Terry Owen

Football player infobox
playername = Terry Owen


fullname = Leslie Terence Owen
height = height|ft=5|in=7
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1949|9|11
cityofbirth = Liverpool
countryofbirth = England
currentclub =
position = Striker
youthyears = 1965–1966
youthclubs = Everton
years = 1966–1970
1970–1972
1972–1977
1977
1977–1979
1979–1980
1980–1981
1981
1981–1983
1983–1984
1984–1985
clubs = Everton
Bradford City
Chester City
Cambridge United
Rochdale
Port Vale
Northwich Victoria
Oswestry Town
Colwyn Bay
Caernarfon Town
Prestatyn Town
caps(goals) = 002 0(0)
052 0(6)
176 (41)
001 0(0)
082 (21)
018 0(3)
008 0(2)

Leslie Terence "Terry" Owen (born September 11, 1949 in Liverpool, Merseyside) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker with several clubs in the 1970s, and is best known as the father of current Newcastle United and England international striker, Michael Owen.

Playing career

Owen came through the ranks with Everton (the club Michael supported before joining rivals Liverpool as a youngster) [cite book | author=Michael Owen | title=Off the Record:My Autobiography | publisher=CollinsWillow| year=2004| pages= p.33 |id=ISBN 0-00-218939-9] and made two top–flight appearances for the Toffees in the 1967–68. Unfortunately a place in the Everton side was always going to be difficult to come across and he moved to Bradford City in June 1970. His two seasons with the Bantams saw Owen manage six goals in 47 league appearances but Bradford were relegated to Football League Division Four shortly before his departure to Chester in June 1972 for £1,000. [cite book | author=Chas Sumner | title=On the Borderline: The Official History of Chester City 1885-1997 | year=1997| pages= p.84|id=ISBN 1-874427-52-6]

Owen spent five years at Sealand Road from 1972–77 in one of the most successful period's in the club's history. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw with Cambridge United in August 1972 and he went on to bag 41 Football League goals in 176 appearances.

The best remembered campaign was 1974-75, when Division Four side Chester defied the odds to reach the League Cup semi-finals. Playing in arguably the biggest game of his career, Owen scored in the 2–2 first–leg draw with Aston Villa and played in the return game as Chester narrowly lost 3–2 to deny Owen a Wembley Stadium date. [Cite news
title= Great Merseyside tradition of semi final drama
url= http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2008/01/05/great-merseyside-tradition-of-semi-final-drama-100252-20314573/
publisher= Liverpool Echo (see match 2) | date= 2008-01-05 | accessdate= 2008-01-07] However, the season was to end in glory as Chester finished fourth in Division Four and won promotion for the first time. Owen finished as the club's top league scorer during the momentous season, with 14 efforts to his name.

He managed double-figures again in 1975–76 and played in the FA Cup fifth round for Chester at Wolves in February 1977 but left the club at the end of the campaign.

Owen played just one Football League game for his next club Cambridge United (against Chester) before returning to the north–west with Rochdale. He scored 21 goals in 82 league games for 'Dale from 1977–79 and finished his league career with three goals in 17 outings for Port Vale in the 1979–80.

After finishing his professional career, Owen's non-league clubs included Northwich Victoria, Oswestry Town, Colwyn Bay, Caernarfon Town and Prestatyn Town. ['Where are they now?', Chester City v. Bradford City matchday programme; 6/2/1993; pg. 20]

Family links with football

One of Owen's five children is England international Michael Owen. [ [http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Owen/Owen_bio.html JockBio: Michael Owen Biography ] ] As the younger Owen began to make the mark in junior football with Hawarden Rangers, he was regularly referred to in the Chester press as "son of former Chester striker, Terry". [cite book | author=Michael Owen | title=Off the Record:My Autobiography | publisher=CollinsWillow| year=2004| pages= p.9 |id=ISBN 0-00-218939-9] However, as time wore on and he began to establish himself in his own right, the roles would be reversed, with Terry Owen normally spoken of just as Michael Owen's father.

In his role as well-known dad, Owen has often been seen at events with his son, such as when he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1998.

Owen is also the father-in-law of Richie Partridge, who currently plays for Chester City. He asked his father-in-law for advice prior to joining the club in 2007. [Cite news
title= Partridge wings in for Blues
url= http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/chester-city/2007/06/22/partridge-wings-in-for-blues-100252-19339426/
publisher= Liverpool Echo | date= 1999-06-22 | accessdate= 2008-01-07] One of Owen's other sons, Andrew, spent time with Chester as a youngster without making any appearances and later played for Holywell Town. [cite book | author=Michael Owen | title=Off the Record:My Autobiography | publisher=CollinsWillow| year=2004| pages= p.31-32 |id=ISBN 0-00-218939-9]

Honours

Chester City
* Football League Division Four promotion as fourth placed team: 1974–75 (37 apps, 14 goals)
* Football League Cup semi-finalists: 1974–75.

External links

* [http://worldcup-uk.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!C7C05FE1FA498393!137.entry Michael Owen speaks about his father]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/sport/portvale/2003/01/michael_owen.shtml Terry Owen career article from BBC Stoke and Staffordshire] .

References