Past colleagues and players of Craig Brown have spoken of their recollections of the former Scotland manager following his death at the age of 82. Here are some of the tributes to the man who led Scotland to consecutive major tournaments in the late 1990s and later managed Preston, Motherwell and Aberdeen. Former Clyde and Scotland winger Pat Nevin, whose professional career began after an offer from then-Bully Wee manager Brown, wrote on Twitter: “Missing my old gaffer and friend Craig Brown already. What a sparkling, lovely, charming, talented and caring human being. I wouldn’t have had the life I did without him.” Former Scotland midfielder Craig Burley wrote on Twitter: “Sad news with the passing of Craig Brown. In particular Euro 96 & France 98 stick in the memory as great times to be involved with the Scotland squad. Craig can be proud of how he managed Scotland during his tenure. Great sense of humor & some terrific one liners too.” Former Scotland international Paul Lambert told Sky Sports News: “He was a brilliant one-liner. He would lay it right on the line for you and knew exactly what you were going to do. He was a really good disciplinarian, taught you great habits.” League Managers Association chairman Howard Wilkinson said: “You couldn’t help but like Craig. He was great fun, he always had a story or comment to share but his modesty and willingness to help when called upon made him such a good friend. As a professional, he was a great coach educator and proper lover of football. He was very intelligent, like a football professor, but would never try to impress you with his knowledge of the game. He will be missed greatly and our thought are with Craig’s family and friends at this time.” Former Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan wrote on Twitter: “Football has lost a great man. A man of integrity, honesty, passion and humility. Craig you may be gone but will never be forgotten. You touched the lives of so many in a positive way and inspired players and coaches to be the best they can be. I’m a lucky man to have known you.” Former Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield wrote on Twitter: “Just a story into Craig Brown the manager and person, when he left Aberdeen as manager he sent every player a individual handwritten letter thanking them and put beautiful words to what that individual meant to him, I still have mine in a safe place and will cherish it.” Walking Football Scotland wrote on Twitter: “Walking Football Scotland mourns the loss of one of our patrons Craig Brown. Craig, a Scottish footballing legend, will be dearly missed by so many. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time and we are grateful to the incredible support he gave us as patron.” Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows, who served as Motherwell press officer under Brown, wrote on Twitter: “Craig was always brilliant with me. He was brilliant the first day I met him on Tuesday 29 December 2009, and he was brilliant in the last conversation we had a week last Thursday. He could barely make it through a chat without saying something nice, paying an undue compliment or thanking you for something or other, even when he himself was struggling. “He also had an incredible knack of making you feel ten feet tall. He would always know the right thing to say or do to help you, to reassure you or to inspire you. Most who met him would agree that it would only take one conversation with him to feel as if you had been friends for years, such was his warmth.” Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill wrote on Twitter: “Very sad to hear that Craig Brown has passed away. I saw him at a function in Scotland recently and he was wonderful company. Football has lost a great man today.” Montrose player Craig Brown, writing on Twitter, responded to an interview from his grandfather and namesake that was aired by Sky Sports: “Sometimes you were too modest. Thank you for the memories Papa, and the jelly babies from that pocket.” First Minister Humza Yousaf wrote on Twitter: “A towering figure of the Scottish game, Craig Brown & the Scotland team he managed gave us many good memories over the years. You would be hard pressed to find a man who loved Scotland as passionately as he did.” Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote on Twitter: “So sorry to hear that Craig Brown has died. I last saw him in March at my uncle’s retirement from @ayrracecourse. He was in fine form – full of laughs and anecdotes from his life in football. He was an outstanding manager of @ScotlandNT and a truly lovely man.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football pays tribute to Craig Brown – Monday’s sporting social England’s Ollie Pope looking to make up for lost runs in second Ashes Test Katie Boulter won’t let off-court commitments distract her from ambitious goals

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As the certainty of Tottenham’s top-four hopes slip from view, Aston Villa’s have never appeared stronger as Unai Emery’s side leapfrogged their hosts in north London. That was the result of a wonderfully open and often chaotic encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Villa rode their luck and just about managed to cling on to their high-wire tightrope to emerge with this statement win, yet one that looked beyond them in the opening stages. Tottenham will struggle to come to terms with this defeat, which leaves Ange Postecoglou’s side with a third Premier League loss in a row and looking very much like a team in the midst of a major injury crisis. But while the makeshift centre-back partnership of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies was exposed by Ollie Watkins, who fired Villa to a ninth win of the season and to within two points of leaders Arsenal, it was Tottenham’s forwards and a host of missed chances that proved just as decisive to the outcome. Because, despite this win and their impressive standing in the table, Villa