Bryan Gunn
Encyclopedia
Bryan James Gunn is a Scottish former professional goalkeeper and football manager
. After learning his trade with Aberdeen
in the early 1980s, he spent most of his playing career at Norwich City
, the club with which he came to be most closely associated. This was followed by a brief spell back in Scotland with Hibernian
before his retirement as a player in 1998.
Gunn feels the peak of his playing career was making what he calls the save of his life in the UEFA Cup match against Bayern Munich
in 1993. This event was called the summit of Norwich City's history by The Independent
. He is one of only nine Norwich players to win the club's Player of the Year award twice, and the only goalkeeper to do so. He was made an inaugural member of Norwich City's Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Scotland national football team
, making six appearances for his country in the early 1990s.
Gunn worked for years behind the scenes at Norwich in a variety of roles, from matchday hosting to coaching. He was appointed temporary manager towards the end of the 2008–09 season and then confirmed as permanent manager during the summer. However, after a 7–1 home defeat in the opening game to local rivals Colchester United
, he lost his job a week into the 2009–10 Football League One
season.
Since the death of his young daughter from leukaemia in 1992, Gunn has been extensively involved in fundraising to combat the disease and its effects. As of 2011 he has raised more than £1 million for research into childhood leukaemia. The money has been used to fund projects to improve the lives of children with leukaemia and their families, notably a national telephone support line. The city of Norwich
recognised Gunn's charity work and his long association with the city's football club by naming him Sheriff for 2002. Published in 2006, his autobiography, In Where it Hurts: My Autobiography, includes a foreword by his former manager Alex Ferguson
.
, Scotland, "ten miles from John o’Groats
". His parents were James Gunn, a long-distance lorry driver, and Jessie Sinclair, a canteen worker at the Dounreay
nuclear power plant; the pair had married despite being on opposite sides of a family feud stretching back to the 16th century. James was an amateur sportsman, playing football on the right wing for local team Invergordon F.C.
and winning medals at highland games
events.
The Gunn family home in Thurso was a farm, and the young Bryan would often pester the farmhands to play football with him. They would use a turnip
if no ball was available. By the age of four he was keen on goalkeeping; he was fearless of injury and enjoyed diving on the ball. When Bryan was four-and-a-half, the family moved to Invergordon
, 20 miles from Inverness
. He attended Park Primary School in the town and joined the school football team. Future professional Bobby Geddes
was favoured over him as first-choice goalkeeper for the team; Gunn played as an outfield player until Geddes moved on to secondary school.
Gunn attended secondary school at Invergordon Academy from 1975 to 1980, and gained O Levels in a variety of subjects, including English, maths, history and chemistry. He failed his French exam after taking it while "on the road" with Scotland under-15s. At the age of 13, he was invited to play for the under-15 Invergordon F.C. team by one of his school teachers, who managed the team. The team was beaten 9–0 in Gunn's debut, but his subsequent performances attracted the attention of national selectors, and he joined the Scotland under-15 squad around the same time he signed for Aberdeen
at age 14.
Gunn commenced his professional career with Aberdeen in 1980, and forged a good relationship with then-Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson
—evidenced by the fact that in 1997 Ferguson brought Manchester United
to Carrow Road
for Gunn's testimonial match
. While an apprentice at Aberdeen, Gunn was a frequent babysitter for Ferguson's children. He later said, "I probably babysat more than I played". Gunn portrays the relationship as warm, but businesslike:
As a youngster, Gunn did not always play in goal and he was viewed as a handy outfield player in his early years at Aberdeen. Ferguson recalls, "He could strike a ball as well as anyone, so well in fact that I once played him at centre-forward in a reserve match ... He scored a brilliant goal ... It was a marvellous moment." However, as a professional, and at his adult height of 6 in 2 in (1.88 m), Gunn settled into playing in goal.
Gunn ascribes much of his goalkeeping success to the support of Belgian Marc de Clerck
, a specialist goalkeeping coach at Aberdeen. At a time when few British teams provided such training, de Clerck introduced Gunn and Scottish international keeper Jim Leighton
to what were then innovative training techniques. The goalkeepers would participate in special drills whilst training with the rest of the squad. Gunn also notes the influence of Aberdeen coach Teddy Scott
, who taught the value of hard work and dedication; Gunn also served as a boot boy
for Alex McLeish
. Leighton's presence meant that Gunn played only 21 games for Aberdeen. He made his debut against Hibernian
at Pittodrie
on 30 October 1982, and went on to keep four clean sheets for the club. Despite being rivals for a first-team place, Gunn had an excellent relationship with Leighton that included joining Leighton's family for a meal once a week.
Gunn's training and performances for the reserve team and occasional first-team appearances paid dividends: he was called up for the Scotland under-21 team
, and made his debut in November 1983 against East Germany
. He also received Scottish League Cup
and European Cup Winners Cup winner's medals while with Aberdeen, although he was an unused substitute in both finals. He made an unexpected appearance in the 1986 European Cup quarter final, against Gothenburg
. "Jim and I were warming up and he lost [his] contact lenses [so] I ended up being included in the starting line up," Gunn recalls. Gunn had an excellent match: The Glasgow Heralds match report stated, "Only outstanding work by Willie Miller
and Bryan Gunn kept the Swedes at bay". As well as making several key saves, he was credited with playing a part in Aberdeen's second goal following a long kick upfield.
As Leighton was unlikely to be dislodged, Ferguson promised to find Gunn another club, and fulfilled his pledge when he sold him for £100,000 to Norwich City
in October 1986. The transfer nearly went through in the summer of 1986, but Ferguson delayed the move until October to allow time for Leighton to recover from an injury.
, who had moved to Rangers F.C.
Meanwhile, reserve team keeper Graham Benstead
made a series of good performances and Norwich were top of the league. Ken Brown wanted to be fair to Benstead and made Gunn wait. A 6–2 defeat at Anfield
proved to be the catalyst for Gunn's promotion to the first team. He made his debut in a Simod Cup win against Coventry City
, conceding a penalty, and made his league debut in a 2–1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur
at Carrow Road on 8 November 1986.
Norwich went on to finish fifth in the First Division in his first season, their highest-ever league finish at the time. By May 1988 Gunn's consistency meant his value had risen considerably, and the club reportedly declined a £500,000 offer from Ian Porterfield to take the goalkeeper back to Aberdeen. The purpose of the proposed transfer was to replace Leighton, who by then had moved to Manchester United, where he was reunited with Alex Ferguson.
Norwich reached the semi-final of the FA Cup
in 1989 with Gunn in goal, but he missed the semi-final in 1992 through injury. What has been described as his—and Norwich's—greatest moment came in their upset victory
over European giants Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup
in 1993. The Independent described the match as "the pinnacle of Norwich City's history". Gunn made several saves that kept the Canaries in the match. He describes the save he made from Bayern striker Adolfo Valencia
as the finest of his career; it has also been described as "one of the most outstanding saves by a City goalkeeper". However, he was involved in an own-goal incident in an East Anglian Derby
match in the 1995–96 season, when a backpass from Robert Ullathorne
bounced awkwardly off the pitch and over Gunn's attempted clearance kick.
