Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "cowdenbeath"
An Uncompromising Defender
Henry Mowbray 1947 - 2022
Born in Hamilton-on 1 May 1947 he was a full back who played his junior football for Blairhall Colliery before signing for Cowdenbeath for the 1966/67 season. He went on to play 20 League games and score one goal for Cowdenbeath. Blackpool scouts were impressed with what they saw and the club signed him for a fee of £6,000, plus an additional £2,000 after he had played 20 League games, on 1 May 1967. It was the record fee that Cowdenbeath had received for a player at that time.
He made his Blackpool debut in a pre-season friendly game against Hibernian on 8 August 1967 when he replaced Roger Aindow at half-time in a 6-2 victory for the Seasiders. He made a second appearance in a pre-season friendly game that ended in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City reserves on 12 August.
He opened the season in the Central League side against Preston North End when Blackpool lost 3-2 on 19 August. He also played in the second Central League game, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on 26 August.
After his first two Central League games he made his League debut against Ipswich Town on 29 August 1967, replacing Tommy Thompson, when the game was drawn 1-1. Thereafter his form was such that he retained his place for 11 further League games before he suffered an injury in a 1-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers on 28 October kept him out of the side for three games.
He returned to action to test his fitness in a Central League game against Aston Villa reserves when Blackpool won 4-0 but after a second game when Wolverhampton Wanderers were defeated 1-0, he required further treatment. Immediately he felt that he had recovered full fitness he was reintroduced into the League side against Portsmouth on 2 December as John Craven, who had been substituting for him, returned to the forward line. Blackpool lost the game 2-1.
He played four games but the injury was still troubling him and he had to withdraw from the side. After further treatment he had an extended run in the Central League side before returning to League action in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on 16 March 1968. He retained his place until the end of the season when he had played 27 League games and had been an integral part of the Blackpool side that narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight on the slenderest of goal average at the first attempt. He also played three League Cup ties, nine Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1967/68 season.
After playing in three pre-season friendly games when the Seasiders toured Scotland, he started the 1968/69 season as the regular left back in the League side, appearing in the opening 10 League games and three League Cup ties until injury against Manchester City in a third round League Cup tie put him out of action. Blackpool won the City game 1-0.
He was to play only two further League games that season, action against Portsmouth on 14 December 1968 when Blackpool lost 1-0 and against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 when the game was drawn 1-1. He did, however, make spasmodic appearances for the Central League side and ended the season having played 12 League games, three League Cup ties, nine Central League games and three friendly games in the 1968/69 season.
He began the 1969/70 season in the Central League side and played 10 of the first 11 games before he earned a League recall against Middlesbrough on 27 September 1969 when he replaced the injured Bill Bentley as Blackpool won 2-0. He kept his place for a lengthy run in the side.
And after Blackpool had beaten Millwall 3-1 on 11 October 1969 and had not lost since Mowbray got into the side one critic wrote, ‘One player who has played a man-sized part in Blackpool’s recent successes is left back Henry Mowbray, whose career is taking another turn for the better after a few ups and downs in the past year. Mowbray spent most of last season on the sidelines because of an injury and eventually underwent a cartilage operation early in the year. And when he recovered his first team spot had gone to Bill Bentley, who the club had bought from Stoke City for £30,000. Mowbray’s chance to get back to the limelight came when Bentley was injured in the League Cup match at Crystal Palace on September 24. He played against Middlesbrough the following Saturday and although Bill is fit again now Mowbray has held his place. Blackpool were fortunate in having a ready-made replacement for the defence after losing the services of a first team player like Bentley. Let’s hope we have not tempted fate by saying it but Mowbray had not been in a losing Blackpool side up to last week since making his comeback.’ Blackpool finally had an eight-game unbeaten run after his arrival in the side.
In the season that Blackpool regained top flight football, he went on to play 24 League games plus making two substitute appearances, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties plus making one substitute appearance in the competition, 12 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and one friendly game for Blackpool in the 1969/70 season.
