Tommy Bowman

Infobox Football biography
playername = Tommy Bowman


fullname = Thomas Bowman
nickname =
height = height|ft=5|in=8
weight =
dateofbirth = birth date|1873|10|26
cityofbirth = Tarbolton
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = death date and age|1958|8|27|1873|10|26
cityofdeath = Southampton
countryofdeath = England
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Half back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years =1891-1896
1896-1897
1897-1901
1901-1904
1904-1909
1909-1912
clubs = Annbank
Blackpool
Aston Villa
Southampton
Portsmouth
Eastleigh Athletic
caps(goals) =00? (?)
030 (2)
100 (2)
088 (2)
085 (3)
00? (?)
managerclubs =
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Thomas "Tommy" Bowman (born 26 October 1873 in Tarbolton; died 27 August 1958 in Southampton) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half back in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton.

Playing career

Bowman began his professional career at Blackpool in 1896, making his debut in a 3-1 defeat at Lincoln City on September 5. His thirty league appearances in 1896-97, the Lancashire club's first season in the Football League, made him an ever-present in the team.

He joined Aston Villa the following season where he gained a reputation as a strong, determined centre-half. He went on to make one hundred league appearances for the club (plus thirteen in the FA Cup) in four years, helping them to the League titles in 1898-99 and 1899-00. Bowman was also in the Villa side that lost a 1900 FA cup quarter final against Millwall Athletic that stunned the football world at the time. [ [http://www.freewebs.com/captainbeecher/number18.htm Match report Aston Villa vs Millwall Athletic] ]

In 1901, Southern League champions Southampton, anxious to replace Arthur Chadwick, who had moved to Portsmouth, signed Bowman. In his first season at The Dell, Bowman helped Saints to the FA Cup final, whilst finishing only third in the Southern League.

In 1902-03 he was a key member of the team that claimed the Southern League title, a feat repeated the following season when Bowman appeared in all 34 matches. In his three years with the Saints he was a fixture in the half-back line and missed only five league games, making eighty-eight league and thirteen FA Cup appearances, scoring three goals.

Although he never received full international honours, he represented the Anglo-Scots against the Scots in 1902.

In 1904, he joined Chadwick at Portsmouth. In five years at Fratton Park, he made a total of 144 appearances, scoring five goals.

He finished his career with Eastleigh Athletic in 1912.

After retirement from football, he returned to his original trade as a boiler scaler, where he worked in Southampton Docks for many years.

Honours

Aston Villa

* Football League championship: 1898-99 and 1899-00

Southampton

* FA Cup finalist: 1902
* Southern League championship: 1902-03 and 1903-04

References

*cite book | first=Roy | last=Calley| coauthors= | title=Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992 | publisher=Breedon Books Sport | location= | year=1992 | editor= | id=ISBN 1-873626-07-X
*cite book | author=Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk | title=The Alphabet of the Saints| publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing | year=1992| id=ISBN 0-9514862-3-3
*cite book | author=Gary Chalk & Duncan Holley | title=Saints - A complete record| publisher= Breedon Books| year=1987| id=ISBN 0-907969-22-4
*cite book | author=Dave Juson & others | title=Saints v Pompey - A history of unrelenting rivalry| publisher=Hagiology | year=2004| id=ISBN 0-9534474-5-6
*cite book | author=Mike Neasom, Mick Cooper & Doug Robinson | title=Pompey: The History of Portsmouth Football Club| publisher=Milestone Publications | year=1984| id=ISBN 0-903852-50-0