In November 1989, Gunn was involved in a controversial incident that attracted significant media attention. Norwich played Arsenal
at Highbury and with five minutes remaining, Arsenal's David O'Leary
scored an equaliser that brought the scores to 3–3. Then, in the dying seconds of the match, the referee awarded Arsenal a penalty kick
—and the chance to seal the match. The Norwich players were already annoyed by the match situation, and their perception was that the decision was "really dodgy". Gunn saved Lee Dixon
's shot, but the ball was not cleared. In the resulting melee, Mark Bowen and Ian Culverhouse
for Norwich and Alan Smith for Arsenal challenged for the ball. "The three of them got in an almighty tangle and the ball, along with all of them, was bundled over the line," Gunn remembers. The goal was awarded, but the situation rapidly deteriorated: the three players in the goal had "a little skirmish". Separately, Arsenal's Nigel Winterburn
gave "a gloat to Dale Gordon
, who promptly pushed him". The result was mayhem:
All but one of the 22 players on the pitch were involved in the fracas, but no one was sent off. The next day, the newspapers carried headlines and photos of what they called 'The Highbury Brawl'. That afternoon, Gunn received a phone call from a Today
journalist, who told him that the Arsenal players had said Gunn had instigated the fight. Enraged, the Norwich keeper retorted that it was the other way around. Monday's headline read "Gunn blames Arsenal". Gunn was censured by the Football Association and warned about his future conduct. Both clubs were fined, and Gunn was docked a fortnight's wages (about £800) by Norwich City.
Under the management of Gary Megson
, Norwich were seventh in the Premier League in the 1994–95 season when Gunn broke and dislocated his ankle whilst playing against Nottingham Forest
. His importance to the team was underlined when they subsequently plummeted down the table, winning just one of their remaining 17 games as Gunn recovered. The team was ultimately relegated.
Gunn's final first-team game for the club was a 1–0 defeat at Crewe
, on 31 January 1998. According to the Sunday Mirror
, he produced "a sparkling display", which proved his abilities had "not been dulled by time". Gunn made 478 first team appearances for Norwich in all competitions. He was voted Norwich City Player of the Year in 1988 and 1993. The latter award came at the end of the 1992–93 FA Premier League season, in which Norwich finished third in the Premier League, their best-ever performance. The club awarded Gunn a testimonial match in 1996, and Alex Ferguson brought Manchester United to Carrow Road.
. With his first-team opportunities at Norwich now limited, he signed a deal with Hibernian in February 1998, for a three-month loan. According to Scottish transfer regulations the loan deal was invalid, so instead he was swiftly transferred on a permanent basis for an undiclosed fee, later revealed by Gunn to have been £25,000.
Gunn's reflections on joining Hibernian are tinged with regret: "[leaving Norwich was] very difficult indeed. I had spent 12 great years at Norwich and suddenly I was not regarded as the number 1 (by Mike Walker) anymore." He joined Hibernian when they were bottom of the Scottish Premier Division; Alex McLeish had recently been appointed manager
.
Gunn was unable to save the club from relegation to the First Division
, but signed a two-year contract in July 1998. However, a hairline fracture to his leg, sustained during the 1998 close season, effectively ended his playing career. On his doctors' advice, Gunn formally retired in March 1999.
Despite his mixed feelings on joining the club, Gunn's overall impression of his time in Edinburgh is upbeat: "I only played 12 games for the Hibees but it was great. We beat Hearts
in my only derby
game 2–1 (John Robertson scored his 50th goal for Hearts in derbies but I told him it was worth nothing as we had won) and had a clean sheet at Celtic Park
(stopping them from winning the SPL that day)." He received what he described as a "wonderful reception" from Aberdeen fans when playing for Hibernian against his former club.
at the youth international level. He was part of the squad that won the 1982 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship
, but was unavailable to play in the final because Aberdeen had reached the 1982 Scottish Cup Final
. He was replaced by Robin Rae
for the final, in which the Scots beat Czechoslovakia 3–1.
In 1983, Gunn travelled with the Scotland Under-19s
to Mexico for the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship
. Gunn played in all four of Scotland's matches and it was a formative experience, as he faced a variety of challenges in the tournament. The adidas
ball in use "really zipped through the air", which encouraged long-range shots at the high altitude. In the first match, against South Korea, an element of the 26,000 crowd "clearly didn't like us at all ... I got absolutely pelted with coins ... and rotten fruit". The final insult was when he was hit on the back of the neck by a rancid-smelling plastic bag containing rotten fish. Gunn found it "intimidation ... a nightmare" but adopted the strategy of patrolling the edge of his area to stay out of range and had "one of the best games of my life": he kept a clean sheet as Scotland won 2–0. Scotland's coach and future manager of the full international team Andy Roxburgh
told Gunn "it was the best performance he'd ever seen from a Scottish goalkeeper, at any level." The final group match, which Scotland needed to win in order to progress, was against the home side, Mexico. The official attendance at the Azteca Stadium was 86,582, although Gunn believes the true figure was over 100,000. Once more, Gunn was targeted with a variety of missiles, including a bottle of Johnnie Walker
, but as Scotland held on to their early 1–0 lead, the fans became disillusioned with their own team and switched to sending a "hail of bottles and coins" on the Mexican players. Scotland lost 1–0 in the quarter final against Poland
.
Gunn made six full international appearances for Scotland, conceding 10 goals. He was a member of the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
, but played in none of Scotland's three matches at the tournament, as he was third-choice goalkeeper behind Jim Leighton and Andy Goram
. He made his Scotland debut in a pre-tournament friendly match against Egypt, but was at fault for two Egyptian goals, resulting in a 3–1 defeat for Scotland. The embarrassment was made worse by the fact that his parents were watching. Gunn made four appearances for Scotland in 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches. His last cap
was as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 friendly defeat by the Netherlands
in May 1994.
. After his retirement from playing professional football in 1999, Gunn initially worked on the hospitality staff at Carrow Road, particularly in "The Gunn Club", a catering outlet named in his honour.
Over the years, Gunn progressed from hospitality into other corporate positions at Norwich; he acted as sponsorship manager from 1999 to 2006. Manager Peter Grant
moved Gunn to the "backroom" sports management side of the business in 2007. Gunn worked in a liaison role in negotiations of possible transfers and loan signings, tasks where he could make use of contacts gained during his playing career.
When Glenn Roeder
was appointed manager in November 2007, goalkeeping coach James Hollman parted company with the club, and Gunn replaced him for the rest of the season—his first formal coaching role. Later in the season, Gunn was promoted to head of player recruitment, while retaining his goalkeeping coach role.
