Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has rejected claims that he attended a church exorcism alongside former Scotland manager Craig Levein while Raith Rovers attempted to sign defender Marvin Andrews in 2006.
The unusual story resurfaced after Levein recounted the incident during an appearance on the Undr the Cosh podcast, describing what he called one of the strangest experiences of his football management career.
Brown, a lifelong Raith Rovers supporter who was serving as the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, was reportedly involved in efforts to bring Andrews back to the Scottish club after the defender became a free agent following his departure from Rangers.
However, Brown’s representative has firmly denied that the former Labour leader attended the alleged exorcism.
“Gordon’s prepared to do a lot for Raith Rovers but he’s never attended an exorcism,” a spokesperson for Brown told The Telegraph. ESPN have contacted the office of Gordon and Sarah Brown for comment.
According to Levein’s account, Brown contacted him during his spell as Raith Rovers manager and asked him to travel to Kirkcaldy for a meeting concerning Andrews.
The former Scotland boss recalled an unexpected arrival involving several luxury vehicles before Brown invited him to join the journey to meet the defender.
“So I drove along and parked my car, and the next minute three Range Rovers came tearing into the car park … I’m thinking, ‘What the f**k is going on?’
“The window came down on one of them and it was Gordon. He says, ‘Jump in my car, we are going down to see Marvin.'”
The meeting took an unexpected turn because Andrews was working at a church at the time. Levein claimed that their visit coincided with a religious service during which church members were participating in what he described as an exorcism.
The former manager said the scene left him bewildered as he watched proceedings unfold, with a pastor praying over people who subsequently fell backwards while others made loud wailing noises.
“We had chosen an evening to go along when they were casting out demons. The guys are going up on the stage and Pastor Joe is putting his hand on their heads and there is a whole lot of wailing noises going on and he shoves them and they fall backwards,” he said.
“I am sitting there going, ‘What the f*** is going on?’ I’m there to meet Marvin and there are people falling about and there is about six people lying on the ground.”
Levein’s account portrayed the encounter as an extraordinary detour in what was supposed to be a straightforward transfer pursuit. However, Brown’s denial draws a clear distinction between the anecdote and the former prime minister’s version of events.
Despite the bizarre circumstances described by Levein, Raith Rovers eventually secured Andrews’ signature, achieving their original objective.
Reflecting on the experience, Levein labelled it “the most bizarre evening I have ever had.”
The story has since attracted attention for its unusual combination of Scottish football, a former UK prime minister and an alleged church exorcism during a player recruitment mission.
While Levein has stood by his recollection of the evening, Brown’s spokesperson has denied that he attended an exorcism, leaving the central claim disputed.
What began as an attempt to bring a defender back to Raith Rovers has consequently become one of the more extraordinary anecdotes to emerge from football management.
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