Obituary
One of the great maverick footballers of the 70s, most notably with QPR from 1972 to 1979.
Was at Bury early in his career, and manger Ernie Tagg said of him: “If Stan could pass a betting shop like he can pass a football, he’d be a rich man.”
Fell out with Tommy Docherty – Doc said “You can trust me Stan”, Bowles replied “I’d rather trust my chickens with Colonel Sanders – and signed for Nottingham Forest and missed the chance of a European Cup Final when he fell out with Brian Clough.
At the fag end of his career playing for Brentford, he was often seen running round the ground, supposedly training, with Terry Bullivant and Terry Hurlock, but stopping off for a pint at each corner pub around Griffin Park.
Pub Quiz Trivia: he shared a flat with Robin Askwith
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68394453
Always on the look out for a deal, Stan signed 2 football boot deals.
When it came to match day, he wore one Adidas boot and one Gola boot – sounds like a fair compromise, but neither company was happy and promptly cancelled the contracts.
Stan was in good company in this regard. Johann Cruyff had his own deal with Puma and refused to wear the Adidas gear supplied to the Dutch national team. Not wanting to lose their captain and best player, the Dutch FA allowed Cruyff to wear a shirt with two stripes down the arm instead of the three which were the Adidas trademark. It worked for Cruyff but obviously not for Stan!
I associate Stan Bowles with the Big Match – ITV’s Sunday afternoon football show. QPR were often on in the mid-seventies because they were high fliers in Division 1 in those years. I even supported them until I settled on Ipswich Town in 1974.
Thinking about it, I watched the Big Match because Match of the Day was on too late. I wasn’t allowed to stay up for it until I was much older. Why on earth didn’t the BBC repeat MOTD on Sunday during the day for us nippers (and the millions who were down the pub when it was on)?
The belief that repeating anything would be of interest to anyone was still years away in the 70’s. Up until 1972 BBC and ITV were allowed a maximum of 8 hours broadcast a day, with exceptions granted for education (i.e. the OU broadcasts), state occasions, live sport and religion, and on Sundays that had to include either a shut down for an hour so we could all go to church, or religious shows (the so called “God Hour”).
The other constraint would be getting the Football league’s agreement, which was highly unlikely to be forthcoming, as they maintained TV coverage reduced attendances. They still do. The BBC were routinely bashed for repeating MOTD at 7.30am on a Sunday, but Sky blocked anything later because it might detract from Burnley vs Wigan at 12:30.
There was also the belief in the 70s and 80s that showing repeats was the most unforgivable thing that the BBC and ITV could ever do. Producing endless episodes of Crown Court was fine, but show Ripping Yarns twice and people would write into newspapers.
Widespread sneering from The Public when repeats were shown on the box.
Evidence that we weren’t getting good value for our TV licence.
While the pace and spectacle of the game is a million times
better nowadays, there’s no room for characters like Stanley B.
It’s lost its romance now – the fifth round of the FA Cup being played
over three nights next week is just another example.
Agree, agree, agree
Have you seen Backpass magazine, L?
Terrific mag about footie from just
After WW2 through to the late 80s.
Intriguing – I’ll track that down. Have just inherited a stack of Soccer Star magazines from mid 60s to 1970. Interesting reading so far
It’s the sort of magazine equivalent of Talking Pictures. No online presence – just five physical issues annually Been going for quite a few years now although its sister cricket mag, Backspin, was run out a couple of years back.
I only found out about the mag last year when I picked up a copy (no 84) in the book shop at Dublin Heuston. If you grew up watching footie in the 60s, 70s and 80s as I did, give it a go
The size and fitness of players today has changed enormously. Joe Corrigan used to be considered a giant at 6′ 4″. Can you imagine Sylvester Stallone being picked as your POW team’s keeper today?
He might have been at the fag end of his career while at Brentford but he was still usually the best passer and most skillful player on the pitch. Even at that late stage he could be a delight to watch.