, he revealed that he "told the players that they've let people down." In his first match as caretaker manager, he received "a euphoric reception" from the fans, and Norwich beat Barnsley
4–0. The players were equally supportive: according to Scotland on Sunday
, "in the dressing room afterwards, [Norwich] midfielder, Darel Russell
, dragged the chairman, Roger Munby
, into the shower, and demanded that Gunn be appointed permanently." Momentum gathered, and a Facebook
group called "Bryan Gunn for manager", created by his then 17-year-old daughter, Melissa, soon attracted about 3,000 members. Gunn considered applying for the role on a longer-term basis; he had previously applied without success to be Norwich manager in 1998. On 19 January 2009 he phoned the directors and requested to be considered. He was interviewed that afternoon and "by 10.30 am the next day had been appointed manager until the end of the season".
Gunn appointed a backroom staff of former Norwich colleagues, making Ian Crook
first-team coach and John Deehan
chief scout
. However, the initial turnaround in form could not be maintained; having lost their last three games of the season, Norwich were relegated from the Championship
. Gunn labelled his players as an "embarrassment" after the 4–2 defeat to Charlton Athletic
that sealed relegation to League One
. Despite relegation—the first time in nearly 50 years that the club was to play in the third tier of English football—Norwich re-appointed Gunn as manager for the 2009–10 season. Crook, as first team coach, and former Canary Ian Butterworth
, as assistant manager, completed the management team. Over the summer, Gunn signed 12 players, most of those on free transfers, including Australian Michael Theoklitos
, a goalkeeper from Melbourne Victory. He then steered the club through a programme of pre-season friendly matches, in which Norwich was unbeaten.
Just under a month after Gunn's reappointment, Norwich appointed a new managing director, David McNally. With the disappointment of relegation, Gunn's reappointment was controversial, and more was to follow. For the opening game of the new season, Norwich were to play at home against Colchester United
, rivals for the Pride of Anglia
. Gunn's team suffered a 7–1 defeat, and Theoklitos, signed by Gunn on a free transfer, was particularly blamed by the press for the scale of the defeat. Theoklitos later admitted it was "the worst performance of my career". Despite this, he retained Gunn's support, although in the eventuality, Theoklitos never played for Norwich again.
As early as during the match itself, fans and the media began to react strongly to the shock of Norwich's worst-ever home defeat. During the first half, after the side had gone 4–0 down, two supporters approached the Norwich bench, appearing to throw their season tickets at Gunn. Many fans walked out before the match ended, and around 300 people protested outside the ground afterwards. Media coverage of the match was unsurprisingly negative: the BBC used terms such as "calamitous defending", "Colchester run riot", "dismal", and a "disastrous start"; journalists also speculated about Gunn's competence as a manager. Matters seemed to stabilise a little with a 4–0 League Cup
win at Yeovil
the following Tuesday. However, Gunn was sacked by McNally on 14 August 2009, six days after the defeat by Colchester.
Gunn was influenced in his management philosophy by former Norwich manager Mike Walker. Himself a former goalkeeper, Walker believed—contrary to popular opinion—that goalkeepers can make good managers because their excellent view of the game enables them to develop a good tactical awareness. Gunn's short time at Norwich remains his only experience of professional football management and he has subsequently moved into a business career.
. His role was to "promote their communication and mobile working solutions".
In 2011, Gunn announced he was leaving OneStream for a new job as a sports agent. In his new role as director of talent recruitment at a sports agency, he is responsible for recruiting young footballers.
, before her marriage, Susan was "a beauty queen turned lingerie model" who "launched a fashion business". The couple met in Spain, where Susan had a bridal wear company, when Gunn was there on holiday. She told the Telegraph, "When I first met Bryan, I knew nothing about football and had no idea who he was because he told me he was a joiner
."
Gunn explained that he was unsure what her attitude would be to footballers; he later confessed his calling to her. He proposed within three days of their meeting, and they were married the following year. They lived in Framingham Pigot
, near Norwich, until moving to Cheshire
in May 2011. The Gunns have had three children: Francesca, Melissa and Angus. Melissa is a model, while their son, Angus, is a footballer and plays in goal, like his father. On the books as a youth player at Norwich City, in October 2010 he was selected for England under-16s
, a full year ahead of the age group.
According to Scotland on Sunday
, Gunn suffers from ankylosing spondylitis
, "a rheumatic spinal condition", diagnosed in about 1995, "which he controls with medication". He appeared in an ITV2
celebrity football quiz called "Taking the Pitch" in 1998, alongside singer Fish
. Gunn's autobiography—In Where it Hurts—was published in 2006, and includes a foreword by his former manager Alex Ferguson. He said of writing the book, "it brought up a lot of good memories and a lot of awkward memories". The book was described by The Times
as "shot through with sharp humour and astute observation". The publishers agreed to donate £1 to Gunn's Leukaemia appeal fund for every book sold.
Gunn describes the period of Francesca's illness and death and how it caused him to reflect on his career:
Francesca died in 1992, aged two. Gunn played a match for Norwich against Queens Park Rangers
at Carrow Road just days after his daughter died; he said of it, "When I ran out, I thought, wow, I could feel the whole stadium was with me. I never thought about packing it in." At the end of the season, Gunn won Norwich's player of the year award
, as the club finished third in the Premiership, its highest ever league position.
Following Francesca's death, Gunn established "Bryan Gunn's Leukaemia Appeal", a fund to raise money to combat the disease. He initially set a target of £10,000, but by 2011 he has raised £1,000,000, under the auspices of The Dove Trust. The fund aims to address three issues:
The third of these ambitions has prompted the funding of research into leukaemia at the Norwich-based University of East Anglia
. Gunn says:
In addition to the research, Gunn set up a telephone support line that offers advice and assistance for parents of children who have leukaemia or other forms of cancer. Known as gaps:line (an acronym for Gunn Appeal Parent Support), the service quickly grew. From its initial pilot launch in Norfolk in early 2004, it expanded to cover the "eastern region" by the end of the year, and launched nationally in early 2006. The appeal has also funded other research and support work.
Gunn had a "fantastic rapport with the Norwich supporters". As a player, he liked "to tease the crowd during the game". Before each half of a match, Gunn would run toward his goal and pretend to attempt to head-butt the crossbar. Gunn says this is a habit he began as a youngster, and cannot remember how or why he began to do it. Norwich fans noticed it soon after his arrival at the club and, in Gunn's words, "would wait until I got to about the 18-yard line and then start a small "Wooo..." which would build into a full-blown "WOOOO ... AH!" ... I loved it and came close to smacking my head against the woodwork a couple of times". During play, he would cup his ear, which would prompt "shouts of Bryan, Bryan, give us a wave".
Gunn is described as "a legend in Norwich", the result of his long years of service as player and official for the club. In 2002, he was made one of 25 inaugural members of the Norwich City Hall of Fame. A 2005 Football Focus
fan poll for "Norwich's cult heroes" saw Gunn finish in first place. He polled 37% of votes, ahead of Robert Fleck and Iwan Roberts
. Gunn is one of just nine players to have twice won Norwich City player of the year
, in 1988 and 1993, and the only goalkeeper to do so. In 2003, as part of the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards
, he was one of 10 players to be recognised by the Premier League with an "Outstanding Contribution to the Community" award. In response to his achievements with Norwich City and his charitable work, which has benefited the local university, in 2002 Gunn was made Sheriff of Norwich for the year by the City Council.
