Barney Bowers
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Bowers | ||
| Date of birth | 19 August 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1978–1978 | Cliftonville | ||
| 1978–1981 | Derby County | 0 | (0) |
| 1981–1995 | Glentoran | 524 | (108) |
| 1995–1997 | Ards | 25 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 1989 | Irish League representative team | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Robert Bowers (born 19 August 1959, better known as Barney Bowers) is a former Derby, Cliftonville, Ards and Glentoran F.C. player.
Personal life
Barney currently lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland with his wife. He has two sons, Jonathan and Glenn. He has 3 sisters, Maureen "Mo" Bowers, May Greer and Christine Shaw and 3 brothers, Mark Bowers, Stephen Bowers and Michael Bowers. His father is George "Geordie" Bowers and his mother Christina Bowers.
His son Jonathan previously played for Glentoran until 2009. He joined Crusaders on a free transfer in 2009 and left the following year in 2010 to Bangor. In 2015, he moved to Harland & Wolff Welders.
Football career
He is the record holder for European appearances for a Glentoran player & Irish League player, with a number of appearances for Ards in Europe towards the end of his career.
Despite missing so much Barney still amassed over 500 appearances for Glentoran after joining from Derby County in August 1981, but for those two broken legs and a fractured cheekbone Barney would have been the record holder for Glentoran appearances.[1]
As an 18-year-old Barney slipped through the Glentoran scouting network, only to be signed by Cliftonville. In those days Barney was a midfielder, and earned rave reviews, for his all action play. Such was his talent that Derby manager Tommy Docherty signed him for £25,000.
Despite an offer from Swindon Town, Barney opted to return to Belfast, and join his boyhood favourites at The Oval.
Along with Paterson, Cleary, Jameson, Blackledge etc. Barney played his part during the trophy winning sides of the mid-eighties. Goals have also played their part in Barney's game with over 100 during his time.
A whole hearted player, who gained just reward in 1992 when he led Glentoran to the League title, the only medal he had previously not won in the Irish League, having missed out on a medal during our double year, when out with a broken leg. A well-deserved honour for truly one of the great Glentoran players.
Debut v Dundalk 0-0 (H) August 1981
As of 2013, he is 6th place on the list of most appearances for Glentoran with 524.[2] This also means he is a member of the 250 Club.[3] He is also on the list for top goal scorers with 108.[4]
Bowers scored Ards only goal in their 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup campaign.[5]
Honours
- IFA Premiership:
- Irish Cup:
- Irish League Cup: 2
- County Antrim Shield: 2
- Glentoran F.C. 1984–85, 1986–87
- Irish FA Charity Shield: 1
- Glentoran F.C. 1992–93 (shared with Glenavon)
- Gold Cup: 4
- Glentoran F.C. 1982–83, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1994–95
- Ulster Cup: 5
- Glentoran F.C. 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1989–90
- Floodlit Cup:
- Glentoran F.C. 1989–90