I don’t agree that the spectacle of the game is better. The London Stadium v. Upton Park? No way. The kits were better too. Much better.
Recent viewings of Big Match Revisited reminded me how unique all the grounds were before they turned into replicas of each other. At a relatively early age I was scurrying up from London to WBA, Coventry, Norwich, Ipswich and the like just to see them all.
What a pity the Dutch didn’t win the 1974 World Cup and QPR didn’t win the League in 1975-76.
Spectacle was talking more about the scope of things nowadays rather than the grounds.
Going to see your local team (in my case Cov City) play in the 60s and 70s was way more enjoyable than it has become, too. In broad agreement with Roy Keane’s loathing of what he memorably dissed as the “prawn sandwich brigade’ for killing off the camaraderie you used to get at grounds back then.
To begin with, there were no ruinously overpriced tickets, you simply turned up on the day and picked the place where you wanted to stand. The sheer magic of being inside the grounds back then is something else that ‘s been lost.
Many times me and my mates used to go and watch from the temporary wooden stand at the Spion Kop end of Highfield Road. In addition to an incredible view of the whole pitch, you’d get to make match day friends old blokes who’d been following the Sky Blues since before the war. Despite moaning they’d never be back each time the team lost, they’d be back for the next home game come rain or shine.
Hooliganism too?
British youth of Britain had to find some way to the fill the time followíng the end of first Empire and then National Service
and before the Sega Megadrive.
Never did see the “Away Days” game where you had to organise a crew, meet at the train station, go north and throw toilet rolls, before a big fight on some industrial wasteland
Rave culture and ecstasy did for the hoolies. Cocaine has been very evident where it’s reappeared.
Agree
London Stadium vs Upton Park? The latter, in it’s original configuration had a club shop that consisted of 2 portacabins that were nailed together, toilets that would have been ruled unsafe in a 3rd world country. The seating downstairs in the West Stand was cramped and almost no-one had an uninterrupted view of the pitch because of the pillar holding the upper tier up. I twice travelled to games that were called off because the under pitch heating didn’t. I’m no convert to the charms of the London Stadium either, but there’s plenty of the old days I’m really glad to see the back of.
Recent viewings of the Big Match reminded me of pitches that were 75% water, mud or sand and where to call some of the defending agricultural would be an insult to tractors. The absence of a back pass rule does little to improve the entertainment level.
And the state of the pitches meant the ball was in the air much of the time. The long punt from the goalie, nodded down, and the a melee in the goal mouth was common sight
…a difficult enough situation even without the unscheduled appearance of a flamboyant surrealist jazz singer in a hat
Roger?
….when I can, yes
Going to watch Altrincham is like the good old days – turn up, pay on the turnstile, stand on a terrace with a number of other grumpy bastards – marvellous! The pitch is usually a mud bath as well – although unlike the olden days every team now seems to think that lumping it to the big fella upfront is unacceptable. Watching Alty pass it around their 18 yard box and try to work their way forward as if they were Man City doesn’t do anything for my nerves, I can tell you.
Yes I sometimes go and watch Hitchin who have a lovely old ground with stands if you want them, good cheap beer and a proper snack cabin. Old school!
I think the Dutch loss against Argentina 4 years later in ‘78 upset me more. That and Ipswich not winning the league in ‘81.
Agree on the Ipswich one obviously but I thought the Dutch team of 1974 were something else. Right up to the final whistle I thought they were much better than the Germans – they’ll just get the goals they need…any second now…
1978 was a different kettle of bananas. Argentina were pretty unstoppable by the time they got to the final.
Except Rensenbrink hit the post in injury time when the game was level, that close to winning it
@dai
Exactly! I can still picture it.
Argentina had a cool kit though
one of my most memorable games. In some fairly bizarre circumstances ended up with 6 people in my bedroom inc some neighbours watching it on my small B/W TV.
Franny Lee, Frank Worthington and now Stan Bowles, all gone in the past few years.