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
. After learning his trade with Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
in the early 1980s, he spent most of his playing career at Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, the club with which he came to be most closely associated. This was followed by a brief spell back in Scotland with Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
before his retirement as a player in 1998.
Gunn feels the peak of his playing career was making what he calls the save of his life in the UEFA Cup match against Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich v Norwich City
Bayern Munich vs Norwich City was a first leg match in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup second round, played on 20 October 1993. The match was won by Norwich City, who beat Bayern Munich 2–1....
in 1993. This event was called the summit of Norwich City's history by The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
. He is one of only nine Norwich players to win the club's Player of the Year award twice, and the only goalkeeper to do so. He was made an inaugural member of Norwich City's Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, making six appearances for his country in the early 1990s.
Gunn worked for years behind the scenes at Norwich in a variety of roles, from matchday hosting to coaching. He was appointed temporary manager towards the end of the 2008–09 season and then confirmed as permanent manager during the summer. However, after a 7–1 home defeat in the opening game to local rivals Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
, he lost his job a week into the 2009–10 Football League One
2009–10 Football League One
The Football League 2009–10 , was be the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....
season.
Since the death of his young daughter from leukaemia in 1992, Gunn has been extensively involved in fundraising to combat the disease and its effects. As of 2011 he has raised more than £1 million for research into childhood leukaemia. The money has been used to fund projects to improve the lives of children with leukaemia and their families, notably a national telephone support line. The city of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
recognised Gunn's charity work and his long association with the city's football club by naming him Sheriff for 2002. Published in 2006, his autobiography, In Where it Hurts: My Autobiography, includes a foreword by his former manager Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
.
Early life
Gunn was born on 22 December 1963 in ThursoThurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
, Scotland, "ten miles from John o’Groats
John o' Groats
John o' Groats is a village in the Highland council area of Scotland. Part of the county of Caithness, John o' Groats is popular with tourists because it is usually regarded as the most northerly settlement of mainland Great Britain, although this is not a claim made by the inhabitants...
". His parents were James Gunn, a long-distance lorry driver, and Jessie Sinclair, a canteen worker at the Dounreay
Dounreay
Dounreay is the site of several nuclear research establishments located on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland...
nuclear power plant; the pair had married despite being on opposite sides of a family feud stretching back to the 16th century. James was an amateur sportsman, playing football on the right wing for local team Invergordon F.C.
Invergordon F.C.
Invergordon Football Club are a Scottish football club from Invergordon. They compete in North Caledonian Football League and play at Recreation Grounds, Invergordon. The team play in yellow and blue strips....
and winning medals at highland games
Highland games
Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...
events.
The Gunn family home in Thurso was a farm, and the young Bryan would often pester the farmhands to play football with him. They would use a turnip
Turnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...
if no ball was available. By the age of four he was keen on goalkeeping; he was fearless of injury and enjoyed diving on the ball. When Bryan was four-and-a-half, the family moved to Invergordon
Invergordon
Invergordon is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:The town is well known for the Invergordon Mutiny of 1931. More recently it was also known for the repair of oil rigs which used to be lined up in the Cromarty Firth on which the town is situated...
, 20 miles from Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. He attended Park Primary School in the town and joined the school football team. Future professional Bobby Geddes
Bobby Geddes
Robert Geddes is a Scottish former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Geddes is currently goalkeeping coach at first club Dundee, a position he previously held at city rivals Dundee United.-Career:...
was favoured over him as first-choice goalkeeper for the team; Gunn played as an outfield player until Geddes moved on to secondary school.
Gunn attended secondary school at Invergordon Academy from 1975 to 1980, and gained O Levels in a variety of subjects, including English, maths, history and chemistry. He failed his French exam after taking it while "on the road" with Scotland under-15s. At the age of 13, he was invited to play for the under-15 Invergordon F.C. team by one of his school teachers, who managed the team. The team was beaten 9–0 in Gunn's debut, but his subsequent performances attracted the attention of national selectors, and he joined the Scotland under-15 squad around the same time he signed for Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
at age 14.
Aberdeen
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
—evidenced by the fact that in 1997 Ferguson brought Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
to Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
for Gunn's testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
. While an apprentice at Aberdeen, Gunn was a frequent babysitter for Ferguson's children. He later said, "I probably babysat more than I played". Gunn portrays the relationship as warm, but businesslike:
As a youngster, Gunn did not always play in goal and he was viewed as a handy outfield player in his early years at Aberdeen. Ferguson recalls, "He could strike a ball as well as anyone, so well in fact that I once played him at centre-forward in a reserve match ... He scored a brilliant goal ... It was a marvellous moment." However, as a professional, and at his adult height of 6 in 2 in (1.88 m), Gunn settled into playing in goal.
Gunn ascribes much of his goalkeeping success to the support of Belgian Marc de Clerck
Marc de Clerck
Marc De Clerck is a Belgian former footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Ghent, FC Twente, Go Ahead Eagles, Aberdeen and SC Heracles....
, a specialist goalkeeping coach at Aberdeen. At a time when few British teams provided such training, de Clerck introduced Gunn and Scottish international keeper Jim Leighton
Jim Leighton
James "Jim" Leighton MBE is a Scottish former football goalkeeper. Among the clubs he played for are Aberdeen , Manchester United, Arsenal, Dundee and Hibernian.-Club:...
to what were then innovative training techniques. The goalkeepers would participate in special drills whilst training with the rest of the squad. Gunn also notes the influence of Aberdeen coach Teddy Scott
Teddy Scott
Harry Edward 'Teddy' Scott is a Scottish former footballer and coach, who has served Aberdeen F.C. in a number of capacities since joining the club in 1954....
, who taught the value of hard work and dedication; Gunn also served as a boot boy
Boot boy
A boot boy, often simply boots, was an English household servant. Usually a boy or young teenager, the boots was the lowest-ranking male servant; his main job was to clean, polish and care for the household members' boots and shoes, although he may have done other odd jobs as well, particularly in...
for Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
. Leighton's presence meant that Gunn played only 21 games for Aberdeen. He made his debut against Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
at Pittodrie
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...
on 30 October 1982, and went on to keep four clean sheets for the club. Despite being rivals for a first-team place, Gunn had an excellent relationship with Leighton that included joining Leighton's family for a meal once a week.
Gunn's training and performances for the reserve team and occasional first-team appearances paid dividends: he was called up for the Scotland under-21 team
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
, and made his debut in November 1983 against East Germany
East Germany national under-21 football team
The East Germany national football team was the national football team of the German Democratic Republic. Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, East Germany's Under-21 team was formed. The team played until 1990, until East Germany ceased to be a separate country after...
