How good was Mark Brennan?

viv_andersons_nana

Well-known member
He’s one of those ones whose name pops up but he’d left before I was old enough to go to Ayresome Park and watch. I know about that goal at Villa Park in the driving rain and the mud, but what was he like as a player? There seemed to be a few lads joined the group after liquidation, did they fully fit in or did they upset the balance in any way?

Someone like Brennan sort of disappears from our history in many ways but played during a seminal part of it, and scored one of our most important-ever goals. Sort of like your Paul Kerrs, your Mark Burkes, etc. How did Boro supporters feel about these lads joining the club after everything we’d been through?

I saw Kerr play a few times for us but I was only 8 so can’t remember much. But Brennan always strikes me as interesting as I can’t see how he fit into our XI at the time. Was he a cover or a replacement for Hamilton with his injuries, etc.
 
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Brennan was a good passer and a good technical player. Very similar attributes to morris unfortunately i think he had off the field issues which meant he never fufillled his potential.
Kerr was a really decent player for us great short passer of the ball played similar manner to scholes but obviously not close to his level.
 
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Brennan was a good passer and a good technical player. Very similar attributes to morris unfortunately i think he had off the field issues which meant he never fufillled his potential.
Kerr was a really decent player for us great short passer of the ball played similar manner to scholes but obviously not close to his level.
Was he a drinker or was it other stuff? I spoke to our mam about recently and she said he was a tidy player. The teams and managers he played for sort of back that up.
 
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FMTTM article on him usually featured a drinks cabinet. I know he had a driving ban while at the Boro for drink driving.

Nice shot and long pass on him, but I always felt he was on half power, especially with defensive duties. We nearly got relegated twice in two seasons with him and Davenport in the side.
 
His free kick goal, in the pouring rain in the Zenith Data System Cup Semi at Villa Park was a highlight of an otherwise undistinguished career at Ayresome Park. Went on to score as many goals at Man City as he did for us in half the games before having another undistinguished stint at Oldham. Him finishing his career at Canvey Island via Sydney was rather poetic.
 
My favourite player back in the day; a natural footballer, graceful and always looked like he was playing at half-pace.

His best game was when we beat man utd 1-0 at Ayresome Park, after they had just beaten Liverpool the week before, who were the best team in the country at the time.

He was immaculate that day and a certain Bryan Robson didn't get a kick.
 
I remember him scoring a goal away, in the rain. Outside of foot into top corner. Camera was right behind him. Memory is telling me it was at Plymouth but can't find it on YouTube so may be misremembering it. Haven't seen it in 35 years.
 
Did he not fit into the eleven? I always feel like anyone who joined us in 87, 88 would’ve had a real hard time fitting into our XI at the time.
Yes, he didn't have that dynamism of Hammo, very laid back. It wasn't the way the team was at the time. Proctor came back around then too, he was never the player who left the club in '81.
 
Good player, came with a bit of a reputation as liking a drink? From memory, and I used to see him out all the time..very technical hardly gave it away.
 
A good footballer is someone who plays well 8 times out of 10, Brennan was barely 5 out of 10 which was incredibly frustrating as he had the attributes to be very good, as has been mentioned he had a great left foot and they always seem to stand out more.
Would you go as far as to say it was a wand?

I asked this exact same question about Mark Brennan on fmttm about 15 years ago as I’m similar age to Viv. The responses I got, though, were slightly more complimentary at the time.
 
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