Bury keeper Wayne Brown is a man of many talents, as skysports.com's Ben Collins found out.
As part of skysports.com's League Two spotlight, Ben Collins catches up with Bury's multi-talented keeper Wayen Brown.
You have to see a Bury-Rochdale derby to believe it.
Outsiders do not normally expect much as the two sides have spent most of the past four decades down in the doldrums, way down Lancashire's football food chain.
Rochdale have been in the bottom division since 1974 while Bury's most recent relegation back into the fourth tier came in 2002.
Just seven miles separate the North Manchester clubs yet those thinking merely local bragging rights are at stake are sorely mistaken.
Bury-Dale matches generate enough intensity and passion to rival the high-profile derbies between their more illustrious neighbours in Manchester and across Lancashire. And the rivalry has intensified in recent years as both sides have been vying for promotion.
Anyone who saw Monday's clash, which was broadcast live on Sky Sports, can testify to that. So too can Bury goalkeeper Wayne Brown, who has experienced a Gigg Lane derby from two very different perspectives.
He was in familiar territory on Monday as Bury edged a hard-fought first half in which the tackles were flying in - typical of a derby perhaps but not Bury and Dale, who have earned the plaudits by trying to play their way out of League Two.
The Shakers' skipper Stephen Dawson led by example, with some crunching tackles and surging runs from midfield, while former Bury left-back Tom Kennedy was booed every time he touched the ball. As was poor old Chris O'Grady, who had a brief, uninspiring loan spell with Bury from Oldham last season but has been banging them in for Dale this term.
The huge Dale following that made the short trip down the A58 then targeted Andy Bishop, Bury's top scorer for the last three seasons, as the fit-again striker prepared to come on for his first appearance in four months.
How the home fans rejoiced when O'Grady missed a sitter in the 75th minute, just after Dale had got on top. And just three minutes later Ryan Lowe, this season's top scorer, secured a 1-0 win which sent Bury back into third, although Dale remain clear at the top of the table.
"It was real blood-and-thunder stuff," Brown told
skysports.com's Ben Collins. "But that was our plan, to get into them early on and stop them from playing.
"They came into it more but it was a great finish by Ryan and a massive win for us.
"I had no idea how big a rivalry it was," added the former Bristol City trainee, who joined Bury from Hereford in the summer of 2008. "The closest I've experienced is the Bristol derby, and that's pretty big!"
Bricklayer
While Brown was between the sticks for Monday's game, he was behind them for the corresponding fixture last season.
The 33-year-old is doing a City & Guilds course in Photography and while out injured for two months last term he took the opportunity to get some practice in pitchside with his camera.
"It's something different," said Brown. "I've been interested in it for about three years now. Hopefully I've got a few years left in my career but I thought I should start doing something so when I finish I won't be scratching around thinking what I should do.
"Most other footballers would own a pub or do some coaching. I've got my goalkeeping 'B' licence but I don't know if that's for me. When you've been standing around the last 15, 16 years in the cold I'm thinking 'do I want another 30 years of this?'
"I trained as a bricklayer before playing professional football but I didn't fancy going back on the bricks, forget that! I've had an easy life for the last 15 years so I didn't want to go back to that."
Brown has been studying from home and - when his football career dictates - trying to build a portfolio.
Bury's club photographer Martin Ogden offered a helping hand and Brown boosted his development by going pitchside last March - much to the amusement of Dale's management duo of Keith Hill and Dave Flitcroft, who had a good chuckle in the dug-out before kick-off.
"They saw me standing with Martin and just thought I was having a chat," Brown added. "Then I got the camera out and they were like, 'what the hell's going on here?'
"They didn't know I was studying photography but I think they were quietly impressed!
"I played with Flicks at Chester and I've played against Hilly loads of times, so I took pictures of them because they're always pretty animated. But they like to play up to the camera, they know it's there!
"Their fans were giving me some stick behind the goal as well, and then their keeper (Frank Fielding) turned round at a goal-kick and said 'what are you doing behind here?'
"When we scored I jumped up and then thought 'I should be taking pictures of that really'. But I enjoyed it, it was a completely different perspective on the game."
Atmosphere
Camera packed away, Brown had his gloves back on for Monday's game, and the biggest difference he noticed was the crowd. Bury had averaged 2,850 at home this season but 6,528 crammed into Gigg Lane.
As a virtual spectator for the first half, Brown could really soak up the big-match atmosphere, and he believes the fans could have a big part to play as the Shakers aim to go one better than last season - when they missed automatic promotion by just one goal before going out in the play-off semi-finals on penalties to Shrewsbury.
"It was the derby and it was on Sky Sports, with all the razzmatazz of that, so there was a big crowd," he said.
"And the fans could be massive for us between now and the end of the season. We're not asking for 6,500 every week, just maybe 4,500.
"As a player, you can really notice the difference. It's not great seeing a load of empty seats but when you come out to a crowd like that, it really gets you pumped for the game.
"And they got behind us right from the start so they were like our 12th man the other night. The dressing room was buzzing after the game and we want to keep that feeling going."
Manager Alan Knill told his players it was their best performance since he succeeded Chris Casper in February 2008 - not in terms of quality but in competitiveness, team spirit and making sure they got a crucial three points.
Knill has gradually turned things around at Bury. After three straight finishes in the bottom eight he steered them to mid-table security at the end of 2007/08.
Brown was one of several astute signings ahead of the 2008/09 campaign and Bury shot out of the blocks in Knill's first full season, making their best league start in 60 years.
Last season's derby win, when Brown was photographer, marked the start of a 12-match unbeaten run with which Bury ended the season. But seven of those games were drawn and those dropped points would prove costly as the Shakers had to settle for the play-offs, and by then their energy was drained and the early momentum lost.
It looked like Bury might have been one-season wonders when they lost their first four home games this term but they slowly got themselves back in contention.
Cautious
That derby win against Dale was their fourth straight victory and took the Shakers to just two defeats in 20, so rather than hanging on this season, they are gunning for glory.
"We were maybe too cautious last year," said Brown, who has started every league game this season. "It was that tight at the top we thought it'd be best to keep picking up points - even if it was draws - and we didn't want anyone else to get away.
"But we've learned from that and we've gained confidence from it. Most of the players are the same and we've got a good understanding together.
"Now we're telling ourselves we're the best team in this league and it's up to us to go out and prove it. It already feels like it's been a long season so this time we really want to go up automatic.
"If we go out with that confidence, we'll win games. And even if we lose the odd one, if we win the next game it'll be better than two draws."
After just one appearance for Bristol City, Brown spent nine years with Chester before joining Hereford in 2005, initially on loan.
The Southampton-born keeper helped the Bulls to two promotions in three years, which took them into League One in 2008, although Brown left for Bury after failing to agree a new contract. His Bury contract is up this summer but the 33-year-old hopes to stay at Gigg Lane.
"We'll have to see what Alan thinks," he said. "He may want a clear-out whether we go up or not. There seemed to be a clear-out ever year at Hereford - even if you were Player of the Year (which Brown was in 2007/08 when they finished third in League Two).
"I wasn't training right in the first half of the season and that showed but I've sorted that out, I feel I've been playing well and I'm happy here.
"It would be great to help a club into League One again and I'd like to stay. But if not, I'll have to find another club - my photography's not good enough to rely on that just yet!"
