Sam Cowan

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Sam Cowan
The King
presents Sam Cowan with the FA Cup in 1934
Personal information
Full name Samuel Cowan
Date of birth (1901-05-10)10 May 1901
Place of birth Chesterfield, England
Date of death 4 October 1964(1964-10-04) (aged 63)
Place of death Haywards Heath, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Position(s) Centre half
Youth career
Adwick Juniors
Huddersfield Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Denaby United
Bullcroft Main Colliery
1923–1924 Doncaster Rovers 48 (13)
1924–1935 Manchester City 369 (19)
1935–1937 Bradford City 57 (1)
1937–1938 Mossley 39 (1)
International career
1926–1931 England 3 (0)
Managerial career
1937–1938 Mossley (player-manager)
1946–1947 Manchester City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Samuel Cowan (10 May 1901 – 4 October 1964) was an English football player and manager. A relative latecomer to the sport, Cowan did not play football until he was 17 and was 22 by the time he turned professional. He made his league debut for Doncaster Rovers in 1923, and signed for First Division Manchester City the following season.

Cowan played

player-manager
.

In 1938, Cowan joined Brighton & Hove Albion as a coach, and set up a physiotherapy business. He returned to Manchester City as manager in 1946, winning the Second Division in his only season in charge. He continued to work in sports and physiotherapy until his death in 1964.

Football career

Early career

Cowan was born on 10 May 1901 in Chesterfield, but moved further north in his early years and was raised in Adwick le Street near Doncaster.[2] He did not play football as a child, only gaining an interest in the sport when he took part in a game at a local park aged 17.[3] He then started to play for local teams, including Adwick Juniors, Bullcroft Main Colliery and Denaby United and had an unsuccessful trial at Huddersfield Town.[2]

In 1923, Cowan gained his first professional contract following a successful trial at his local league club, Doncaster Rovers of the Third Division (North).[2] Despite playing as a defender, during his time at Doncaster he scored regularly, including a hat-trick of headed goals against Halifax Town in March 1924.[4] His performances gained the attention of bigger clubs, and in December 1924 he joined Manchester City, who sought a successor to the likes of Mick Hamill and Max Woosnam.[5]

Manchester City

Cowan made his Manchester City debut in a 2–2 draw against Birmingham City on 20 December 1924,[6] and scored his first goal for the club two weeks later, against Nottingham Forest. He played in all but one of the remaining league matches that season, 21 in total.

Starting all but four of Manchester City's matches in the

1926 FA Cup Final, winning several ties by wide margins en route. However, in the final City were beaten 1–0 by Bolton Wanderers. Further disappointment followed in the league, when after a campaign characterised by erratic form, City were relegated on the final day of the season. By this time Cowan's reputation as a competent centre-back had grown, and he received an international call-up. He made his England debut on 24 May 1926 playing an unfamiliar left-half role in a 5–3 win against Belgium.[7] By 1931, he had earned three international caps, the others gained in matches against France and Austria.[8] He also made appearances for the Football League team
, including a trial match against England in 1931.

In the

goal average by a margin of one two-hundredth of a goal.[9] The club won the Second Division championship the following season, gaining promotion
to the top flight. The Second Division championship was Cowan's first honour in professional football.

In the early 1930s, Cowan became Manchester City captain, succeeding

1934 FA Cup Final, Cowan became the first and thus far only Manchester City player to represent the club in three FA Cup finals.[13] He captained City to a 2–1 victory over Portsmouth. As team captain Cowan held primary responsibility for motivating his fellow players and match tactics.[14] This was typical for a captain of his era, as managers of the period were chiefly administrators who had little input into coaching and tactics.[14]

Cowan's final season at

1934–35, in which he was ever-present. His final match for the club was a 5–0 defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers on 4 May 1935.[15] In total he made 407 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 24 goals. As of 2008 he ranks 12th all-time for Manchester City appearances. Bob Donnelly was signed to replace him in the 1935 close season, and Bradford City signed Cowan for a fee of £2,000 in October 1935. At the time the transfer fee was the second highest ever paid by the club.[7]

Bradford City

Bradford City were struggling in the

1935–36 season. Cowan made his debut for them on 19 October 1935 in a 2–2 draw with Swindon Town, but it was not until Cowan's third game that Bradford won for the second time that season. Cowan missed just three of the club's remaining fixtures that season, playing 29 times in the league and three in the FA Cup as City finished 12th.[16] The following season, City again struggled. Cowan missed just one of the first 23 games, but after Christmas, he was restricted to just six; and without Cowan, Bradford finished 21st and were relegated to the Third Division (North).[17]

Managerial career

In 1937, Cowan was appointed player-manager at

physiotherapy business based near the Goldstone Ground.[4]

In November 1946, Cowan became Manchester City manager, succeeding

Newport County, and the team then embarked upon a run of 19 matches without defeat. Despite achieving the Division Two title in his first season in charge, Cowan resigned in June 1947 as his commute from Brighton caused tension with club officials.[21]

Post-football

Cowan later worked as a

Jim Parks.[25] He left behind a widow and one son.[26] In 2004, he was elected to Manchester City's Hall of Fame.[27] A street near Manchester City's former ground Maine Road, Sam Cowan Close, is named in his honour.[28]

Honours

Player

Manager

References

  1. ^ "Optimists of the North. Doncaster Rovers". Athletic News. Manchester. 6 August 1923. p. 6.
  2. ^ a b c James, The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame, p. 152.
  3. OL 13768775M
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 1-84018-687-9
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 1-85158-710-1
    .
  6. ISBN 1-85983-512-0
    .
  7. ^ a b James, The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame, p. 156.
  8. ^ "Sam Cowan". Englandstats.com. Retrieved 11 May 2008. Edit this at Wikidata
  9. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 116.
  10. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 170.
  11. ISBN 1-899538-22-4
    . p136
  12. King George V
    , who did not attend the 1933 final.
  13. ^ James, The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame, p. 153.
  14. ^
    ISBN 0-7146-5359-4
    .
  15. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 348.
  16. ISBN 0-907969-38-0
    .
  17. ^ Frost. Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988. pp. 228–229.
  18. ^ "The Mossley Managers". Mossley AFC. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  19. ^ "Seagulls move for Beasant". The Argus. 30 January 2003. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  20. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 243.
  21. ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p. 245.
  22. ^ "All Star Team Season 1955–1956". Ice Hockey Journalists UK. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  23. ^ "All Star Team Season 1956–1957". Ice Hockey Journalists UK. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  24. ^ "All Star Team Season 1957–1958". Ice Hockey Journalists UK. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  25. ^ "Cowan, Samuel – Chesterfield-born England Football International". You and Yesterday. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  26. ^ "Ex-footballer dies while refereeing". The Times. 5 October 1964. p. 6. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  27. ^ "Hall of Fame". Manchester City FC. Archived from the original on 16 April 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  28. ^ James, The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame, p. 158.
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