James Cowan

Who was James Cowan?

James Cowan was a Scottish footballer and manager.

Born in Jamestown, Dunbartonshire, Cowan was a Scottish international half-back who played with local sides Renton and Vale of Leven before moving to England in 1888 to play for the Warwickshire County FC. The following season he wished to pursue a professional career and joined Aston Villa and spent 14 years with the Birmingham side. When Cowan played for the club in the 1890s and early 1900s, they were the giants of the Football League. While at Villa, he won five First Division titles and two FA Cup winners medals. In all he played 354 times for Aston Villa and is considered to be one of the finest players of the Victorian era. He was renowned for his speed. On one occasion he missed a Villa match due to his attending the illustrious 100 yard New Year Sprint event held at Powderhall. The club fined him but he still made a healthy profit due to the prize money!

After retiring from playing in 1902, he coached the young players at Villa for a few years before deciding to accept the role of manager of Queens Park Rangers in 1907.