. He also received Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
and European Cup Winners Cup winner's medals while with Aberdeen, although he was an unused substitute in both finals. He made an unexpected appearance in the 1986 European Cup quarter final, against Gothenburg
IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
. "Jim and I were warming up and he lost [his] contact lenses [so] I ended up being included in the starting line up," Gunn recalls. Gunn had an excellent match: The Glasgow Heralds match report stated, "Only outstanding work by Willie Miller
Willie Miller
William Ferguson Miller, MBE is a former professional football player who made a club record 558 league appearances for Aberdeen. He is currently the club's Director of Football...
and Bryan Gunn kept the Swedes at bay". As well as making several key saves, he was credited with playing a part in Aberdeen's second goal following a long kick upfield.
As Leighton was unlikely to be dislodged, Ferguson promised to find Gunn another club, and fulfilled his pledge when he sold him for £100,000 to Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
in October 1986. The transfer nearly went through in the summer of 1986, but Ferguson delayed the move until October to allow time for Leighton to recover from an injury.
Norwich City
Gunn says of the move south: "Norwich was easy to settle into, a bit like Aberdeen in many ways—a city surrounded by lovely countryside and lots of farms." However, since he joined the club partway into the new season, he initially found it difficult to take over as first-choice goalkeeper. Gunn had been bought as a replacement for England international goalkeeper Chris WoodsChris Woods
Christopher 'Chris' Charles Eric Woods is a former England international football goalkeeper, who played in the Football League and Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Southampton and Burnley, in the Scottish Football League for Rangers, and in Major...
, who had moved to Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
Meanwhile, reserve team keeper Graham Benstead
Graham Benstead
Graham Mark Benstead is a former professional footballer. He was a goalkeeper who played professionally for Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Colchester United, Sheffield United and Brentford before moving into non-league football.Benstead began his career with Wimbledon before Terry Venables...
made a series of good performances and Norwich were top of the league. Ken Brown wanted to be fair to Benstead and made Gunn wait. A 6–2 defeat at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
proved to be the catalyst for Gunn's promotion to the first team. He made his debut in a Simod Cup win against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, conceding a penalty, and made his league debut in a 2–1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
at Carrow Road on 8 November 1986.
Norwich went on to finish fifth in the First Division in his first season, their highest-ever league finish at the time. By May 1988 Gunn's consistency meant his value had risen considerably, and the club reportedly declined a £500,000 offer from Ian Porterfield to take the goalkeeper back to Aberdeen. The purpose of the proposed transfer was to replace Leighton, who by then had moved to Manchester United, where he was reunited with Alex Ferguson.
Norwich reached the semi-final of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1989 with Gunn in goal, but he missed the semi-final in 1992 through injury. What has been described as his—and Norwich's—greatest moment came in their upset victory
Bayern Munich v Norwich City
Bayern Munich vs Norwich City was a first leg match in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup second round, played on 20 October 1993. The match was won by Norwich City, who beat Bayern Munich 2–1....
over European giants Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 1993. The Independent described the match as "the pinnacle of Norwich City's history". Gunn made several saves that kept the Canaries in the match. He describes the save he made from Bayern striker Adolfo Valencia
Adolfo Valencia
Adolfo José Valencia Mosquera is a retired Colombian footballer who played as a striker....
as the finest of his career; it has also been described as "one of the most outstanding saves by a City goalkeeper". However, he was involved in an own-goal incident in an East Anglian Derby
East Anglian Derby
The East Anglian derby is a sobriquet used to describe football matches held between Ipswich Town and Norwich City. In recent years it has sometimes been described humorously as the Old Farm derby, a reference to the Old Firm derby played between Celtic and Rangers...
match in the 1995–96 season, when a backpass from Robert Ullathorne
Robert Ullathorne
Robert Ullathorne is former a professional footballer, most recently playing for Conference North side Tamworth, where he played as a defender.He played most of his professional games for Norwich City....
bounced awkwardly off the pitch and over Gunn's attempted clearance kick.
In November 1989, Gunn was involved in a controversial incident that attracted significant media attention. Norwich played Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at Highbury and with five minutes remaining, Arsenal's David O'Leary
David O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...
scored an equaliser that brought the scores to 3–3. Then, in the dying seconds of the match, the referee awarded Arsenal a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
—and the chance to seal the match. The Norwich players were already annoyed by the match situation, and their perception was that the decision was "really dodgy". Gunn saved Lee Dixon
Lee Dixon
Lee Michael Dixon is a former English professional footballer born in Manchester.He formed part of the Arsenal defence from the late 1980s, through till 2002. He was capped 22 times for England, scoring once....
's shot, but the ball was not cleared. In the resulting melee, Mark Bowen and Ian Culverhouse
Ian Culverhouse
Ian Brett Culverhouse , is an English former professional footballer. He was a defender who played in the position of right-back. He is presently Assistant Manager of Norwich City.-Early career:...
for Norwich and Alan Smith for Arsenal challenged for the ball. "The three of them got in an almighty tangle and the ball, along with all of them, was bundled over the line," Gunn remembers. The goal was awarded, but the situation rapidly deteriorated: the three players in the goal had "a little skirmish". Separately, Arsenal's Nigel Winterburn
Nigel Winterburn
Nigel Winterburn is a retired English footballer who played at left-back for Arsenal. He is best known for his role alongside Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon, forming a celebrated defensive line in the Premier League and European football during the 1990s.-Early career:Winterburn was born...
gave "a gloat to Dale Gordon
Dale Gordon
Dale Andrew Gordon is a former professional association football player who played for Norwich City, Rangers, West Ham United, Peterborough United, Millwall and AFC Bournemouth...
, who promptly pushed him". The result was mayhem:
All of a sudden it was kicking off, big time. Everyone started piling in, right in front of me... The only people not involved were [Arsenal players] John Lukic, Tony Adams, David O'Leary and me... I went over to break things up... and spotted the cavalry coming over the half-way line, in the shape of O'Leary and Adams. I felt it was my job to head them off at the pass and moved in, instinctively grabbing Adams with one hand and thumping him with the other."
All but one of the 22 players on the pitch were involved in the fracas, but no one was sent off. The next day, the newspapers carried headlines and photos of what they called 'The Highbury Brawl'. That afternoon, Gunn received a phone call from a Today
Today (UK newspaper)
Today was a national newspaper in the United Kingdom, which was published between 1986 and 1995.-History:Today, with the American newspaper USA Today as inspiration, launched on Tuesday, 4 March 1986, with the front page headline, "Second Spy Inside GCHQ". At 18 pence, it was a middle-market...
journalist, who told him that the Arsenal players had said Gunn had instigated the fight. Enraged, the Norwich keeper retorted that it was the other way around. Monday's headline read "Gunn blames Arsenal". Gunn was censured by the Football Association and warned about his future conduct. Both clubs were fined, and Gunn was docked a fortnight's wages (about £800) by Norwich City.
