Brown Brentford Bound?

Former Colchester goalkeeper Simon Brown could sign for U's rivals Brentford after being sensationally released by Scottish side Hibernian last month.

Brown, 31, was Layer Road`s chief net-minder for half a decade and has caught the eye of new Bees boss Terry Butcher, who took over from the club just after they were confirmed as relegated from League One.

It is understood that Brown played a role when John Collins` Hibernian squad almost performed a mutiny back in April, as the squad refused to play for the former Scottish international midfielder Collins.

Brown, since axed, claimed that Collins had become a 'laughing stock` among the players because of, according to BBC Sport, "vanity about his physique."

Collins responded earlier in the month by saying on the same website: "contrary to some idiotic rumours, it isn't so that I can show off my six-pack.

"The claim that I took off my top at a team meeting is utterly ridiculous," added the one-time Monaco and Everton player.

Among other claims made by Brown, who was a part of the side that recorded a CSI Scottish Cup final victory in the season just ended, is that Collins kept the team in a 'prison` like environment during training. These have been seriously denied.

As he targets a return to action, Terry Butcher confirmed that he is interested, saying in Wednesday`s Richard & Twickenham Times: "Simon is one of several players to whom we have spoken and we are interested in him.

"I know quite a bit about him from my time in Scotland and I rate him highly. He's an excellent goalkeeper with a lot of experience and know-how," added former Motherwell manager Butcher.

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