Yesterday’s Heroes – Stan Bowles

An ITV feature on the legendary Queen’s Park Rangers player – Stan Bowles

Stan BS the epitomy of the Entertainer in the era of the Entertainer he was quite simply a joy to behold the balance the Gile the trickery in the awareness all set him aside as a true crowd pleaser at lofter Road he dawned the famous QP are number 10 shirt it is said

That it possesses magical powers it certainly always seemed to and it belonged to its previous owner Rodney Marsh and it was BS who was pought to replace Marsh a virtually impossible task but one he achieved with great pach he’s still a regular visitor to lus Road

Where he’s held in great esteem it All Began though with Manchester City in the mid-60s I couldn’t get into that side because uh the championship side was set I mean if you got substitute that was an honor as well you know although I was there for 5 years I mean I only played

Uh 17 first first team game was the best Side Manchester City ever had and ever will have what about Malcolm Allison and Joe merca how did he get on with them um well Malcolm eventually sacked me but indirectly he done me a favor because uh I made this sort of great comeback if

You like why did he sack you he sack me for um never turning up for training hanging around with the wrong people as he called them I’m still hanging around with to this day in Manchester actually he left Manchester City in 1970 and after spells in the low divisions

Finally ended up in the capital I liked it my wife didn’t like it because uh again it’s World Chronicle that she eventually went back to Manchester but once I got to London i’ made me mind up that this was it and I was going to crack it

Now and uh fortunately for me I did benal Mastermind in the middle of the field for them Hazel good looking cross there Givens was hopeful of getting in there and it fell for him again BS yes the goal is given St BS is equalized Thomas to Francis rner but Francis helped by

Clement won it Clement leaving it for [Applause] BS valls the quick flick Francis BS yes offer defend I think the equalizer credited to BS even at 23 bows was confident he could replace Rangers previous hero Rodney Marsh well I joined um QPR Rodney went to Manchester City

Funny enough where it started off it’s ironic really and when I came here nobody wear the number 10 shirt it was like taboo because if you wore the number 10 sh here like and you didn’t play well the crowd was on your back and uh anybody will tell you the QPR crowd can

Be really nasty you know especially being in the middle of White City estate which is not a friendly estate at the best of times and I just said I’ll wear it and uh the first game I scored and after that I never took the shirt off well not

For a long time anyway so we’re going on and Rangers are at 10 men as the free kicks taken and Bs takes the shot now and he gets equalizer there it is 1-1 15 minutes into the second half and stals a very happy number 10 and and Thomas absolutely streaking out for

Rangers over this side is BS has he seen him he has he can’t miss it shle he didn’t what a glorious move out there another Corner no it’s not the ball not out of play yet but now they can come away and Thomas the man probably the

Fastest of all and Bs on side sidles come roaring out of his goal now what will BS do Under the left foot he’ll hope no under the right foot that’s there that’s to and that’s BS that’s got every man off his seat I like playing here because of the

Crowd used to be right on top of you they’re a little bit further back now and um David Webb used to always say that that was uh that was my my theat you know because I never to get changed five minutes before the kickoff and they couldn’t believe it down there you

Know why well because that you’re supposed to start getting changed about 10 P two or something like that you know get warmed up and everything I used to I didn’t used to come through the betting shop to quarter threee so the betting shops right next door to the ground by the

Way what did they make you did Gordon jgo just say you know Do Your Own Thing well Gordon stood for it and uh Dave seon didn’t like it for a while but then he got used to it he just uh he just ignored it basically as long as I done

Out there he was all right literally you used to be in the betting shops for quarter to three and then I used to come in and get changed yeah it’s well know I’m not telling Li he’ll tell you I think the latest I got in the dressing

Room was about 5 to three something like that Dave went spare that day but I still played Masson balls still BS will this be the fourth yes steady balls Phil Collins used to come down here quite a bit um an actual fact I can remember meeting

Phil Collins here one one game and uh the unfortunate thing was cuz he Genesis I love Genesis and he was one of my idols and all that and Ron Jones who used to work work here as the uh sort of publicity sort of agent or whatever uh arranged for me to meet Phil

Collins this day but unfortunately I had a big bet on a horse and then when I came in I see Phil here with his Bobble out on and everything I said sorry Phil I can’t still down the betting shop off Brady for Francis this might be the

Chance for the break now for Queens spark Rangers BS going up on the left Francis going well and the shot by BS yes 1-1 in 1976 Queens part Rangers emerged as title contenders under Dave seon’s management they came to the last game of the season with a simple equation before

Them if they beat Le United and Liverpool lost to wolves a few days later the championship would be theirs Frances Masson now BS challenging Hunter B shooting there’s a deflection and was chopped by Frances and an incredible reflex save by [Applause] Harvey Kint puts it in head by Holly and

It’s it Divens the cross and Thomas is scored now Rangers on the break four against three and here’s Stanley BS with an AC of space France is calling for the near post ball and it’s R in by balls despite the victory it was still in Liverpool’s hands and typical of

Their greatness they snatched Rangers Glory it still rankles with bows we played Liverpool down a we beat them 2-0 first game of the season I believe and we were literally taking the should have been four five now and uh I think they can class themselves very fortunate to win the

League that year CU everybody knew we had the best side and we just uh we was unbeaten at home but we lost a few uh we had a few dodgy draws places like you know leester and what you call Mickey Mouse teams at the time you know I mean teams get like

Leicester and Burnley I used to draw my my bonus before that game when we was playing the bush I used to going to Ron Phillips who’s the secretary then he’ll tell you I used to say look R give us the under quid because uh this is a walkover Amor

And used to get it as well that’s true that that that’s how confident we was you know that side though soon broke up and in December 1979 BS joined Brian cff’s Singham Forest there he won his first medal the European super cup but so unhappy was he

At the city ground he didn’t want to keep it it was the only medal I’ve won yeah cuz uh in the league uh when we nearly won the championship there was no Runners up medals and they uh they’ gone away with it and um a friend of mine

Just his little boy was just looking at it one day I said you can have it if you want it and that was it cuz um I didn’t have very good memories of notx forest at all really apart from the people up there people were very nice where I lived and

People in the team were all right but uh that’s a part you know cluffy was Thor in aside really he’s only see him like twice a week so on a normal week if you were lucky so um I wasn’t playing in the first team so uh we didn’t make a g the

Last four months we to communicate by rumor his seven years at QPR are the ones that he will treasure the most a modest man away from football he still loves the game and enjoys talking about those great days of the 70s I think I was very lucky to play um

As long as I did because a lot of players don’t don’t play off as long as me me they all said I’d be finished after about two years but uh once again I proved them wrong they said i’ never played for England but I did they said

I’d never come back from the fourth division to the first but I did I miss it for about 10 seconds and it passes just uh when I see the crowd now again out here that’s all what’s the biggest bet you’ve ever had £4,000 on what on a dog did you have a

Tip for it it lost yeah and what does it do to you there well it crucifies you at the time but um would you Gambler uh you’re immune to these things at the end of the day I’d have to still say I’m a gambler because I still have a bit but

Um not like I used to do in the old days do you regret it do you regret getting involved been gambling um sometimes when I think like some of the personal things have happened to me um it’s definitely C with gambling you would have been a far richer man as well wouldn’t

You I think so yeah but would I be so happy stand balls in part two we meet Mike sumby but can you identify this famous number 10 who can still reproduce great goals like this even [Applause] Now Oh