Gerard Columba Bowler (8 June 1919 – 28 March 2006) was a former Northern Irish footballer. He played in the right-back or right-half positions.

Career

Bowler was born in Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 and began his senior footballing career with Derry City FC immediately prior to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, having previously turned out for Derry Municipal Training College. On 24 April, 1943 he was signed by Distillery, in an Irish League

IFA Premiership

The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...

 record £1,000 deal , where he played 122 first-team games, scoring just once (a penalty against Cliftonville FC in 1946). At Distillery, Bowler played in the 1946 Irish Cup

Irish Cup

For the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...

 final, losing out 3-0 to Linfield FC, and the same season picked up a Co. Antrim Shield winner's medal (defeating Bangor FC Reserves 3-0 in a replayed final).

In the summer of 1946 Bowler was signed by Portsmouth FC (at the time one of the top teams in the Football League), but made just eight league appearances in three seasons, missing out on a championship medal in 1948-49.

Signed by Hull City A.F.C.

Hull City A.F.C.

Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 for the 1949-50 season, Bowler made 38 Division Two

Division Two

Division Two may refer to either:* Football League Two the current fourth tier of the English football league system* The Football League Second Division, the former second and later third tier of the English football league system...

 appearances, and was selected to play for Ireland

Ireland national football team (IFA)

The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...

. That season he played in all three games of the 1950 British Home Championship

1950 British Home Championship

1950 British Home Championship was one of the most significant competitions of the British Home Championship football tournament. This year saw the competition doubling up as Group 1 in the qualifying rounds for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. It was the first time that either England, Wales, Scotland or...

. Normally a centre-half, all three of his international appearances were made in unfamiliar positions - two at right-back, and one at right-half.

In 1950, Bowler moved on again, signing for Division Three (South), Millwall

Millwall F.C.

Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

. He helped the club to runners-up position in 1952-53, but in those days that was not good enough for promotion. Although he never added to his collection of international caps, Bowler was a member of the IFA's touring party to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 in the summer of 1953. After 165 league appearances for the Lions, Gerry Bowler was forced to retire due to injury in 1955, although he did continue to turn out as player-manager for his work team, the Crawley based APV Chemical Company, until the 1962/63 season. Having settled in the south of England, Bowler died in Crawley

Crawley

Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...

in March 2006.

External links

• Gerry Bowler, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database
• Bowler on Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats