Jonny Brain

Jonny Brain
Personal information
Full name Jonathon Robert Brain[1]
Date of birth (1983-02-11) 11 February 1983 (age 41)[2]
Place of birth Carlisle, England
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1998–1999 Carlisle United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2002 Newcastle United 0 (0)
2002 Carlisle United 0 (0)
2003–2006 Port Vale 59 (0)
2006–2010 Macclesfield Town 125 (0)
2010–2011 Walsall 16 (0)
2011–2013 Nantwich Town
2013–2014 Stafford Rangers
Total 200 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jonathon Robert Brain (born 11 February 1983) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

A former Carlisle United trainee, he joined Newcastle United in 1999. He moved on to Port Vale in 2003, never having played for Newcastle or Carlisle. Three years later, he transferred to Macclesfield Town, where he became the first-choice keeper. He spent the 2010–11 campaign with Walsall. He then entered the non-League scene with Nantwich Town before joining Stafford Rangers in July 2013.

Career

Early years

Born in Carlisle, Cumbria,[3] Brain started his career with Carlisle United, before moving on to Newcastle United in 1999. He never played a game for United, and in August 2002, he returned to Third Division Carlisle on a month-to-month basis contract.[4]

Port Vale

Brain was signed by Brian Horton for Second Division Port Vale in August 2003,[5] giving up his job as a sports instructor at a holiday park in the process.[6]

He went on to make 36 appearances in 2003–04, with the club's regular keeper Mark Goodlad out injured. He played 32 games in the inaugural season of League One. He was limited to a single EFL Trophy appearance in 2005–06, as the club's No. 1 Goodlad enjoyed his first injury-free season since Brain's arrival.

Macclesfield Town

In June 2006 he was once more signed by Horton, who had since taken up the management position at Macclesfield Town.[7] After playing just nine league games for his new club, Brain suffered a broken leg on 25 November 2006, after colliding with Andrew Teague (who also broke his leg) in a game against Stockport County, and was ruled out for the rest of the season.[8][9]

Initially turning down a new contract,[2] he was given a short-term contract at the start of the 2007–08 season,[10] and went on to make a successful return from his injury to reclaim his place as Macclesfield's first-choice goalkeeper, making thirty appearances in all competitions. At the end of the season, manager Keith Alexander offered Brain a three-year contract, which he signed.[6]

In 2008–09 he played 52 games to become only the third player in the club's history to enjoy an ever-present campaign in the Football League.[2] At the end of the 2009–10 season he was named in the League Two Team of the Week for the last week of March,[11][12] but was released by the club after turning down a new contract.[13]

Walsall

He signed a one-year deal with Walsall in June 2010.[14] He started off the 2010–11 season as first-choice goalkeeper, before losing his place to club legend Jimmy Walker, who was re-signed in October 2010.[15] Brain vowed to win his first-team place back off the 37-year-old,[16] who was signed after a poor start to the season by Brain.[17] At the end of the campaign Brain as released, whilst Walker was offered a new deal.[18]

Non-League

He began training with Bradford City, but did not sign a deal with the club.[19] Brain instead joined Nantwich Town in the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the 2011–12 season.[20] He helped the "Dabbers" to the FA Cup first round for the first time in the club's history in 2011, at which point they were eliminated by League One Milton Keynes Dons.[21] He signed a new two-year contract with the club in March 2012,[19] and was voted the club's Player of the Season.[22] The club finished 14th in 2012–13, and Brain was transfer-listed as the club looked to cut costs.[23]

Brain joined Stafford Rangers on a one-year contract in July 2013.[24] He left Marston Road in March 2014.[25]

Career statistics

Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Newcastle United 1999–2000[26] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2000–01[27] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2001–02[28] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Carlisle United 2002–03[29] Third Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Port Vale 2003–04[30] Second Division 32 0 3 0 0 0 1[a] 0 36 0
2004–05[31] League One 27 0 2 0 1 0 2[a] 0 32 0
2005–06[32] League One 0 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 1 0
Total 59 0 5 0 1 0 4 0 69 0
Macclesfield Town 2006–07[33] League Two 9 0 2 0 1 0 1[a] 0 13 0
2007–08[34] League Two 29 0 0 0 0 0 1[a] 0 30 0
2008–09[35] League Two 46 0 3 0 2 0 1[a] 0 52 0
2009–10[36] League Two 41 0 0 0 1 0 1[a] 0 43 0
Total 125 0 5 0 4 0 4 0 138 0
Walsall 2010–11[37] League One 16 0 0 0 1 0 1[a] 0 18 0
Career total[b] 200 0 10 0 6 0 9 0 225 0
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Appearance/s in the EFL Trophy.
  2. ^ Statistics for Nantwich Town and Stafford Rangers not recorded.

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/07/2010 and 31/07/2010" (PDF). The Football Association. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d "Name: Jon Brain". mtfc.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  3. ^ "Jonny Brain Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Carlisle land trio". BBC Sport. 13 August 2002. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Vale sign young keeper". BBC Sport. 22 August 2003. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Port Vale: Old boy Brain feels better after bad break". The Sentinel. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Horton secures capture of Brain". BBC Sport. 14 June 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
  8. ^ "Macclesfield dealt double setback". BBC Sport. 27 November 2006. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
  9. ^ "Emotional Ince rocked by injuries". Carter, Simon. Manchester Evening News. 28 November 2006. Archived from the original on 13 December 2006. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
  10. ^ "Macclesfield extend Brain's deal". BBC Sport. 11 September 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Team of the Week" (PDF). football-league.co.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  12. ^ "Brain in Team of the Week". mtfc.co.uk. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Macclesfield release Jon Brain but make Rooney offer". BBC Sport. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  14. ^ "Walsall sign Macclesfield Town goalkeeper Jonny Brain". BBC Sport. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  15. ^ "Walsall re-sign veteran goalkeeper Jimmy Walker". BBC Sport. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  16. ^ "Jonny Brain vows to fight for recall". Express and Star. 11 November 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  17. ^ "Walsall captain comforts Jonny Brain". Express and Star. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  18. ^ "Two out and three stay at Walsall". Express and Star. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  19. ^ a b "Football: Quinn delighted to keep "best in league" Brain". t. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  20. ^ "Football: Stafford boss Clowes opts for the same again". The Sentinel. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  21. ^ "MK Dons 5 – 0 Nantwich Town". BBC Sport. 12 November 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  22. ^ a b "Squad Pictures". nantwichtownfc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  23. ^ Morse, Peter (22 May 2013). "Nantwich keeper Jonny Brain transfer listed as new era begins". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  24. ^ "Rangers Sign Jonny Brain". pitchero.com. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  25. ^ "Stafford Rangers manager Graham Heathcote looks to sign new goalkeeper". The Sentinel. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  26. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 1999/2000". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  27. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2000/2001". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  28. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2001/2002". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  29. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  30. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2003/2004". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  31. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2004/2005". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  32. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  33. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  34. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  35. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  36. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  37. ^ "Games played by Jonny Brain in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.