Alan Gowling

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Alan Gowling
Personal information
Full name Alan Edwin Gowling
Date of birth (1949-03-16) 16 March 1949 (age 75)
Place of birth Stockport, England
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1972 Manchester United 71 (18)
1972–1975 Huddersfield Town 128 (58)
1975–1978 Newcastle United 92 (30)
1978–1982 Bolton Wanderers 149 (28)
1982–1983 Preston North End 40 (5)
Total 480 (129)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alan Edwin Gowling (born 16 March 1949) is an English former footballer who played as a forward for several clubs in the north of England.

Playing career[edit]

Club[edit]

Born in Stockport, Cheshire, Gowling went to Manchester United by way of county schools and Manchester University, where he studied for a degree in economics. He played for Manchester United juniors while at university, and once scored seven goals in a 'B' game. Due to his degree, he earned the nickname "Bamber", after Bamber Gascoigne, the host of University Challenge.

Gowling made a goalscoring league debut against Stoke City. Coincidentally, he also played his last game for Manchester United against Stoke City, coming on as a substitute for Bobby Charlton. He played 87 times for Manchester United and scored four in a game against Southampton on 20 February 1971.[1] Nevertheless, Gowling was never really a first choice player at the club, and he enjoyed his longest run in the side when playing in midfield in his final season in 1971–72.[2] He was sold to Huddersfield Town for £65,000 in June 1972.

After a disappointing period at Huddersfield that resulted in two relegations, he joined Newcastle United as a strike partner for Malcolm Macdonald. At Newcastle, he scored their only goal in the 1976 League Cup Final defeat at the hands of Manchester City. Nicknamed the "Galloping Chip", the workmanlike Gowling was preferred by Gordon Lee to the stylish Macdonald, scoring 30 goals in 92 league appearances[3] before moving to Bolton Wanderers in 1978. He retired from football in 1984, aged 36, after a period at Preston North End.

International[edit]

Gowling gained England caps at amateur, schoolboy and under-23 level. Gowling represented the British Olympic side in the qualifying tournament for the 1968 Summer Olympics.

After football[edit]

After his retirement, Gowling worked as general manager of a chemicals company in Buxton, Derbyshire.[4]

Career statistics[edit]

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Manchester United[5] 1967–68 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
1968–69 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1969–70 7 3 0 0 1 0 – – 8 3
1970–71 20 8 1 0 1 0 – – 22 8
1971–72 37 6 7 2 6 1 – – 50 9
Total 71 18 8 2 9 1 0 0 0 0 87 21

Honours[edit]

Individual

References[edit]

  1. ^ Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003). In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
  2. ^ "Maine Road derby memories". BBC Sport. 8 November 2002. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  3. ^ "Players Records". nufc.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Where are they now?; Alan Gowling". The Independent. London. 29 May 1995. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Alan Gowling". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Andrew Endlar. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  6. ^ Rory Mitchinson (16 May 2022). "Joelinton scoops Newcastle United Player of the Year award". Newcastle United F.C. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
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