Brian Sparrow | |
Fullname: | Brian Edward Sparrow |
Birth Date: | 24 June 1962 |
Birth Place: | Bethnal Green, England |
Height: | [1] |
Position: | Full back |
Youthyears1: | 1977–1982 |
Youthclubs1: | Arsenal |
Years1: | 1982–1984 |
Clubs1: | Arsenal |
Caps1: | 2 |
Goals1: | 0 |
Years2: | 1982 |
Clubs2: | → Wimbledon (loan) |
Caps2: | 17 |
Goals2: | 1 |
Years3: | 1983 |
Clubs3: | → Millwall (loan) |
Caps3: | 5 |
Goals3: | 2 |
Years4: | 1984 |
Clubs4: | → Gillingham (loan) |
Caps4: | 5 |
Goals4: | 1 |
Years5: | 1984–1987 |
Clubs5: | Crystal Palace |
Caps5: | 63 |
Goals5: | 2 |
Years6: | 19??–1990 |
Clubs6: | Enfield |
Years7: | 1990–1992 |
Clubs7: | Crawley Town |
Totalcaps: | 92 |
Totalgoals: | 6 |
Manageryears1: | 1991–1992 |
Managerclubs1: | Crawley Town (player-manager) |
Manageryears2: | 1996 |
Managerclubs2: | Crawley Town (caretaker) |
Manageryears3: | 2012 |
Brian Edward Sparrow (24 June 1962 – 6 December 2019) was an English professional footballer who played as a full back.
Born in Bethnal Green, Sparrow began his career at Arsenal,[2] from where he spent loan spells at Wimbledon, Millwall and Gillingham.[3] After spending three seasons with Crystal Palace,[3] Sparrow dropped down to non-league football with Enfield and then Crawley Town, where he was player-manager from 1991 to 1992,[4]
After retiring as a player, Sparrow worked as reserve-team manager of Wimbledon, made a brief return to Crawley as caretaker manager,[4] and coached at Brentford and Crystal Palace.[5] On 26 February 2012, Sparrow was appointed as the manager of China League Two side Shenzhen Main Sports, the same day the club was founded.[6] [7] He left China after club boss Sammy Yu resigned in July 2012.[8]
He died on 6 December 2019, at the age of 57.[9]