After qualifying as a dental surgeon at Edinburgh University, Ronald Brebner played for a wide variety of football clubs as he moved around the country establishing himself in his profession. At various times he played for Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers, London Caledonians, Northern Nomads, Wanders, Darlington, Elgin City, Stockton, Huddersfield Town, Chelsea and Leicester Fosse. He kept goal for England in 23 amateur internationals, but although he played in the South vs. North England trial match in 1912, he never won full international honors. Brebner made just one league appearance for Chelsea in the 1906-07 season, but when he returned to Stamford Bridge four years later he was, when available, the first choice goalkeeper and played in 17 league matches and one cup tie. He played for Great Britain in all three matches in the 1912 Olympics but two years after winning his gold medal he died, at the age of 33. On 26 December 1913 (Boxing Day), while with Leicester Fosse, he had been carried off the field at Lincoln with an injury which ended his playing career and contributed significantly to his early death ten months later.
Great Britain