Dave Bowen facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Lloyd Bowen | ||
| Date of birth | 7 June 1928 | ||
| Place of birth | Maesteg, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 25 September 1995 (aged 67) | ||
| Place of death | Northampton, England | ||
| Playing position | Wing half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1947–1950 | Northampton Town | 12 | (0) |
| 1950–1959 | Arsenal | 146 | (2) |
| 1959–1960 | Northampton Town | 22 | (1) |
| Total | 180 | (3) | |
| National team | |||
| 1954–1959 | Wales | 19 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1959–1967 | Northampton Town | ||
| 1969–1972 | Northampton Town | ||
| 1964–1974 | Wales | ||
| 1978 | Northampton Town | ||
|
|||
David Lloyd Bowen (born June 7, 1928 – died September 25, 1995) was a famous Welsh football player and manager. He was the captain of the Welsh team that played in their first ever World Cup in 1958.
Contents
Playing for Top Teams
David Bowen was born in Maesteg, Wales. He started his football career playing for Northampton Town. He only played 12 games for them before a scout from Arsenal noticed him.
In the summer of 1950, Arsenal signed Bowen. He was meant to be a backup player for Joe Mercer, who played as a Wing half. Bowen played his first game for Arsenal against Wolves on March 24, 1951.
He didn't play much until 1954, when Joe Mercer retired because of an injury. Even though Arsenal won the top league in 1952-53, Bowen only played in two games that season. From 1954-55, Bowen became a regular player for Arsenal for many years.
Playing for Wales
Bowen also started playing for the Wales national team. His first game for Wales was a friendly match against Yugoslavia in September 1954.
He played 19 times for Wales. He was the team's captain during the 1958 FIFA World Cup tournament. Wales drew all three of their group games. This meant they moved on to the quarter-finals.
In the quarter-finals, Wales played against Brazil. They lost 1-0. The only goal was scored by a 17-year-old player named Pelé, who later became a football legend. David Bowen was one of the first Arsenal players to ever play in a World Cup.
During his time at Arsenal, the club didn't win any major trophies. However, Bowen did play for a team called London XI in the 1955–58 final. This competition was a bit like today's UEFA Cup. His team lost to FC Barcelona. Bowen was also the captain of Arsenal in his last two seasons there. He played a total of 162 games for Arsenal and scored two goals.
Becoming a Manager
In 1959, Bowen went back to Northampton Town. This time, he was a player-manager, meaning he played and managed the team at the same time. He managed the team for eight years.
Bowen was known as a smart manager. He found good players even though he didn't have a lot of money to spend. He helped Northampton move up from the Fourth Division to the First Division in just five seasons. This was a huge achievement!
However, the club only stayed in the top league for one season (1965-66) before being moved down again.
Later Manager Roles
Bowen left Northampton in 1967 after the team was moved down for a second time. But he came back to manage them again from 1969 to 1972. By then, the team was back in the Fourth Division.
During this time, Northampton had a famous FA Cup game in 1970. They lost 8-2 to Manchester United. In that game, the famous player George Best scored six goals!
While managing Northampton, Bowen also managed the Wales national team from 1964 to 1974. The team didn't reach the same success as when he was a player. However, Wales did get a 1-1 draw against England in the 1974 World Cup qualifiers.
After managing, Bowen continued to work for Northampton. He was a general manager, secretary, and later a club director before he retired. He also worked as a journalist and helped explain football games for ITV, including the 1966 World Cup final.
Personal Life
David Bowen passed away in Northampton in 1995, when he was 67 years old. To honor him, the North Stand at Northampton's Sixfields Stadium is named after him. A street in Duston is also named in his honor. His son, Keith, also became a footballer.
