Ian Bowyer

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MadchesterCity

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Much is known of many of our forward players in our successful era (Bell, Summerbee, Lee, Young, Law & Marsh) in the late 60's early 70's but how good was Ian Bowyer?

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http://bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/history/Players/Player.aspx?id=549

He's not a player I know or hear much about so interested in any info
 
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Ian was a gangly lad - a sort of bambi on ice sort of player but was not given enough time at the club. Went on to have a pretty decent career at Forest.

Not sure if the ex Blackburn manager is his son
 
The Wiki listing of Bowyer's honours is wrong: though at the club, he didn't feature in the 1969 FA Cup run and didn't get a medal. He did come on as a sub in both the League Cup and ECWC finals in 1970, though, so will have a winner's medal for each of those.

He was a forward at City and had an OK but not especially stellar scoring record: 13 goals in the league from 42 starts and a further 8 sub appearances, and 17 goals in all competitions from 57 starts and 13 sub appearances. It's before my time, but most references to his spell at Maine Road talk about him getting really terrible stick from the crowd.

Malcolm Allison said that the player was sold because they felt that Neil Young was coming to the end of his time as a top-level player and Bowyer wasn't quite of the necessary quality to replace him. We ended up bringing in first Wyn Davies and then Rodney Marsh.

It's notable that when Bowyer left, he signed for a Second Division outfit in Orient, and when he left them, he went to another Second Division side in Forest. Seems to indicate that he wasn't widely regarded at the time as a gem in the making.

What turned it for him was that Clough arrived at Forest and converted him into a midfield player. That really changed his career.
 
He made a very good start to his career early in the 69/70, effectively replacing Tony Coleman in the starting XI, his form was so good in the first half of that season that he was seriously talked about as an outsider for the 1970 World Cup squad. When his form dipped a bit, which is almost inevitable with any young player, then as @petrusha mentioned the usual brain-dead element of our fanbase started giving him dogs abuse which was really helpful(!). His confidence dropped visibly and the following season he was mostly a sub and was sold to Orient at the end of that season. Fair play to him though he knuckled down and had the last laugh by impressing Cloughie and bagging a League title and two European Cup medals with Forest. Not the first or last youngster that we've let go only for them to prosper elsewhere.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
Not a big lad, but if I remember right scored some spectacular headed goals for us. Hardworking and aggressive midfielder.
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inc. two headers against westham dec 1969.
also later scored against us at Forest (late 70s?) taking particular delight at benefiting from our comical defending and beating Corrigan from close range before doubling up with laughter all the way back to the half way line.
Known as "Bomber Bowyer" at forest for his habit of contributing important goals from midfiled , none more so than a crucial one v FC Cologne in their first European Cup run.

Met him in Nottingham once at a poorly attended Evening with Bowyer night about 15 years ago ..surrounded by just a few forest fans, i decided to join in and asked him about playing with Bell Lee and Summerbee in his early days and his eyes lit up, said they were great days, and obviously visibly shocked to be asked about City, he wasn,t expecting anyone to delve that far back into his career.

I think Gary Bowyer , ex blackburn manager , is his son. Gary looked a very composed, graceful central midfield player in the reserves, no pace but good passing ability, a typical clough player, but dont think he made too many 1st team apearences.
 
dennishasdoneit said:
inc. two headers against westham dec 1969.
also later scored against us at Forest (late 70s?) taking particular delight at benefiting from our comical defending and beating Corrigan from close range before doubling up with laughter all the way back to the half way line.
Known as "Bomber Bowyer" at forest for his habit of contributing important goals from midfiled , none more so than a crucial one v FC Cologne in their first European Cup run.

Met him in Nottingham once at a poorly attended Evening with Bowyer night about 15 years ago ..surrounded by just a few forest fans, i decided to join in and asked him about playing with Bell Lee and Summerbee in his early days and his eyes lit up, said they were great days, and obviously visibly shocked to be asked about City, he wasn,t expecting anyone to delve that far back into his career.

I think Gary Bowyer , ex blackburn manager , is his son. Gary looked a very composed, graceful central midfield player in the reserves, no pace but good passing ability, a typical clough player, but dont think he made too many 1st team apearences.
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Thanks Dennis, I was about 12 when he played for us so that's why I am a bit sketchy on the detail. I just remember he was good in the air and scored a couple of great headers for us. He went out of my consciousness until he popped up in the Forest team of the late seventies.
 
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