James Cowan (footballer)

James Cowan (17 October 1868 – 12 December 1918) was a Scottish football player and manager, winning five Football League First Division titles and two FA Cup winners medals at Aston Villa and later taking charge of Queens Park Rangers.

For the footballer born 1926, see Jimmy Cowan (footballer).

James Cowan
Cowan with Aston Villa in 1897
Personal information
Full name James Cowan
Date of birth (1868-10-17)17 October 1868
Place of birth Jamestown, Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Date of death 12 December 1918(1918-12-12) (aged 50)
Place of death London, England
Position(s) Half back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Renton
–1889 Vale of Leven
1889–1890 Warwickshire County
1890–1902 Aston Villa 315 (22)
International career
1896–1898 Scotland 3 (0)
Managerial career
1906–1913 Queens Park Rangers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Club

Born in Jamestown, Dunbartonshire, Cowan was a half-back who played with local sides Renton and Vale of Leven before moving to England in 1888 to play for the Warwickshire County FC. The following season, he wished to pursue a professional career and joined Aston Villa and spent 12 years with the Birmingham side.[1]

When Cowan played for the club in the 1890s and early 1900s, they were the giants of the Football League. While at Villa, he won five First Division titles (in 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99 and 1899–1900) and two FA Cup winners medals (1895 and 1897, after being a beaten finalist in 1892) and played 354 times in all;[2] he is considered to be one of the finest players of the Victorian era. For four years, his younger brother John also played for Aston Villa.

International

Cowan was selected for Scotland on three occasions, in 1896 being one of a group of five men who were the first to be selected while playing for an English club, in the process becoming Aston Villa's first international for that nation.[3] Controversy dogged him after a disappointing performance in a defeat England in 1898, in which he was the Scottish captain; it emerged that he had not been fit to play through illness (possibly alcohol-related),[4][5] and both the player and the selection committee were heavily criticised in the press for failing to replace him before the match began.[6] He was not selected for international duties again.

Managerial career

After retiring from playing in 1902, he coached the young players at Villa for a few years before deciding to accept the role of manager of Queens Park Rangers in 1907. QPR had just moved to a new ground designed By Archibald Leitch at Park Royal and Cowan was the club's first official manager. In his initial season he led them to the Southern League title and held Manchester United to a fine 1-1 draw in the Charity Shield.

Four years later he led QPR to another Southern League title. Off-the-field problems however prevented him from leading the club into the Football League. Prior to the start of the 1913–14 season he offered his resignation on the grounds of ill health which the directors accepted. He died at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, in December 1918.

Other sports

In 1890 Cowan played professional baseball for Aston Villa in the National League of Baseball of Great Britain.

He was renowned for his speed. On one occasion he missed a Villa match due to his attending (and winning) the illustrious 100 yard New Year Sprint event held at Powderhall. The club fined him but he still made a healthy profit due to the prize money.

Managerial statistics
Nat. Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
England Queens Park Rangers 1 August 1906 31 March 1913 296 128 85 83 043.24
Total 296 128 85 83 043.24

See also

References
  1. Jimmy Cowan, AVFC History
  2. Cowan, James, Aston Villa Player Database
  3. Anglo Scottish Recognition Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Doigs Den
  4. England Did It. The Scottish Referee, 4 April 1898, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  5. Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.
  6. Cowan's Indisposition. The Scottish Referee, 8 April 1898, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  • Macey, Gordon (1993). Queens Park Rangers - A Complete Record. The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 1-873626-40-1.
  • Marks, John (2003). Heroes In Hoops - QPR Who's Who 1899-2003. Yore Publications. ISBN 1-874427-84-4.
  • James Cowan at the Scottish Football Association
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