JASON BOWEN by Ray Taylor

When you watch any form of live entertainment, you hope to see performers with exceptional talent and skills.  The average non-league football fan does not expect the sort of standards exhibited at Premiership level.  Just occasionally however, alongside all the genuine effort and commitment of the average part-time professional, you see someone with real ability.

Such a player is JASON BOWEN.  Playing at ninety miles an hour has never been Jason’s game, though he was a pacy winger at Swansea City in his formative years in league football.  But when Jason is on song, he is still an exciting and creative player who can achieve more with the drop of a shoulder and a piece of intelligent anticipation than some manic chasers accomplish in ninety minutes.

If Jason had been Brazilian, perhaps his skills might have been accommodated more readily than in the frenetic British game, so perhaps it is appropriate that while he adapts to the demands of the non-league game, he spends the rest of his working time running Brazilian-style soccer schools.

“They are going really well,” he said.

“I got together with some coaches from local side Eveswell United and we are attracting up to a hundred or more kids aged between five and fourteen to the sessions.  We work on moves with the ball, juggling it in  the  Brazilian  style and  encourage  the  children  to

express themselves. 

“Mostly we play small-sided games indoors, and we try to help them improve their touch on the ball and we also encourage them to express themselves.  The methods are the same as those that Brazilians coaches use with children there.”

Jason was born and raised in Merthyr, but he regularly visited Swansea City for coaching while still in school and was strongly influenced by another Merthyr man in former Swans youth team coach Ronnie Walton.  He made his league debut in the 1990-91 season when Terry Yorath was in charge at the Vetch and played 124 league games, scoring 26 goals, mostly under the management of Frank Burrows and captaincy of John Cornforth.

A move to a bigger club often appeared to be on the cards, but Jason enjoyed his years at Swansea and progressed from the Welsh schools and youth set-ups through to the full international squad, earning his first full cap from Mike Smith in a 2-1 win in Estonia in 1994.

“I was happy at Swansea City and we were close to promotion to the old First Division missing out only in the play-offs.  Barry Fry eventually signed me for Birmingham City and I had a couple of seasons there before going on loan to Southampton.

“I played in the Premiership for them and thought they were going to make the move permanent.  I even had a medical but the deal collapsed and I was never given an explanation though I think it was because their priority was an experienced player and they signed Carlton Palmer instead.”

Jason won his second Welsh cap while a Birmingham player though the experience is not of his more cherished memories!

“I played in the seven-one defeat in Holland in 1996 when we spent the game chasing shadows.  We had so many injuries and the Dutch had all their stars playing.  It would have been twelve if it had not been for Neville Southall!”

After a short spell at Reading, Jason spent almost six years at Cardiff City, suffering one relegation but offsetting that with three promotions as the club took off following the arrival of Sam Hammam.  He thought about trying to extend his league career when he was released by City last summer but he, his wife Hayley and their two sons, nine year-old Jaye and Sam, aged four, are settled in Langstone, and Hayley wanted to be close to her mother who was seriously ill.

“I have got used to non-league now, but I try to stress the importance of keeping the ball, because it is hard work getting it back if you lose possession.  Training sessions with John Cornforth are brilliant, because he concentrates on ball work.

“My game depends on people getting the ball down and passing it to me and we have some very talented young players at the club.”

Jason still has plenty to offer and our young players can learn from his exceptional skill and reading of the game.

My two sons

Second appearance for Wales

Kenny Dalglish

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