steve Stott was the main one.
You played your last Conference game for Woking against Welling, knowing that you were already leaving for Yeovil. How difficult was it to perform under those circumstances?
It was very difficult in fact. The situation was that Yeovil had come in and wanted to sign me. John McGovern was prepared to let me go, he had a player lined up to take my place. Then all of a sudden that player decided he wanted the weekend to think over that move. He was definitely going to sign for them, but wanted time to talk it over with his family, and so McGovern asked me if I would play one last game for Woking and that we would do the deal after that game.
It was very hard, but I think I owed it to Woking to give them my best in that last game. I’d had a lot of good times there. The nice thing for me was to know that I was coming to Yeovil, who are such a big club and there is so much potential here and as I said before it would be nice to get some success here, and to get this club buzzing and moving in the right direction.
You had one last return to Woking after that, with your testimonial match. How was that day?
It was a fantastic occasion, playing a full West Ham United first team, with a crowd of 5500 and it was a really nice send-off. It was nice to get backl there and see some of the friends I've made. When you leave a club, it's very difficult to get round to everyone to say cheerio. It was a very good evening, and it couldn't have gone better really. It was a nice way to sign off there.
How was it marking Ian Wright?
That made it even more special really. To finish off at your old club and to mark someone like Ian Wright. He actually went up in my estimation. You tend to only see these players on TV and you very rarely get a chance to play against them, and he was a down to earth fellow, very friendly afterwards. Some of the runs he made, made me realise what a good player he is. He's the sort of player when you are marking him, you can't rest for a minute, because if you do he's in and he'll score.
Is there anything you can put your finger on as to why Woking have started the season so badly?
I think that in an attempt to stamp his mark on the club, John McGovern has been a little too keen to get rid of a few of the Geoff Chapple and Colin Lippiatt players, and I think he's brought new players in a little too quickly. It's taken a while for a few of the players he's brought in to adjust to Conference football, with some of them having been brought in from the Ryman League.
He's also lost a few experienced players, but I am surprised they've started as badly as they have, because generally the squad of players he's got are very good. I would imagine now that confidence is very low and that it must be hard to get out of a rut when you are losing games.
[JMcG has since been dismissed - Ed]
We got out of our rut by changing our formation. Because Rob Cousins moved out of midfield that has presumably directly affected you. How did you see that?
For a very long time I played in that role, in the middle of three centre-halves, so it wasn't too new to me. I've had plenty of experience there, and I felt that Colin wanted to change things around, to perhaps give Steve Thompson and Ben Smith more of a free role, so that they could join up into the attack which is what they both enjoy doing. I also think that Steve Stott and Rob Cousins have done an excellent job in a holding role in midfield, which is so important when you are allowing the other two lads to run on and join up with Warren Patmore.
On the whole its worked very well. It's a thing that I would imagine Colin will continue to do away from home, and while we keep on playing well at home I would imagine he will stick with it. He's got the added problem now that Owen is fit, and he's a prolific goal scorer, so it's a nice problem of knowing whether to stick with that formation or whether to put Owen up front with Warren, but of course that is one that will be left as a management issue.
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