Under the management of Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
, Norwich were seventh in the Premier League in the 1994–95 season when Gunn broke and dislocated his ankle whilst playing against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. His importance to the team was underlined when they subsequently plummeted down the table, winning just one of their remaining 17 games as Gunn recovered. The team was ultimately relegated.
Gunn's final first-team game for the club was a 1–0 defeat at Crewe
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, on 31 January 1998. According to the Sunday Mirror
Sunday Mirror
The Sunday Mirror is the Sunday sister paper of the Daily Mirror. It began life in 1915 as the Sunday Pictorial and was renamed the Sunday Mirror in 1963. Trinity Mirror also owns The People...
, he produced "a sparkling display", which proved his abilities had "not been dulled by time". Gunn made 478 first team appearances for Norwich in all competitions. He was voted Norwich City Player of the Year in 1988 and 1993. The latter award came at the end of the 1992–93 FA Premier League season, in which Norwich finished third in the Premier League, their best-ever performance. The club awarded Gunn a testimonial match in 1996, and Alex Ferguson brought Manchester United to Carrow Road.
Hibernian
In the 1997–98 season, Gunn was forced out of the Norwich team by the emergence of Andy MarshallAndy Marshall
Andrew "Andy" Marshall Andrew "Andy" Marshall Andrew "Andy" Marshall (born 14 April 1975 in Bury St Edmunds, is an English professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper in the Premier League for Aston Villa...
. With his first-team opportunities at Norwich now limited, he signed a deal with Hibernian in February 1998, for a three-month loan. According to Scottish transfer regulations the loan deal was invalid, so instead he was swiftly transferred on a permanent basis for an undiclosed fee, later revealed by Gunn to have been £25,000.
Gunn's reflections on joining Hibernian are tinged with regret: "[leaving Norwich was] very difficult indeed. I had spent 12 great years at Norwich and suddenly I was not regarded as the number 1 (by Mike Walker) anymore." He joined Hibernian when they were bottom of the Scottish Premier Division; Alex McLeish had recently been appointed manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
.
Gunn was unable to save the club from relegation to the First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
, but signed a two-year contract in July 1998. However, a hairline fracture to his leg, sustained during the 1998 close season, effectively ended his playing career. On his doctors' advice, Gunn formally retired in March 1999.
Despite his mixed feelings on joining the club, Gunn's overall impression of his time in Edinburgh is upbeat: "I only played 12 games for the Hibees but it was great. We beat Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
in my only derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
game 2–1 (John Robertson scored his 50th goal for Hearts in derbies but I told him it was worth nothing as we had won) and had a clean sheet at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
(stopping them from winning the SPL that day)." He received what he described as a "wonderful reception" from Aberdeen fans when playing for Hibernian against his former club.
Internationals
Gunn represented ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at the youth international level. He was part of the squad that won the 1982 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship
UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
, but was unavailable to play in the final because Aberdeen had reached the 1982 Scottish Cup Final
1982 Scottish Cup Final
The 1982 Scottish Cup Final was played on May 22, 1982 at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Aberdeen and Rangers contested the match; the final of the 107th Scottish Cup. Aberdeen won 4–1, after extra time goals from McGhee, Strachan and Cooper.-Match details:...
. He was replaced by Robin Rae
Robin Rae
Robin Rae is a Scottish former football goalkeeper, who played for Hibernian, Morton, Hamilton and Berwick in the Scottish Football League...
for the final, in which the Scots beat Czechoslovakia 3–1.
In 1983, Gunn travelled with the Scotland Under-19s
Scotland national under-19 football team
The Scotland national under-19 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national football team for players of 19 years of age or under at the start of a European Under-19 Football Championship campaign....
to Mexico for the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship
1983 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship, the fourth edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Mexico from June 2 to June 19, 1983. The tournament took place in seven venues — Guadalajara, Irapuato, León, Mexico City, Monterrey, Puebla and Toluca — where a total of 32 matches were...
. Gunn played in all four of Scotland's matches and it was a formative experience, as he faced a variety of challenges in the tournament. The adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
ball in use "really zipped through the air", which encouraged long-range shots at the high altitude. In the first match, against South Korea, an element of the 26,000 crowd "clearly didn't like us at all ... I got absolutely pelted with coins ... and rotten fruit". The final insult was when he was hit on the back of the neck by a rancid-smelling plastic bag containing rotten fish. Gunn found it "intimidation ... a nightmare" but adopted the strategy of patrolling the edge of his area to stay out of range and had "one of the best games of my life": he kept a clean sheet as Scotland won 2–0. Scotland's coach and future manager of the full international team Andy Roxburgh
Andy Roxburgh
Andy Roxburgh is a former Scottish football player and coach. He has been UEFA Technical Director since 1994.- Playing career :...
told Gunn "it was the best performance he'd ever seen from a Scottish goalkeeper, at any level." The final group match, which Scotland needed to win in order to progress, was against the home side, Mexico. The official attendance at the Azteca Stadium was 86,582, although Gunn believes the true figure was over 100,000. Once more, Gunn was targeted with a variety of missiles, including a bottle of Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch Whisky owned by Diageo and originated in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.It is the most widely distributed brand of blended Scotch whisky in the world, sold in almost every country with yearly sales of over 130 million bottles.-History:Originally known as Walker's...
, but as Scotland held on to their early 1–0 lead, the fans became disillusioned with their own team and switched to sending a "hail of bottles and coins" on the Mexican players. Scotland lost 1–0 in the quarter final against Poland
Poland national under-19 football team
The Poland national under-19 football team represents Poland in international football at this age level and is controlled by Polish Football Association....
.
Gunn made six full international appearances for Scotland, conceding 10 goals. He was a member of the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
, but played in none of Scotland's three matches at the tournament, as he was third-choice goalkeeper behind Jim Leighton and Andy Goram
Andy Goram
Andrew Lewis Goram is a former Scotland international association football goalkeeper. He started his career with Oldham Athletic and Hibernian, but he is best remembered for playing for Rangers during the 1990s, when he earned the moniker "The Goalie"...
. He made his Scotland debut in a pre-tournament friendly match against Egypt, but was at fault for two Egyptian goals, resulting in a 3–1 defeat for Scotland. The embarrassment was made worse by the fact that his parents were watching. Gunn made four appearances for Scotland in 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
-Qualified teams:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:...
matches. His last cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
was as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 friendly defeat by the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in May 1994.
Honours
- UEFA European Under-18 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
winner, 1982 - European Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
winner, 1983 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
winner, 19851985 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 1985 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 27 October 1985, at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 40th Scottish League Cup competition. The final was contested by Aberdeen and Hibernian... - Norwich City player of the yearNorwich City player of the yearThe Norwich City player of the year award is voted for annually by Norwich City's supporters, in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season...
(Barry Butler trophy) winner, 1988, 1993 - Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame inaugural member, 2002
Coaching career and other activities
Gunn obtained his coaching certification while still with Aberdeen, in 1983, at LargsLargs
Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....
