LEN BROWNING, the former Leeds United and Sheffield United striker who was on the verge of an England cap from Walter Winterbottom before tuberculosis cut short his career, has died at the age of 80.
Born in Doncaster, he was brought up in Scotland and Northern Ireland before settling in Leeds at the age of 11.
Mr Browning joined the Elland Road club as a teenager and netted a hat-trick for the reserves shortly before making his Football Leagu
e debut as an 18-year-old in a 5-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic in September 1946.
It would be a further two years before he played for the first team again but, once a regular in the side, he flourished and finished the 1948-49 and 1950-51 seasons as United's top goalscorer.
His sale to Sheffield United in November, 1951, for £15,000 – the highest transfer fee between the two clubs for the next 16 years until Mick Jones swapped south for West Yorkshire – was followed by a Second Division championship medal with the Blades.
Then, after being selected for an England tour by manager Winterbottom, his League career was tragically cut short by tuberculosis at the age of 25. Mr Browning did, however, continue to play in the Yorkshire League with East End Park.
He and wife Molly were also renowned table tennis players. They married in 1951.
Outside football, Mr Browning worked at All Saints College in Horsforth, Leeds, and there formed a friendship with Howard Wilkinson in 1989.
After retiring from All Saints, he was appointed United's video analyst and worked under a host of managers including Wilkinson, David O'Leary and Peter Reid at the club's Thorp Arch training base. He left in 2003.
Mr Browning, who died last Saturday in St Gemma's in Leeds, is survived by wife Molly, son Tim and daughter Julie. His funeral will take place on Monday at St Matthew's Church, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, at 11am.
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