With the Euro 2004 being held in Portugal is was only fitting that Browns would be suitable as a training centre during the competition due to its unique complete on-site facilities and its close proximity to the Faro/Loule Stadium. In December 2003, this was the case as the Russian Federation decided that they wished to base themselves at Browns Sports and Leisure Club. They decided to pick Browns before the groups had been drawn and as such did not know what teams or grounds they would be playing against or at or indeed the distances they would have to travel to play their games. They were so impressed with Browns’ football pitch and the fact that the accommodation was adjacent to the pitch, they felt it was the ideal location for a training set up for a serious competition.

However, when the draw was made 2 of their groups games were in fact at the Faro/Loule stadium and 1 in Lisbon, only a two and half hour drive away. Browns sport and Leisure Club was able to offer the Russian Football Federation total exclusivity, unique for any team in the Euro, and the team set about making themselves comfortable and relaxed. Although Russia did not have an impressive campaign with a relatively inexperience squad, they did manage to beat the eventual winners Greece.

Swedish League Champions Djurgardens IF visited Browns in March 2004 and by doing so, were the first full-time professional football team to do so. Football since then has gone from strength to strength. Djugardens have gone onto return to Browns twice and are looking to return in 2007 for their fourth year. The football season in Sweden doesn’t start until April and runs through until November. This means pre-season training needs to be conducted when half the country is still under ice and snow. Therefore southern Europe is the ideal place to relocate for 2 weeks in order to get some ball work done on a superior pitch in ideal conditions.

Every year The Algarve is home to the fourth biggest football competition in the women’s football calendar, behind the World Cup, the Euro and the Olympics. Games are played in location all along the Algarve and it attracts 12 teams to the competition, with the big guns USA, Germany, France and the Scandinavian Countries all pitting their wits against one another. This competition is seen as a showcase for dominating nations but however allows the so-called smaller footballing nations in women’s football to compete against them. This is made possible due to the fact that this is an invitational competition and no qualification to it is necessary. With Browns being ideally placed in central Algarve and close to the stadiums at which the events take place, it has been home to the Portuguese Women’s National team for the past 2 years. In addition to Portugal another team at Portugal’s request has been invited to stay at Browns along with them. The past 2 teams have been Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Browns appeal to football teams reached the premiership after the Euro and in October 2004 Bolton Wanderers FC made their way to Portugal for a mid-season break. Fulham FC, West Bromwich Albion FC, and Middlesbrough FC then followed them.

National Teams, in addition to Russia have graced the football field at Browns, with Sweden taking advantage of Russia’s departure in the group stages at Euro 2004. They were able to use the pitch for a training session prior to their quarter-final match against Holland which was held again at the Faro/Loule stadium.

In August 2005 the National Nigerian Football team visited Browns for a week for a pre-world cup qualifying training camp and were so impressed that they decided to return . They did so in December 2005 for 2 weeks in preparations for the African Nations Cup 2006, which was held in Egypt. They then flew directly to Cairo to begin their campaign and made it all the way to the quarter-finals.