Keith Bowen

Keith Bowen

Personal information
Full name	Keith Bryn Bowen [1]
Date of birth	(1958-02-26) 26 February 1958 (age 65)
Place of birth	Northampton, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) [2]
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
0000–1976	Northampton Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1976–1982	Northampton Town	65	(24)
1981–1983	Brentford	51	(9)
1983–1986	Colchester United	116	(38)
1987–1988	Barnet	4	(0)
	Northampton Spencer
International career
	Wales Schoolboys
Managerial career
0000–2002	Northampton Spencer (assistant)
2001	Northampton Spencer (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Keith Bryn Bowen (born 26 February 1958) is a retired professional footballer who made over 230 appearances as a forward in the Football League for Colchester United, Northampton Town and Brentford. Born in England, he represented the Wales Schoolboys at international level.

Club career

Bowen joined Northampton Town as a trainee in 1976 and made 65 Football League appearances for the club, scoring 24 goals. ^[3] In September 1981, ^[1] he was transferred to Brentford where he made 58 appearances, scoring 12 goals, before moving to Colchester United in March 1983. ^[4] There he made 132 appearances, scoring 48 goals, ^[5] before his professional career was ended prematurely by a car crash in 1986. ^[6] He dropped into non-League football with Conference club Barnet during the 1987–88 season, ^[7] before returning to Northampton to join United Counties League Premier Division club Northampton Spencer. ^[8] As of February 1995, he was still playing for the club. ^[9]

Coaching career

Bowen was installed as player-assistant manager to manager Gary Sargent at Northampton Spencer in the late 1980s and remained in the role until December 2002. ^{[8] [10]} He had a spell as caretaker manager of the club in late 2001, after the departure of Sargent. ^[11]

International career

Bowen played for Wales at schoolboy level. ^[5]

Personal life

Bowen's father Dave was a Wales international footballer and his brother Barry played for Brentford Reserves. ^{[4] [12]} Prior to becoming a footballer, Bowen worked as an accountant and resumed his career after leaving professional football. ^[13]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Brentford	1981–82 [14]	Third Division	38	8	3	2	—		—		41	10
	1982–83 [14]		13	1	2	1	1	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	17	2
	Total		51	9	5	3	1	0	1	0	58	12
Colchester United	1982–83 [15]	Fourth Division	13	4	—		—		—		13	4
	1983–84 [16]		46	12	3	5	4	1	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	55	18
	1984–85 [17]		42	17	1	0	2	1	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	47	18
	1985–86 [18]		15	5	—		2	3	—		17	8
	Total		116	38	4	5	8	5	4	0	132	48
Barnet	1987–88 [19]	Conference	4	0	2	2	—		0	0	6	2
Career Total			171	47	11	10	9	5	5	0	196	62

1. Appearance in Football League Group Cup
2. Appearances in FA Trophy

References

1. "Keith Bowen". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-356-14354-5.
3. Keith Bowen at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
4. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. pp. 24–25. ISBN   978-0955294914.
5. "Player profile – Keith Bowen". Archive database for Colchester United. coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
6. Hudson, Matt. "The 1970s and 1980s". cu-fc.com. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
7. "Barnet see promotion snatched away from them by Lincoln". www.barnet-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
8. "Committee Members". Northampton Spencer FC. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
9. Griffin Gazette vs Huddersfield Town. Poole: Quay Design Limited. 21 February 1995. p. 2.
10. "Geary eager to lead Sports to Vase glory". www.northamptonchron.co.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
11. "Bowen's boys out to build on win". www.northamptonchron.co.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
12. "Obituary: Dave Bowen". The Independent. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
13. "Keith Bowen". Chartered Accountants Northampton – Phipps Henson McAllister. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
14. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 423–424. ISBN   978-1906796716.
15. "Player Match List – Colchester United". www.coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
16. "Player Match List – Colchester United". www.coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
17. "Player Match List – Colchester United". www.coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
18. "Player Match List – Colchester United". www.coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
19. "Keith Bowen". Downhill Second Half – A Barnet FC Archive. Retrieved 25 December 2020.

External links

• Keith Bowen at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database