really should have been buried. Tottenham led and should have been out of sight. Emery’s daring high line will look to have paid off handsomely – but it could have easily been made to appear reckless. Yet it was always going to be this way, in a clash of two teams and two managers who are committed to playing the high-stakes game, even if it doesn’t seem to make any sense. And this was, for the most part, utterly mad, the greatest puzzle perhaps that there were only three goals. Son Heung-min’s usually clinical touch was missing yet he was also unfortunate – the Tottenham captain had three goals disallowed for offside. Spurs could have also scored five or six inside the opening 20 minutes, all from the same route. They only needed one run from deep and one timed pass and they were through Villa’s trap. With Emery lining up with a back three for the first time this season, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos and Pau Torres were positioned as Villa’s terrifyingly wobbly, thrillingly advanced defence. Tottenham, though, were wasteful. Destiny Udogie, the left-back who drifted to join Son as Tottenham’s second striker, was the first to slip through but lifted his finish over the bar. Dejan Kulusevski was next, wriggling around the ambling Torres with ease, only to place his curling effort onto the post. Kulusevski then found Bryan Gil with a lovely flick, bringing a save out of Emiliano Martinez. Son lurked as the six-yard poacher, coming alive after the initial run was found. The Spurs captain missed what was the best of Tottenham’s first-half chances when he failed to connect with Gil’s cross and there would be more to come. Improbably, Tottenham’s opener did not come from the expected source. Given Villa’s approach, it was a surprise that Giovani Lo Celso’s first-half goal came following a corner, with the Argentine’s crisp strike taking a deflection off Carlos and past Martinez after Villa had cleared to the edge of the box. And yet, for all of Villa’s susceptibility, Emery’s high line also managed to catch Tottenham out. Son thought he had doubled the lead after racing through on goal from 40 yards and curling past Martinez but was denied by the offside flag. There would be more of that, as well. Tottenham, however, were offered a reprieve of their own. Emery’s wing-back ploy at least threatened Tottenham down the flanks and Postecoglou’s own cavalier approach struggled to contain it. Watkins looked to have levelled moments after Lo Celso’s strike, heading past Guglielmo Vicario from Lucas Digne’s excellent cross, but his equaliser did not survive VAR’s offside lines. What the review did reveal, however, was how open Tottenham were: Watkins and Moussa Diaby were left to the makeshift back two of Emerson and Davies, but neither was close to a Villa forward. And while Tottenham continued to waste opportunities, Villa started to show signs that they would make the hosts pay for it. Besides leaving Royal and Davies exposed to the speed of Watkins and Diaby, Tottenham’s own glaring vulnerability was their excessively high defensive line from set-pieces. Torres missed one early chance when he headed past the post but made no mistake in additional time. For the second time, the Spain defender was left unmarked and in the 52nd minute of a chaotic half, Tottenham gave Douglas Luiz at least 25 yards of space to aim for from his deep free-kick. Those extra seven minutes had been created by the loss of Rodrigo Bentancur, injured less than half an hour into his first Tottenham start in nine months following a reckless challenge by Matty Cash. The Villa right-back was sensibly removed by Emery at the break, having picked up a booking and being hounded by the home fans for adding to their increasingly dire injury crisis. Already without nine first-team players, Tottenham were left with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Eric Dier and Oliver Skipp as their only senior options on the bench. Villa, with Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans, had what Tottenham did not and carried an ability to change the game. It was Tielemans who slipped Watkins through to put Villa ahead and turn the game around, although the Belgium international hardly required the most intricate ball to split Emerson and Davies apart. Watkins glided through unopposed and flashed his finish past Vicario. It was, remarkably, enough to secure all three points. Martinez produced an excellent double stop to deny Johnson after a smart touch from Son and then Hojbjerg’s follow-up shot from distance. Johnson was close to meeting Kulusevski’s cross after a counter, then Tottenham had two more disallowed after Son was caught offside in the box, first from Johnson’s cutback and then from a rebound. Villa remained committed to the entertainment until the end. Emery’s side could also have crowned their victory, though. Watkins didn’t do enough with a point-blank glancing header and Vicario produced a fine stop to deny Digne’s free kick. And, given Tottenham’s absences, with James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr all sidelined, Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma suspended, and their starting midfield three and centre-back pairing unavailable, perhaps Villa came away with the result they were expected to. It remained on a fine line, however, and in the chaos Emery’s side left behind, the coming weeks will reveal how serious this new top-four challenge will be. Tottenham’s, in the meantime, is in need of a revival. Read More Ollie Watkins hails a ‘massive three points’ for Aston Villa at Tottenham Rodrigo Bentancur injured by Matty Cash in first Tottenham start in nine months Gareth Southgate pays tribute to ‘outstanding coach’ Terry Venables Ange Postecoglou too busy with football matters to worry about agent-rules probe Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Rodrigo Bentancur return eases Tottenham’s injury crisis

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