Stan Bowles facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 December 1948 | ||
| Place of birth | Collyhurst, England | ||
| Date of death | 24 February 2024 (aged 75) | ||
| Playing position | Forward, midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1967–1970 | Manchester City | 17 | (2) |
| 1970 | Bury | 5 | (0) |
| 1970–1971 | Crewe Alexandra | 51 | (18) |
| 1971–1972 | Carlisle United | 33 | (12) |
| 1972–1979 | Queens Park Rangers | 255 | (70) |
| 1979–1980 | Nottingham Forest | 19 | (2) |
| 1980–1981 | Leyton Orient | 46 | (7) |
| 1981–1983 | Brentford | 73 | (16) |
| 1983–1984 | Brentford | 8 | (0) |
| Epping Town | |||
| Total | 507 | (127) | |
| National team | |||
| 1974–1977 | England | 5 | (1) |
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Stanley Bowles (born 24 December 1948 – died 24 February 2024) was a talented English footballer. He played mainly as a forward in the 1970s and 1980s. Stan was known for his amazing skills and his unique personality on the field. He played more than 250 games for Queens Park Rangers and also represented England five times.
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Playing for Clubs
Stan Bowles was born in Collyhurst, Manchester, England. He started his career as a young player at Manchester City. However, he faced some challenges and later left the club. After a short time at Bury, he was signed by Ernie Tagg, the manager of Crewe Alexandra. At that time, Crewe was in the Fourth Division.
His great skills at Crewe, where he scored 18 goals in 51 games, caught the attention of bigger clubs. In October 1971, he joined Carlisle United, which was a Second Division club. He scored 13 goals in 36 games for them.
Joining Queens Park Rangers
After a change in managers at Carlisle, Stan moved to Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in September 1972. The transfer cost £110,000.
He took over the number 10 shirt from Rodney Marsh, who was a popular QPR player. Other players were nervous about wearing the shirt because they didn't want to be compared to Marsh. But Stan wasn't worried at all! He even joked that he hadn't really heard of Marsh, coming from the North of England.
Stan was known for being a very interesting character both on and off the pitch. He once joked about an incident involving the famous FA Cup trophy. After Sunderland won the FA Cup, they were showing off the trophy at their stadium. Stan claimed he kicked a ball at it, sending the cup flying! He then scored two goals in the match. Some people say other QPR players had bet on who could hit the trophy first. However, QPR's manager at the time, Gordon Jago, said it was Stan's teammate, Tony Hazell, who accidentally hit the cup.
Stan played for QPR for over seven years. He was a key player in what many consider the club's best team ever. This team finished second in the league in the 1975–76 season under manager Dave Sexton. In a 2014 fan poll, he was voted the club's greatest player of all time.
In 1979, Stan had a disagreement with QPR's new manager, Tommy Docherty. Stan famously responded to Docherty's plea of "You can trust me, Stan" by saying, "I'd rather trust my chickens with Colonel Sanders!" Despite their disagreement, Docherty continued to play Stan until he was sold to Nottingham Forest in December 1979.
Time at Nottingham Forest
Stan was part of the team that won the 1979 European Super Cup against Barcelona in February 1980. However, he found it hard to settle at Nottingham Forest under manager Brian Clough. He decided not to play in the 1980 European Cup Final because Clough wouldn't let him play in a special match for another player. Stan was often a backup player to Trevor Francis, who was the first £1 million signing in the UK.
Playing for Leyton Orient and Brentford
Stan was then sold to Leyton Orient for £100,000. He played 46 games for them. The next year, he joined Brentford and stayed there until he retired at the end of the 1982–83 season. He briefly came out of retirement to play for Brentford again in the 1983–84 season before retiring for good in February 1984. He had a special match in his honor in 1987, earning £17,000.
After leaving professional football, he continued to play for a non-league team called Epping Town.
Playing for England
Stan Bowles made his first international appearance for England against Portugal in Lisbon in April 1974. This was Sir Alf Ramsey's last match as England manager.
He played five times for England, all while he was at QPR. He played under three different England managers: Sir Alf Ramsey, Joe Mercer, and Don Revie. Stan scored his only international goal in a 2–0 win against Wales at Ninian Park in 1974. His last game for England was in February 1977, in a friendly match against the Netherlands at Wembley.
Life After Football
In his 1996 autobiography, Stan shared that he became a football expert for Sky Sports, where he again took over from Rodney Marsh. He was also the life chairman of the Queens Park Rangers supporters group called L.S.A (Loyal Supporters Association).
Stan was a very popular figure, and a song called "Stan Bowles" was released by the group The Others. He also wrote articles about sports betting for newspapers. Famous footballer John Barnes said Stan was his favorite player.
Stan Bowles was a cousin of Paul Bowles, who also played for Crewe. In June 2015, it was reported that Stan Bowles was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. On 22 August 2015, Queens Park Rangers honored Stan by presenting him to the crowd at Loftus Road before their game against Rotherham United.
In 2022, one of the stands at Queens Park Rangers' home ground, Loftus Road, was named the Stanley Bowles Stand in his honor.
Stan Bowles passed away on 24 February 2024, at the age of 75.
Achievements
Nottingham Forest
- 1979 UEFA Super Cup
Individual Awards
Images for kids
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A picture of Stan Bowles.
See also
In Spanish: Stan Bowles para niños