He started the 1970/71 season as substitute for the League side and he replaced John Murray after 59 minutes in the opening game when Blackpool lost 3-0 to Huddersfield Town on 15 August 1970. As Bill Bentley moved to midfield, he kept his place in the side for a number of games thereafter.
He scored his one and only first team goal for Blackpool in the 4-0 victory over West Ham United in the third round of the FA Cup on 2 January 1971 when he latched on to a free kick taken by Tony Coleman and fired the ball home 10 minutes from time. He did score another senior goal for the club in what turned out to be his final game in a Blackpool shirt when he scored the winner for the Central League side in a 3-2 defeat of West Bromwich Albion reserves on 1 May 1971.
He played 25 League games plus making one substitute appearance, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties, scoring one goal, eight Central League games, scoring one goal, and two friendly games for Blackpool in the 1970/71 season. In his Blackpool career, therefore, he made 104 League and Cup appearances and 38 Central League appearances. He also played 10 other games.
With Jimmy Armfield as manager of Bolton Wanderers, he was well aware of Mowbray’s ability and so he secured his transfer from Blackpool for a fee of £4,000 on 4 May 1971. He went on to play 31 League games for Bolton before leaving after the 1972/73 season.
He joined St Mirren for the 1973/74 season and he played 18 League games for the club in his one season there. He left the club to join Australian side Melbourne Hakoah for the 1974/75 season. He played in excess of 50 games for the club before moving on to Hakoah Sydney City. He also spent time at both his Australian clubs as a coach. Outside of football, he worked for the Australian government while playing in Sydney.
After seven years in Australia he returned to Scotland to live in Dunfermline where he managed an amateur team, East Port. Outside of football he later worked for Saltire Hospitality a bespoke catering and event co-ordination company based in Edinburgh.
He was a keen supporter and regularly attended celebratory functions at Blackpool where it was always a delight to meet up with him and it gives me great sadness to report of his passing in hospital on 8 July 2022.
Born in Hamilton-on 1 May 1947 he was a full back who played his junior football for Blairhall Colliery before signing for Cowdenbeath for the 1966/67 season. He went on to play 20 League games and score one goal for Cowdenbeath. Blackpool scouts were impressed with what they saw and the club signed him for a fee of £6,000, plus an additional £2,000 after he had played 20 League games, on 1 May 1967. It was the record fee that Cowdenbeath had received for a player at that time.
He made his Blackpool debut in a pre-season friendly game against Hibernian on 8 August 1967 when he replaced Roger Aindow at half-time in a 6-2 victory for the Seasiders. He made a second appearance in a pre-season friendly game that ended in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City reserves on 12 August.
He opened the season in the Central League side against Preston North End when Blackpool lost 3-2 on 19 August. He also played in the second Central League game, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on 26 August.
After his first two Central League games he made his League debut against Ipswich Town on 29 August 1967, replacing Tommy Thompson, when the game was drawn 1-1. Thereafter his form was such that he retained his place for 11 further League games before he suffered an injury in a 1-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers on 28 October kept him out of the side for three games.
He returned to action to test his fitness in a Central League game against Aston Villa reserves when Blackpool won 4-0 but after a second game when Wolverhampton Wanderers were defeated 1-0, he required further treatment. Immediately he felt that he had recovered full fitness he was reintroduced into the League side against Portsmouth on 2 December as John Craven, who had been substituting for him, returned to the forward line. Blackpool lost the game 2-1.
He played four games but the injury was still troubling him and he had to withdraw from the side. After further treatment he had an extended run in the Central League side before returning to League action in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on 16 March 1968. He retained his place until the end of the season when he had played 27 League games and had been an integral part of the Blackpool side that narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight on the slenderest of goal average at the first attempt. He also played three League Cup ties, nine Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1967/68 season.
