I WAS extremely saddened by the recent passing of Stanley Bowles at the age of 75. But I would like to take this opportunity to celebrate his life.
Quite simply, Stan was the best footballer I have ever seen live. He is the reason why I started supporting Queens Park Rangers as a young child growing up in North-West London. Thousands of other R’s fans can say the same.
Stan was a magician on the pitch. He had an outstanding wand of a left foot. He could create chances and score wonderful goals.
Then off the field, Stan was larger than life. It was a time in the 1970’s when footballers and pop stars mixed together socially. Football was rock and roll. Stan loved a party and he lived life to the full.
I was proud to be a member of the official Stan Bowles Fan Club – which was one of the biggest in English football. This was administered by Marilyn Demmen and her side-kick who was affectionately known as ‘Long Shanks’. They would always be seen outside the players’ entrance in South Africa Road at home games and gave great encouragement to younger supporters in following the QPR faith.
The Stan Bowles Fan Club reportedly had 1,000 members all over the world. One of its most praiseworthy activities was to collect used toys from members in the run-up to Christmas and then Stan would personally present these to the sick children at local hospitals.
That summed him up. Stan had time for everyone. A real man of the people who never forgot his humble working class roots. He was one of us.
It is worth recalling a couple of significant matches from Stan’s career…
SUNDERLAND 0, QUEENS PARK RANGERS 3
Wednesday 9th May 1973, Football League Division Two
TWO strikes by Stan Bowles and one from Dave Thomas secured a 3-0 success for QPR in their last League game of the season.
In effect, Rangers silenced the huge Roker Park crowd of 43,265 who were celebrating Sunderland’s FA Cup Final win over Leeds United a few days before.
Legend has it that Bowles almost caused a riot by deliberately kicking the ball off the pitch during the game to knock the FA Cup off its display table! An incident that no in play betting would even consider.
Looking back, Bowles said in later years: “It was the first time I got myself on News At Ten! The Sunderland management had decided to put the Cup on show throughout the evening next to the touchline. That was asking for a bit of mischief!
“Some of my mates had travelled up to watch the game. So I had a £10 bet with them that I could knock the Cup over the first time I got the ball.
“The whistle went and the match was underway. Pretty soon, the ball came over to me but the only problem was I was on the wrong side of the pitch to the FA Cup. So I dribbled frantically across the park with all the other players staring at me and wondering what I was doing.
“Then, BANG – the FA Cup goes shooting up in the air! Everyone knew I had done it on purpose and I think the Cup got dented when it hit the floor.
“Everything was deadly silent for a couple of seconds. But all of a sudden, the Sunderland fans went mental. They just came over the barriers from behind the goal like a swarm. Some of them were coming at me but luckily enough I was right near the touchline so I managed to get off quick and into the dressing room. It was like a load of wildebeest coming at you.
“The match was held up for half an hour until they could clear the playing area and restore order. But at least I got my tenner and my picture on the ITV News that night!”
QUEENS PARK RANGERS 3, 1FC COLOGNE 0
Wednesday 24th November 1976, UEFA Cup Third Round First Leg
AN unforgettable occasion at Loftus Road saw QPR’s Stan Bowles defy football odds by breaking the record for goals scored in European competitions by a British player in a single season.
Strikes by Don Givens (38 minutes), David Webb (41 mins) and Bowles (75 mins) gave Rangers victory before a jubilant crowd of 21,143 with Bowles quite rightly attracting all the media attention.
The Daily Mirror newspaper headline screamed:
“RECORD BUSTER. Stan ten up in Europe as the Germans cop it.”
Mirror reporter Harry Miller wrote: “Stan Bowles shot his way into the record books last night as Queens Park Rangers put some pride back into British football.
“The goal he scored with the cool class that is his trademark means Rangers have completed the hard part of the job that has to be done before they can claim a place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.
“It came in the 75th minute and finally blunted a bold Cologne challenge. It also means that Bowles has now scored more goals in a European season than any other English club player.
“His total is 10 – and the man who is the idol of Shepherd’s Bush has scored in all five matches Rangers have played in this competition.
“England manager Don Revie was in the Loftus Road directors’ box…Don Givens and David Webb had already rocked Cologne back on their talented heels with first-half goals before Bowles struck.
“…The pressure was on Rangers. Typically, Bowles eased it with his magnificent goal 15 minutes from the finish.
“Dave Clement and Don Masson were involved in the build-up before Bowles took over inside the penalty box and moved slowly forward to arrow a fierce low drive into the far corner.”
Meanwhile, David Miller wrote in the Daily Express: “Stan Bowles, kicked almost inside out for 75 minutes, scored a glorious third goal to crown this vibrant UEFA Cup First Leg victory last night.
“And it also established a new 10-goal European record for a British player in a single season – beating the previous best by Dennis Viollet and Dennis Law.
“Don Revie watched Rangers give English soccer a welcome facelift with a display of skill and intelligence…Not even Shepherd’s Bush during the past two seasons has seen three finer goals than those which should now put Rangers…safely into the last eight.
“…what should prove the decisive goal came with a quarter of an hour to go. Dave Clement…attacking down the right, fed Masson, who slipped the ball first time to Bowles. With superb timing Bowles gave Konopke the slip, realised the angle was too acute, and came inside Roland Gerber with equal ease before thrashing the ball home.”
Thanks for the great memories, Stanley Bowles 1948-2024 RIP.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Tony Incenzo*