Not forgetting Trevor Francis
Great player but hardly a maverick a la Frank W or Stan B
Not sure you can put Lee in the ‘maverick’ category, unless you include his strange inability to remain upright in the penalty area. 🤔
Oh I say.
@Jaygee achieved more than all of them. Agree probably not a maverick.
Neither was Glen Hoddle but he was head and shoulders above Stan Bowles. I reserve a special place in my memory for Worthington who was an absolute magician and a massive character.
Franny Lee nothing special in my book.
I saw Frank play for PNE at the mighty Bristol Rovers in the latter part of his career. PNE set a record that day with the two oldest subs ever, Frank was 40 and the other 41. At half time Frank was having non of the managers pep talk, he was at the burger van tucking into a half pounder in full kit with a camel hair coat draped over his shoulders. Legend.
I was lucky enough when I moved down to London in 1981 to befriend a guy who was a Brentford fan, so often popped along to Griffin Park to watch the Bees. Fond memories of a midfield trio which included Terry Hurlock and Chris Kamara putting in the hard yards to allow Stan to do his thing. Certain matches he was still a class above everybody else on the pitch.
Later in the 80’s spent a lot of time managing betting shops in SW London and came across Stan quite a few times. Always a gent.
I remember Stan Bowles in one of the corner pubs at Griffin Park with a pint, lots of fans always willing to buy him another pint
Proper player and a decent bloke
One of the earliest matches I went to was a QPR v Man Utd game, around 74 or 75, maybe a cup game because I think United were in the second division at that point. QPR were an excellent side then, playing exciting, attacking football with a lot of flair, and Stan Bowles was their superstar. United had a big midfield enforcer called Jim Holton, the sort of player common in many teams team back then..slow but cunningly violent, his role was simply to stop any opposition creativity by chopping it off at the ankles, preferably late and from behind. Holton brought down Bowles early in the game with a brutal, over the top tackle that would certainly earn a red card these days. Bowles was always rather frail and went flying. If it was intended to deter Bowles, it didn’t work, but he did take it personally. Bowles spent the rest of game searching out Holton to humiliate him; stopping the ball to cause Holton to lunge wildly at it, then dragging it away at the last second. Nutmegging him constantly. Playing wall passes to himself off Holton’s body. Turning Holton inside out. Holton eventually swung at him, but Bowles was already a yard away. Best bit of ritual getting your own back I’ve seen.
@Slug
“Six foot two, eyes of blue/
Big Jim Holton’s coming for you
Remember JH fondly from his days controlling the back four at Cov City during the twilight of his career.
He eventually went on to become the much-loved landlord of the Rising Sun pub in Spon Street (one of the finest boozers in Cov).
Sadly, he ended up dying very young
Heres a story that was doing the rounds yesterday.
Stan and a ref during a game.
Stan “What would you do if I called you a c*nt?”
Ref “Obviously I’d send you off”
Stan “What would you do if I thought you were a c*nt?”
Ref “I wouldn’t be able to do anything about that”
Stan “Well I think you’re a c*nt”
R.I.P Stanley
I heard the same story attributed to Terry Venables. Whoever it actually belonged to, it is quite funny.
Undoubtedly a player that one recalls with a smile before anything else, which in my book is as good an accolade as exists.
I don’t love many players who didn’t play for my club, but how could you not love Stan Bowles if you love football? I think he’s the only player I actually went to another club’s ground just to see play (people also said this of Jimmy Greaves) & it was *so* worth it.
He loved to entertain- remember when that was the appeal of football? – & he was supremely good at it.
A lady I work with – die hard QPR fan – swears she saw him leave the Springbok pub by Loftus Road at around 2pm on match day in his kit, with a pint in his hand & slip into the bookies before going back to the ground. I have no reason to disbelieve her.
To say they don’t make ‘em like that anymore is an understatement!
Also, am I alone in thinking there was once a passing resemblance between Stan in his pomp & a young Eric Idle? Just me then…