Stan Bowles

Football player infobox
playername = Stan Bowles
fullname = Stanley Bowles
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1948|12|24|df=y
cityofbirth = Collyhurst, Manchester
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=5|in=10
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Forward/Midfield
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1967–1970
1970
1970–1971
1971–1972
1972–1979
1979–1980
1980–1981
1981–1984
clubs = Manchester City
Bury
Crewe Alexandra
Carlisle United
Queens Park Rangers
Nottingham Forest
Leyton Orient
Brentford
Total
caps(goals) = 017 00(2)
005 00(0)
051 0(18)
033 0(12)
315 0(97)
019 00(2)
044 00(7)
081 0(16)
565 (154)
nationalyears = 1974–1977
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 005 00(1)

Stanley Bowles (born 24 December, 1948 in Collyhurst, Manchester, England) was a leading English footballer who gained a reputation as one of the game's greatest mavericks.

Career

Bowles began his career at Manchester City, although his fiery temper resulted in him being released after a series of off-field incidents. After a brief and unsuccessful stay at Bury, he was signed by Ernie Tagg, manager of Crewe Alexandra, then in the Fourth Division, where his skill caught the eye of a number of bigger clubs. In October 1971 he was signed by Carlisle United, at the time a Second Division club, scoring 13 goals in 36 appearances for the Cumbrians. After a managerial change at the club, he joined Queens Park Rangers (QPR) for £112,000 in September 1972.

He replaced in the team another QPR folk-hero, Rodney Marsh, who had been transferred to Bowles' first club Manchester City six months before. Bowles took over Marsh's number 10 shirt, which other players had been reluctant to wear in fear of being compared to Marsh. Bowles had no qualms about taking the shirt, primarily because he said that coming from the North, he had never heard of Marsh!

Bowles was often regarded as something of a character both on and off the pitch. One notable incident in his playing days involved the famous FA Cup trophy. Having won the FA Cup competition four days prior, Sunderland were parading the trophy at Roker Park on May 9, 1973 when they met QPR in the old Division 2. The trophy had been placed on a table at the side of the pitch when Bowles tore straight across the park and kicked the ball at it full speed, sending the Cup flying through the air. [ [http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,,1941551,00.html The Guardian: Did Stan Bowles take a pot shot at the FA Cup?] ] The crowd predictably went ballistic, but Stan had the last laugh by scoring a brace in the match which ended in a pitch invasion. According to Bowles some of the QPR players had laid bets as to who could hit the trophy first.

However with his playing flair and undoubted natural ability it was inevitable that international recognition would soon come. He made his international debut against Portugal in April 1974 in Sir Alf Ramsey's last match in charge. Overall he won only five caps for England, all while playing for QPR (playing for three different managers: Sir Alf Ramsey, Joe Mercer and Don Revie) and scored his only international goal in a 2-0 win over Wales at Ninian Park in 1974.

Bowles spent just over seven years at QPR, playing a central role in arguably the club's greatest ever team, that which finished as league runners-up in 1975–76 under Dave Sexton. A 2004 fans poll saw him voted the club's all-time greatest player. He left QPR in 1979 to join Nottingham Forest, although he failed to settle under the management of Brian Clough and was sold in 1981 to Leyton Orient for £100,000. He joined Brentford the following year and remained at the club until his retirement in 1984.

His 1996 autobiography revealed the extent of his drinking, womanizing and gambling during his playing days, and also helped to secure a role as a pundit on Sky Sports, where he again replaced Rodney Marsh. [ [http://www.laughfc.co.uk/stories/story.php?id=766 laughfc.co.uk: Stan Bowles Interview] ]

Something of a cult icon because of his chaotic personal life, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/football_focus/3556476.stm BBC Sport: QPR's cult heroes] ] he is amongst the few footballers to have a single released bearing his name, in this case the 2004 release by the The Others. He has also written betting columns in the national press and a column in 'lads' mag' "Loaded" and also appears on the after dinner speaker circuit.

References

External links

* [http://www.angelfire.com/dc/3games/Bowles.html A Carlisle United fans tribute]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/3961457.stm Bowles comments on The Others' tribute song]
* [http://www.crewealex.premiumtv.co.uk/page/past_players_detail/0,,10414~80594,00.html Profile and career stats from Crewe Alexandra site]
* [http://www.inside-edge-mag.co.uk/football/features/1032/the_players.html Booze birds bust ups and betting from gambling site]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20051013/ai_n15714842 BRIAN VINER INTERVIEWS - Stan Bowles: 'Clough, Brooking, Eriksson' 13 October 2005]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960907/ai_n14055786 Football: Stan Bowles book launch 7 September 1996]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/7526917.stm BBC Sport interview with Bowles about his career and the prospects for QPR in season 2008-09]