. After his retirement from playing professional football in 1999, Gunn initially worked on the hospitality staff at Carrow Road, particularly in "The Gunn Club", a catering outlet named in his honour.
Over the years, Gunn progressed from hospitality into other corporate positions at Norwich; he acted as sponsorship manager from 1999 to 2006. Manager Peter Grant
Peter Grant (footballer)
Peter Grant is a Scottish former footballer and was, until October 2007, manager of Norwich City. This was Grant's first role in management, but he had previously held coaching jobs at Bournemouth, West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion...
moved Gunn to the "backroom" sports management side of the business in 2007. Gunn worked in a liaison role in negotiations of possible transfers and loan signings, tasks where he could make use of contacts gained during his playing career.
When Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
was appointed manager in November 2007, goalkeeping coach James Hollman parted company with the club, and Gunn replaced him for the rest of the season—his first formal coaching role. Later in the season, Gunn was promoted to head of player recruitment, while retaining his goalkeeping coach role.
Manager of Norwich City
Following the sacking of Roeder as Norwich manager in January 2009, Gunn was asked to take temporary charge of the first team. In an interview with BBC Radio NorfolkBBC Radio Norfolk
BBC Radio Norfolk is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Norfolk, broadcasting since 11 September 1980. It broadcasts from the studios of BBC East in The Forum, Norwich on 95.1 FM , 104.4 FM , 95.6 FM , 855 kHz AM/MW , 873 kHz AM/MW BBC Radio Norfolk is the BBC Local...
, he revealed that he "told the players that they've let people down." In his first match as caretaker manager, he received "a euphoric reception" from the fans, and Norwich beat Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
4–0. The players were equally supportive: according to Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by The Scotsman Publications Ltd and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate The Scotsman...
, "in the dressing room afterwards, [Norwich] midfielder, Darel Russell
Darel Russell
Darel Francis Roy G. Russell is an English footballer who plays for Preston North End. He plays as a central midfielder although during his career has been known for his versatility. Russell started his career at Norwich City before moving to Stoke City in 2003. He spent four years with The...
, dragged the chairman, Roger Munby
Roger Munby
-Norwich City:Roger became a Director of the club in May 1996 and also had a previous stint between January 1986 and September 1987 and took over the Chairman's role from Bob Cooper in 2002...
, into the shower, and demanded that Gunn be appointed permanently." Momentum gathered, and a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
group called "Bryan Gunn for manager", created by his then 17-year-old daughter, Melissa, soon attracted about 3,000 members. Gunn considered applying for the role on a longer-term basis; he had previously applied without success to be Norwich manager in 1998. On 19 January 2009 he phoned the directors and requested to be considered. He was interviewed that afternoon and "by 10.30 am the next day had been appointed manager until the end of the season".
Gunn appointed a backroom staff of former Norwich colleagues, making Ian Crook
Ian Crook
Ian Stuart Crook, is a former professional footballer who began his career with Tottenham Hotspur before making 418 appearances for Norwich City. He was an England B international.-Club career:...
first-team coach and John Deehan
John Deehan
John Matthew Deehan is an English former footballer who in recent years has had several spells in coaching and management. He is currently unemployed having previously held the position of Director of football at Grimsby Town....
chief scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
. However, the initial turnaround in form could not be maintained; having lost their last three games of the season, Norwich were relegated from the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. Gunn labelled his players as an "embarrassment" after the 4–2 defeat to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
that sealed relegation to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Despite relegation—the first time in nearly 50 years that the club was to play in the third tier of English football—Norwich re-appointed Gunn as manager for the 2009–10 season. Crook, as first team coach, and former Canary Ian Butterworth
Ian Butterworth
Ian Stuart Butterworth is a former professional footballer, formerly assistant and caretaker manager at Norwich City....
, as assistant manager, completed the management team. Over the summer, Gunn signed 12 players, most of those on free transfers, including Australian Michael Theoklitos
Michael Theoklitos
Michael Theoklitos is an Australian football player for the Brisbane Roar.-Early career:Theoklitos made several appearances in the Australian National Soccer League before moving away to Blackpool in England as a youngster, where he only played three games due to an injury sustained shortly after...
, a goalkeeper from Melbourne Victory. He then steered the club through a programme of pre-season friendly matches, in which Norwich was unbeaten.
Just under a month after Gunn's reappointment, Norwich appointed a new managing director, David McNally. With the disappointment of relegation, Gunn's reappointment was controversial, and more was to follow. For the opening game of the new season, Norwich were to play at home against Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
, rivals for the Pride of Anglia
Pride of Anglia
The various football clubs located in East Anglia vie for being the Pride of Anglia, an unofficial title, now partially recognised by the awarding of a trophy by local television.-Description:...
. Gunn's team suffered a 7–1 defeat, and Theoklitos, signed by Gunn on a free transfer, was particularly blamed by the press for the scale of the defeat. Theoklitos later admitted it was "the worst performance of my career". Despite this, he retained Gunn's support, although in the eventuality, Theoklitos never played for Norwich again.
As early as during the match itself, fans and the media began to react strongly to the shock of Norwich's worst-ever home defeat. During the first half, after the side had gone 4–0 down, two supporters approached the Norwich bench, appearing to throw their season tickets at Gunn. Many fans walked out before the match ended, and around 300 people protested outside the ground afterwards. Media coverage of the match was unsurprisingly negative: the BBC used terms such as "calamitous defending", "Colchester run riot", "dismal", and a "disastrous start"; journalists also speculated about Gunn's competence as a manager. Matters seemed to stabilise a little with a 4–0 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
win at Yeovil
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
the following Tuesday. However, Gunn was sacked by McNally on 14 August 2009, six days after the defeat by Colchester.
Gunn was influenced in his management philosophy by former Norwich manager Mike Walker. Himself a former goalkeeper, Walker believed—contrary to popular opinion—that goalkeepers can make good managers because their excellent view of the game enables them to develop a good tactical awareness. Gunn's short time at Norwich remains his only experience of professional football management and he has subsequently moved into a business career.
Managerial statistics
- As of 6 September 2009
Team Nat From To Record P W D L Win % Norwich City Norwich City F.C.Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...England 16 January 2009 14 August 2009 21 6 5 10
After football
Gunn began work in November 2009 as director of business development for OneStream, part of the Digital Phone Company, based in Great YarmouthGreat Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
. His role was to "promote their communication and mobile working solutions".
In 2011, Gunn announced he was leaving OneStream for a new job as a sports agent. In his new role as director of talent recruitment at a sports agency, he is responsible for recruiting young footballers.
Family and personal life
Gunn's wife, Susan, is a painter. She won the inaugural Sovereign Art Prize in 2008, which included a cash award of €25,000. According to The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, before her marriage, Susan was "a beauty queen turned lingerie model" who "launched a fashion business". The couple met in Spain, where Susan had a bridal wear company, when Gunn was there on holiday. She told the Telegraph, "When I first met Bryan, I knew nothing about football and had no idea who he was because he told me he was a joiner
Joiner
A joiner differs from a carpenter in that joiners cut and fit joints in wood that do not use nails. Joiners usually work in a workshop since the formation of various joints generally requires non-portable machinery. A carpenter normally works on site...