After playing in three pre-season friendly games when the Seasiders toured Scotland, he started the 1968/69 season as the regular left back in the League side, appearing in the opening 10 League games and three League Cup ties until injury against Manchester City in a third round League Cup tie put him out of action. Blackpool won the City game 1-0.
He was to play only two further League games that season, action against Portsmouth on 14 December 1968 when Blackpool lost 1-0 and against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 when the game was drawn 1-1. He did, however, make spasmodic appearances for the Central League side and ended the season having played 12 League games, three League Cup ties, nine Central League games and three friendly games in the 1968/69 season.
He began the 1969/70 season in the Central League side and played 10 of the first 11 games before he earned a League recall against Middlesbrough on 27 September 1969 when he replaced the injured Bill Bentley as Blackpool won 2-0. He kept his place for a lengthy run in the side.
And after Blackpool had beaten Millwall 3-1 on 11 October 1969 and had not lost since Mowbray got into the side one critic wrote, ‘One player who has played a man-sized part in Blackpool’s recent successes is left back Henry Mowbray, whose career is taking another turn for the better after a few ups and downs in the past year. Mowbray spent most of last season on the sidelines because of an injury and eventually underwent a cartilage operation early in the year. And when he recovered his first team spot had gone to Bill Bentley, who the club had bought from Stoke City for £30,000. Mowbray’s chance to get back to the limelight came when Bentley was injured in the League Cup match at Crystal Palace on September 24. He played against Middlesbrough the following Saturday and although Bill is fit again now Mowbray has held his place. Blackpool were fortunate in having a ready-made replacement for the defence after losing the services of a first team player like Bentley. Let’s hope we have not tempted fate by saying it but Mowbray had not been in a losing Blackpool side up to last week since making his comeback.’ Blackpool finally had an eight-game unbeaten run after his arrival in the side.
In the season that Blackpool regained top flight football, he went on to play 24 League games plus making two substitute appearances, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties plus making one substitute appearance in the competition, 12 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and one friendly game for Blackpool in the 1969/70 season.
He started the 1970/71 season as substitute for the League side and he replaced John Murray after 59 minutes in the opening game when Blackpool lost 3-0 to Huddersfield Town on 15 August 1970. As Bill Bentley moved to midfield, he kept his place in the side for a number of games thereafter.
He scored his one and only first team goal for Blackpool in the 4-0 victory over West Ham United in the third round of the FA Cup on 2 January 1971 when he latched on to a free kick taken by Tony Coleman and fired the ball home 10 minutes from time. He did score another senior goal for the club in what turned out to be his final game in a Blackpool shirt when he scored the winner for the Central League side in a 3-2 defeat of West Bromwich Albion reserves on 1 May 1971.
He played 25 League games plus making one substitute appearance, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties, scoring one goal, eight Central League games, scoring one goal, and two friendly games for Blackpool in the 1970/71 season. In his Blackpool career, therefore, he made 104 League and Cup appearances and 38 Central League appearances. He also played 10 other games.
With Jimmy Armfield as manager of Bolton Wanderers, he was well aware of Mowbray’s ability and so he secured his transfer from Blackpool for a fee of £4,000 on 4 May 1971. He went on to play 31 League games for Bolton before leaving after the 1972/73 season.
He joined St Mirren for the 1973/74 season and he played 18 League games for the club in his one season there. He left the club to join Australian side Melbourne Hakoah for the 1974/75 season. He played in excess of 50 games for the club before moving on to Hakoah Sydney City. He also spent time at both his Australian clubs as a coach. Outside of football, he worked for the Australian government while playing in Sydney.
After seven years in Australia he returned to Scotland to live in Dunfermline where he managed an amateur team, East Port. Outside of football he later worked for Saltire Hospitality a bespoke catering and event co-ordination company based in Edinburgh.
He was a keen supporter and regularly attended celebratory functions at Blackpool where it was always a delight to meet up with him and it gives me great sadness to report of his passing in hospital on 8 July 2022.
