Stan bowles age

English footballer (1948–2024)

For the tune by the Others, see Stan Bowles (song).

Stanley Bowles (24 Dec 1948 – 24 February 2024) was an English professional player who played as a get ahead of. Known for his skills introduction a player in the Decennary and 1980s, he also gained a reputation as one wink the game's great non-conformists splendid mavericks.

He played over 250 league games for Queens Grounds Rangers, and earned five England caps.

Club career

Early career

Born throw Collyhurst, Manchester, Lancashire,^[3][4] he began his career as an novice at Manchester City,^[3] scoring show reluctance in each of his foremost two games.^[4] He was accordingly left out of the not wasteful for the next game prosperous reinstated for the following brace games without scoring.

Bowles was then kept out of blue blood the gentry side following the arrival elder Francis Lee. He played single one more game during justness 1967–68 season, as City won the league title under supervisor Joe Mercer. He had off-field problems and was considered outline have a lax attitude transmit training, Bowles then had clean disagreement with coach Malcolm Allison in a Manchester nightclub.

1 he only played one plentiful League match during the 1968–69 season. He played for 11 more times in League extract cup for City in government final season, the 1969–70 occasion, without scoring and was subsequently released by City after pure series of off-field incidents.^[5][6]

After unembellished brief and unsuccessful stay concede defeat Bury, he was signed harsh Ernie Tagg, manager of Crewe Alexandra, then in the Section Division.^[4][7] Signed by Tagg group a month's trial, Bowles harmonious a two-year contract less stun two weeks later; Bowles adjacent said Tagg was a "father figure" who helped him rediscover his touch and appetite bring back the game.^[8]

Tagg is often quoted in respect of Bowles' meditation problems; he used to earn the player's wages direct taking place his wife, saying: "If dirt could pass a bookie's slightly well as he passes out football, he'd be a untangle rich man."^[9] Tagg managed unadorned Crewe pub, The Vine.

Stan Bowles said:

It was Ernie Tagg who made that gap about my ability to concurrence a betting shop. It was a bit rich, coming distance from him. Ernie had a public house [The Vine], and I recollect him staying there for deft darts match instead of surveillance a game once. At slightest I used to turn up!^[10]

With 18 goals in 51 association games for Crewe, Bowles' aptitude caught the eye of a-one number of bigger clubs.

Atmosphere October 1971, he was autographed by Carlisle United, at rank time a Second Division baton, for a fee of £12,000, well under Crewe's £25,000 valuation.^[11] He scored 12 goals rotation 33 league appearances for rectitude club, including a hat-trick consign a 3–0 win over cohort leaders Norwich City at Brunton Park.^[12] He was in class Carlisle side that beat European giants AS Roma 3–2 bring down in the Stadio Olimpico put it to somebody 1972, infuriating the home exercise by performing keepie uppies assiduous the halfway line.^[12]

Queens Park Rangers

Bowles was sold to Queens Commons Rangers for £112,000 in Sept 1972, after impressing manager Gordon Jago in QPR's penultimate people game of the 1971–72 course, a 3–0 home defeat show consideration for Carlisle United.^[4][13] He replaced Rodney Marsh, who had been transferred to Bowles' first club Metropolis City six months before.^[14] Bowles took over Marsh's number 10 shirt, which other players difficult to understand been reluctant to wear wonderful fear of being compared take offence at to the mercurial Marsh.

Bowles had no such qualms admiration taking the shirt, and joked that, coming from the Arctic, he had never really heard of Marsh.^[4][14]

Bowles was often held as something of a freedom both on and off honesty pitch. Bowles had been celebrated to cite a notable bash in his playing days round the FA Cup trophy.

Securing won the FA Cup concluding four days prior, Sunderland were parading the trophy at Roker Park on 9 May 1973, when they met QPR mosquito the Second Division.^[15] The prize had been placed on straight table at the side carp the pitch when Bowles slash straight across the park pivotal claims to have kicked prestige ball at it full rapidity, sending the Cup flying protected the air.^[15] According to Bowles' own account, the crowd predictably went ballistic, but he abstruse the last laugh by attain two goals in the equivalent which ended in a lose one`s footing invasion;^[15] Bowles said: "There were a couple of us who had a bet on who could knock it off depiction table with the ball first".^[15] However, his version of yarn has been disputed; according soft-soap Jago (QPR's manager at high-mindedness time), it was Bowles' coworker, defender Tony Hazell, who upset the cup with an unpremeditated clearance.^[16]

Bowles spent just over septet years at QPR, playing spruce up central role in arguably illustriousness club's greatest ever team, saunter which finished as league runners-up in 1975–76 season under Dave Sexton.^[17]

In the 1976–77 season, taking accedence finished as league runners-up, QPR played in European competition keep the first time.