."
Gunn explained that he was unsure what her attitude would be to footballers; he later confessed his calling to her. He proposed within three days of their meeting, and they were married the following year. They lived in Framingham Pigot
Framingham Pigot
Framingham Pigot is a village in South Norfolk lying about 4 miles southeast of Norwich. In the 2001 census it contained 62 households and a population of 167. It covers an area of ....
, near Norwich, until moving to Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
in May 2011. The Gunns have had three children: Francesca, Melissa and Angus. Melissa is a model, while their son, Angus, is a footballer and plays in goal, like his father. On the books as a youth player at Norwich City, in October 2010 he was selected for England under-16s
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
, a full year ahead of the age group.
According to Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by The Scotsman Publications Ltd and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate The Scotsman...
, Gunn suffers from ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis , previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, and Marie-Strümpell disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton with variable involvement of peripheral joints and nonarticular structures...
, "a rheumatic spinal condition", diagnosed in about 1995, "which he controls with medication". He appeared in an ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
celebrity football quiz called "Taking the Pitch" in 1998, alongside singer Fish
Fish (singer)
Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, is a Scottish progressive rock singer, lyricist and occasional actor, best known as the former lead singer of Marillion.-Biography:...
. Gunn's autobiography—In Where it Hurts—was published in 2006, and includes a foreword by his former manager Alex Ferguson. He said of writing the book, "it brought up a lot of good memories and a lot of awkward memories". The book was described by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "shot through with sharp humour and astute observation". The publishers agreed to donate £1 to Gunn's Leukaemia appeal fund for every book sold.
Leukaemia appeal
In 1992, Gunn's two-year-old daughter, Francesca, was diagnosed with leukaemia. Norwich City fans were at first astonished by the sight of the goalkeeper running out with a completely shaven head. In the words of author and Norwich supporter, Kevin Baldwin, "Occasionally, the gap between the crowd and the players can cause unfortunate misunderstandings. A few months ago, Gunn shaved his head and we all laughed at him ... I was especially keen ... to shout "Baldy!" ... It now turns out that his daughter was undergoing chemotherapy at the time, which made her hair fall out. He shaved his head to show her that this was nothing to be ashamed of. Sorry, Bryan." When news spread of the reason for Gunn's shaven head, he received "support from the whole of the sporting world and the people of Norfolk".Gunn describes the period of Francesca's illness and death and how it caused him to reflect on his career:
"We had a charmed life ... then Francesca became ill. There was a game in the autumn of '92 ... that we lost 7–1 at Blackburn. The team stayed in a bleak hotel and it rained endlessly. I just wanted to get back home. With hindsight you think, 'Why the bloody hell was I playing?' Very soon afterwards, Francesca died. She was sleeping between us. I realised what was happening and woke Susan. We cradled Francesca and cried."
Francesca died in 1992, aged two. Gunn played a match for Norwich against Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
at Carrow Road just days after his daughter died; he said of it, "When I ran out, I thought, wow, I could feel the whole stadium was with me. I never thought about packing it in." At the end of the season, Gunn won Norwich's player of the year award
Norwich City player of the year
The Norwich City player of the year award is voted for annually by Norwich City's supporters, in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season...
, as the club finished third in the Premiership, its highest ever league position.
Following Francesca's death, Gunn established "Bryan Gunn's Leukaemia Appeal", a fund to raise money to combat the disease. He initially set a target of £10,000, but by 2011 he has raised £1,000,000, under the auspices of The Dove Trust. The fund aims to address three issues:
"Equipping local hospitals to be better able to deal with children suffering from the disease on both in-patient and out-patient bases. Providing training for nurses and other staff involved in the care of children with leukaemia over and above that which is available from their employers. To support further research into the causes and cures of leukaemia."
The third of these ambitions has prompted the funding of research into leukaemia at the Norwich-based University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
. Gunn says:
“The ultimate aim is to find a cure and if that can be done in the laboratory at the University of East Anglia bearing Francesca’s name, then it would be the biggest testimony of all. Norwich is now one of the leading centres for leukaemia research and, with links to computer systems around the world, hopefully we’ll get there.”
In addition to the research, Gunn set up a telephone support line that offers advice and assistance for parents of children who have leukaemia or other forms of cancer. Known as gaps:line (an acronym for Gunn Appeal Parent Support), the service quickly grew. From its initial pilot launch in Norfolk in early 2004, it expanded to cover the "eastern region" by the end of the year, and launched nationally in early 2006. The appeal has also funded other research and support work.
Playing style, personality, achievements and legacy
As a player, Gunn was described as a "a leader with a big presence" by his manager at Hibernian, Alex McLeish. Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson recalls, "the first thing that hit me was his personality. It was abundantly clear ... that he was a warm, outgoing and endearing character", adding "He was a tremendous young keeper... always totally professional and I could never fault his discipline, effort or commitment."Gunn had a "fantastic rapport with the Norwich supporters". As a player, he liked "to tease the crowd during the game". Before each half of a match, Gunn would run toward his goal and pretend to attempt to head-butt the crossbar. Gunn says this is a habit he began as a youngster, and cannot remember how or why he began to do it. Norwich fans noticed it soon after his arrival at the club and, in Gunn's words, "would wait until I got to about the 18-yard line and then start a small "Wooo..." which would build into a full-blown "WOOOO ... AH!" ... I loved it and came close to smacking my head against the woodwork a couple of times". During play, he would cup his ear, which would prompt "shouts of Bryan, Bryan, give us a wave".
Gunn is described as "a legend in Norwich", the result of his long years of service as player and official for the club. In 2002, he was made one of 25 inaugural members of the Norwich City Hall of Fame. A 2005 Football Focus
Football Focus
Football Focus is a BBC television show, broadcast on BBC One on Saturday lunchtimes, covering football, presented from the 2009/2010 season by Dan Walker...
fan poll for "Norwich's cult heroes" saw Gunn finish in first place. He polled 37% of votes, ahead of Robert Fleck and Iwan Roberts
Iwan Roberts
Iwan Wyn Roberts is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a striker for a number of English league clubs. The most notable period of his club career was with Norwich City...
. Gunn is one of just nine players to have twice won Norwich City player of the year
Norwich City player of the year
The Norwich City player of the year award is voted for annually by Norwich City's supporters, in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season...
, in 1988 and 1993, and the only goalkeeper to do so. In 2003, as part of the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards
Premier League 10 Seasons Awards
The Premier League 10 Seasons Awards were a set of English football awards which marked the first 10 years of competition in the Premier League, the top-level domestic league competition of professional football in England...
, he was one of 10 players to be recognised by the Premier League with an "Outstanding Contribution to the Community" award. In response to his achievements with Norwich City and his charitable work, which has benefited the local university, in 2002 Gunn was made Sheriff of Norwich for the year by the City Council.