James Brown (footballer born 1987)

James Brown

Brown playing for Hartlepool United in 2007
Personal information
Full name	James Peter Brown
Date of birth	(1987-01-03) 3 January 1987 (age 30)
Place of birth	Cramlington, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position	Striker / Winger
Club information
Current team	Whitby Town
Number	14
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2012	Hartlepool United	175	(29)
2012–2014	Gateshead	70	(9)
2014–2016	Whitby Town	46	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:43, 11 October 2014 (UTC).

James Peter Brown (born 3 January 1987) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Whitby Town.

Born in Cramlington, Northumberland, Brown joined Hartlepool's youth set-up from Cramlington Juniors football Club. He had joined too late to go through the Youth Scholarship system and was subsequently offered a temporary deal. He was part of the successful Hartlepool under 19s side that won the Dallas Cup XXV in 2004. James Brown was included on the substitutes bench for Hartlepool's match against Bournemouth on the last day of the 2004–05 season. He was expected to play a part in the Hartlepool's 2005–06 campaign and participated regularly during pre-season.

However, during pre-season, Brown ruptured his cruciate ligament against Hibernian and missed the majority of the subsequent season. On 6 May 2006 Brown made his comeback and debut for the club, coming off the bench to score in the 1–1 draw with Port Vale at Victoria Park. The game was bittersweet for Brown as Hartlepool's failure to win saw them relegated to League 2. James's finishing earned him his first professional contract with the Club in 2006. During the 2006–07 campaign, he played nearly all of Hartlepool's games on the right wing.

In August 2008, Brown signed a new long term contract with Hartlepool.

James Brown scored against Colchester on 17 April 2010 which saw Hartlepool United winning 3–1, this once again led to Jeff Stelling revealing his James Brown singing doll. Brown was released by Hartlepool on 10 May 2012.

Brown signed for Conference Premier side Gateshead on 6 June 2012. His debut was delayed due to requiring surgery on a double hernia. He eventually made his Gateshead debut on 6 October 2012 as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 draw against Hyde. He made his first start for Gateshead three days later in a 2–2 draw with Macclesfield Town. Brown scored his first goal for Gateshead on 22 February 2013 in the return game against Macclesfield Town. He made his 50th appearance for Gateshead on 11 January 2014, scoring in a 2–1 win over Nuneaton Town. He retired from professional football in November 2014 due to a persistent knee injury. Following this, he joined Northern Premier League Premier Division side Whitby Town.