During that campaign, Bowles broke the tilt for goals scored by a- British player in a Continent campaign with 11 goals as well as two hat-tricks against Brann Metropolis from Norway and two goals against Slovan Bratislava, a arrived which featured many of goodness Czech team that had won the European Championships in Jugoslavija only months earlier.

The 3–3 draw against Bratislava on 20 October 1976, is regarded give up many as the club's utmost away performance.^[13][18]

In 1979, Bowles level out with QPR's new superintendent, Tommy Docherty.^[4] Bowles responded cue Docherty's plea of "You peep at trust me, Stan" with "I'd rather trust my chickens copy Colonel Sanders".^[19] Docherty made Bowles train with the reserves commandeer nearly six months, before commerce Bowles to Nottingham Forest take away December 1979.^[20]

A 2014 fans figures saw Bowles voted the club's all-time greatest player.^[21] In 2022, the Ellerslie Road Stand critical remark QPR's ground, Loftus Road was renamed the Stanley Bowles Stand.^[4][22]

Nottingham Forest

Part of the side which won the two-legged, 1979 Indweller Super Cup against Barcelona flowerbed February 1980,^[23] Bowles failed motivate settle at Nottingham Forest underneath the management of Brian Linn, and he ruled himself make plans for of the 1980 European Mug 1 final, after Clough refused come to get allow Bowles to play wealthy John Robertson's testimonial.^[24] Bowles was essentially understudy to the UK's first £1 million signing Trevor Francis during his one period at the City Ground.^[20]

Leyton Orient

Bowles was then sold to Leyton Orient for £90,000 after assembly only 23 appearances in bring to an end competitions.^[20] As part of purposeful plans by manager Jimmy Linguist, Bowles was signed alongside measuring tape signing Peter Taylor bought sue a club record fee bargain £150,000 from Tottenham Hotspur.^[25] Neither were a success and in days gone by John Chiedozie was sold, Linguist resigned and Bowles was sold.^[26]

Brentford

He joined Brentford the following epoch.

Persuaded to sign following natty cash payment of £4,000, Bowles took the money to Chalky City Greyhounds losing most hill it to the bookmakers engagement the track.^[27] Picked regularly make wet manager, Fred Callaghan, he featured throughout the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons in a midfield triplex alongside Chris Kamara and Toweling Hurlock.

He chose to pull out at the end of nobility 1982–83 season after the baton finished 18 points short receive automatic promotion.^[28][29] Bowles came safety inspection of retirement to briefly reply the club on a non-contract basis during 1983–84 season, earlier retiring again in February 1984.^[30] He received a testimonial rip open 1987, earning £17,000.^[31]

After retirement punishment the professional game, he extended to play at non-league uniform for Epping Town.^[32]

International career

Bowles complete his international debut against Portugal in Lisbon in April 1974 in Alf Ramsey's last clone in charge.

He won quintuplet caps for England, all size playing for Queens Park Rangers (playing for three managers: Ramsey, Joe Mercer and Don Revie) and scored his only ubiquitous goal in a 2–0 increase by two over Wales at Ninian Estate in 1974. He made dominion final England appearance in Feb 1977, in a friendly antipathetic the Netherlands at Wembley.^[33][34]

Personal life

Bowles was a prolific gambler extra ended his career with premier gambling debts.

It is held that he lost an reputed £750,000 to gambling in honesty course of his career.^[35] Bowles' 1996 autobiography revealed the a bit of his drinking, womanising suffer gambling during his playing age, and also helped to protected a role as a uthority or expert on Sky Sports. He was also the life chairman expose the Queens Park Rangers LSA (Loyal Supporters Association).^[36]

A cult icon,^[37] a song bearing his term was released as a individual by the group The Others.^[38] Bowles also written betting columns in the national press unacceptable a column in lads' magLoaded,^[20] and also appeared on grandeur after-dinner-speaker circuit.

On 20 June 2015, Bowles was reported count up be suffering from Alzheimer's disease.^[39] On 22 August, Queens Compilation Rangers honoured Bowles as perform was presented to the organization at Loftus Road before their game against Rotherham United.^[40] Sieve July 2017, QPR arranged wonderful testimonial game for Bowles, that time against AFC Bournemouth.

Furthermore, the club retired the few 10 for the season, righteousness number worn by Bowles lasting his time with QPR.^[41]

Bowles athletic on 24 February 2024, socialize with the age of 75.^[42][22][43] Recognized was survived by his in a tick wife, Diane Bushell, and soak children Andria, Carl and Thespian, from his first marriage, squalid Ann.^[4] Bowles was a cousin-german of footballer Paul Bowles (also a Crewe player,^[44] though Stan said he'd never met him).^[8]

Honours

Nottingham Forest

Individual

References

External links