James Duncan Bowie (9 August 1924 – 4 August 2000) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for Watford, Chelsea, Fulham and Brentford. After his retirement from football, he managed Trowbridge Town. As a player, Bowie was described as "a gifted, quicksilver inside forward".[3]

Jimmy Bowie
Bowie while with Chelsea in 1947
Personal information
Full name James Duncan Bowie[1]
Date of birth (1924-08-09)9 August 1924
Place of birth Kintore, Scotland
Date of death 4 August 2000(2000-08-04) (aged 75)[2]
Place of death Southend, England
Position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1942–1944 Aberdeen Parkvale
Middlesbrough (guest)
Hounslow Town (guest)
1944–1951 Chelsea 76 (18)
1951–1952 Fulham 34 (7)
1952 Brentford 9 (0)
1952–1956 Watford 125 (39)
1956–1957 Bedford Town 42 (14)
1957 Headington United 12 (1)
1957–1958 Fulham 0 (0)
1958–1959 March Town United
1959–19xx Wisbech Town
Total 256 (65)
Managerial career
Trowbridge Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Born in Kintore, Aberdeenshire, Bowie began his career with local club Parkvale and turned professional in October 1943.[2] He guested for English clubs Middlesbrough and Hounslow Town and moved to Chelsea for a £25 fee in February 1944.[2] Bowie had to wait until 1947–48, the second season of First Division football after the war, to make his debut and went on to make 84 appearances and score 22 goals before departing in January 1951.[2] After short spells with West London rivals Fulham and Brentford, Bowie dropped down to the Third Division South to join Watford in July 1952.[2] He made 130 appearances and scored 40 goals during 3+12 year at Vicarage Road and dropped into non-League football in January 1956.[2] Aside from a return to Fulham in May 1957, for whom he failed to make any further appearances, Bowie played the remainder of his career in non-League football.[2][4]

Managerial career

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After his retirement from football, Bowie managed Western League First Division club Trowbridge Town.[2]

Personal life

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Bowie served as a private on home service in the British Army during the Second World War.[5] Later in life, he ran pubs in Northwood, Trowbridge and Great Wakering.[2]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chelsea 1947–48[6] First Division 22 5 1 1 26 6
1948–49[6] 22 7 3 1 25 8
1949–50[6] 16 4 4 2 20 6
1950–51[6] 16 2 16 2
Total 76 18 8 4 84 22
Fulham 1950–51[7] First Division 14 3 3 0 17 3
1951–52[7] 20 4 1 0 21 4
Total 34 7 4 0 38 7
Brentford 1951–52[8] Second Division 9 0 9 0
Watford 1952–53[9] Third Division South 32 11 0 0 32 11
1953–54[9] 43 20 1 0 44 20
1954–55[9] 40 7 3 1 43 8
1955–56[9] 10 1 0 0 1[a] 0 11 1
Total 125 39 4 1 1 0 130 40
Headington United 1956–57[10] Southern League 12 1 12 1
Career total 256 65 16 5 1 0 273 70
  1. ^ Appearance in Southern Floodlight Cup

References

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  1. ^ "Jimmy Bowie". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Players – Bond to Bunce" (PDF). Watford Football Club archive 1881–2017. p. 7. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Players old and new stake claim to legendary status". Watford Observer. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Best Years Players A-B". bedfordoldeagles. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  5. ^ "WW2". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Jimmy Bowie". 11v11.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  7. ^ a b "James Bowie". Fulhamweb. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  8. ^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 381. ISBN 0951526200.
  9. ^ a b c d "Seasons – 1950–51 to 1959–60" (PDF). Watford Football Club archive 1881–2017. pp. 3–6. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Jimmy Bowie". Rage Online. Retrieved 10 January 2018.

Further reading

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  • Jimmy Bowie at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database