'Didn't know' - Former Portsmouth skipper Michael Brown makes hilarious Avram Grant claim amid '£19,99' flight disclosure
Avram Grant had no idea midfielder Michael Brown was living in Cheshire for the first six months of his time in charge at Pompey.
That’s according to the former Blues skipper, who has hilariously revealed his long commute from the north west down to the south coast was only discovered as his regular flight from Manchester Airport one morning was delayed.
It meant he turned up at Pompey’s former Eastleigh training base - which is located a stone’s throw from Southampton Airport - an hour late and was subsequently fined by the popular Israeli.
The long-distance relationship, however, didn’t stop Brown - an August 2009 signing by previous boss Paul Hart - being a key player for the Blues. Indeed, the then 32-year-old featured 35 times for the club that season as they battled against the tide during their final year in the Premier League and was a mainstay in the side that defied the odds by reaching the 2010 FA Cup final.
He also remained with the then financially-stricken Fratton Park outfit for their first season back in the Championship in 2010-11, until the club were unable to offer him a new contract - which he was entitled to - after reaching a set number of games.
Brown joined Leeds United on a free transfer in the summer of 2011 after 57 appearances for Pompey.
But speaking on BBC Radio Five Live’s Premier League kick-off with Darren Fletcher on Friday night, the well-travelled midfield hardman insisted he was no ‘Charlie Big Potatoes’ - despite some good-natured teasing from the host and fellow panelist Don Hutchinson.
‘It was £19.99 (the flights with former airline company Flybe,’ joked Brown. ‘I booked them months ahead, mate!’
The humorous revelation was made as the trio discussed Leicester midfielder Harry Winks reportedly being dropped by the Foxes for refusing to stay at the Premier League side’s training base one night a week in order to spare him a 200-mile round trip he does regularly from London.
Former Pompey midfielder Brown: I wish it was a private jet
Brown divulged amid hilarious gasps from his co-quest Hutchinson: ‘I lived in Cheshire, right, and I played for Portsmouth, and the training ground was at Eastleigh, right next to Southampton Airport. There were three flights a day, so I'd have Monday off - I was older, wasn't I. I came Tuesday morning and back, and then I'd stay - listen, though, I was sensible. I was on it - Thursday, Friday, always stayed over.
‘I wish it was a private jet (when jokingly probed if he flew privately). It was Portsmouth in financial problems. I wish I had Flybe's financials back. They've obviously left us now, but yeah, it was brilliant.
‘Avram Grant, for six months, didn't know that I lived in Manchester, and then one morning, Ian Woan, who was a coach, they were all stood there and I remember them saying “look at that plane going round” because it's always cloudy in Southampton, and one of them went, “yeah, Browny’s on it, and Avram didn't even know, and then I had to get there to train an hour late and I got fined.’
Defending his commute, Brown then joked: ‘Steve Morrison, he refused to stay over at Leeds. He lived down in Peterborough. He wouldn't do it. It's been there forever. Players have already done it and got used to it. Kasper Schmeichel did it for years and years, and they (Leicester) won the title!’
Rounding off that segment of the programme, Fletcher then quipped: ‘Yeah, some managers have that stipulation, don't they? Brownie, who will forever now be known on a Friday as Charlie Big Potatoes, having done that while he was at Portsmouth!’
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