Cobblers commission bust tribute to club legend Dave Bowen

Former Cobblers player, manager, secretary and president Dave Bowen is to be honoured by the club, with a specially commissioned bust that will be unveiled at the PTS Academy Stadium later this year.

Northampton Town have worked closely on the project with the Bowen family, with the club commissioning Sporting Icon to produce a permanent and lasting tribute to the Town legend.

The bust of Bowen, who also captained his country Wales at the 1958 World Cup, is currently in production and will be unveiled outside the stadium later in 2019.

“We are delighted to be paying a permanent and lasting tribute to a Cobblers great,” said chief executive James Whiting.

“This tribute will be a visual reminder to all those arriving at the stadium about Dave and what he achieved for the club.

“We have worked closely with the Bowen family on this and we will officially unveil the tribute later in the year.

“We know members of the Bowen family will be travelling from a number of different countries to attend the unveiling and, working to maximise the availability of family members, we will confirm a date for this unveiling in due course.

“We are a club with a very proud history, strong community links and a bright future and we believe this will be a fitting and lasting tribute to a man who achieved so much for the club.”

Dave Bowen (right) goes through a training routine with Graham Moore

Barry Bowen, Dave’s son, has worked closely with the club and Sporting Icon on the production of the bust and he added: “When saying goodbye to friends and fans, our father often said warmly - ‘See you at the Far Post’, and locating this tribute at the stadium leaves a visible lasting memory not far from the far post.

“Family members have been involved with and had input into the production process and we hope it means as much to the fans as it does to the family.

“We are hoping to be able to get the family together later in the year for an official unveiling at the stadium.”

Bowen played for the Cobblers between 1947 and 1950, before being transferred to Arsenal, where he stayed for nine years.

After leaving Highbury, Bowen returned to the County Ground as playere manager, and after hanging up his boots in 1960, he concentrated solely on management.

He steered the Cobblers to the greatest achievement in the club’s history, taking Town from the fourth division to the first in the space of just five seasons.

The 1965-66 season remains the only one in the club’s history that the Cobblers played in the top flight of English football.

Bowen left as manager in 1967, before returning for another three-year stint between 1969 and 1972.

While managing the Cobblers, remarkably Bowen also managed the Wales national team, a post he left in 1974.

After leaving management, Bowen stayed heavily involved behind the scenes at the County Ground and served as serving as general manager, secretary and as a club director, before retiring.

Bowen died in September, 1995, aged 67, and the north stand at Sixfields was initially renamed in his honour.

There is still a pictorial tribute and plaque on the side north stand wall at the PTS, but it is no longer named after Bowen.

Now though, he will have a peremanent tribute at the home of the club he served so brilliantly and loyally.