Gary Owers
{{short description|English footballer and manager (born 1968)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Gary Owers
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Gary Owers{{Hugman|15150|access-date=11 October 2017}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|10|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = Newcastle upon Tyne, England
| height = 5 ft 10 in{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=352 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Sunderland
| years1 = 1986–1994
| clubs1 = Sunderland
| caps1 = 320
| goals1 = 25
| years2 = 1994–1998
| clubs2 = Bristol City
| caps2 = 130
| goals2 = 9
| years3 = 1998–2002
| clubs3 = Notts County
| caps3 = 154
| goals3 = 12
| years4 = 2002–2003
| clubs4 = Forest Green Rovers
| caps4 = 50
| goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2003–2005
| clubs5 = Bath City
| caps5 = 67
| goals5 = 6
| years6 = 2005–2006
| clubs6 = Forest Green Rovers
| caps6 = 0
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2006–2007
| clubs7 = Weston-super-Mare
| years8 = 2007
| clubs8 = Minehead
| years9 = 2020
| clubs9 = AFC Sodbury
| totalcaps = 697
| totalgoals = 53
| manageryears1 = 2003–2005
| managerclubs1 = Bath City
| manageryears2 = 2005–2006
| managerclubs2 = Forest Green Rovers
| manageryears3 = 2007
| managerclubs3 = Weston-super-Mare
| manageryears4 = 2009–2011
| managerclubs4 = Aldershot Town (assistant manager)
| manageryears5 = 2012–2014
| managerclubs5 = Plymouth Argyle (assistant manager)
| manageryears7 = 2015
| managerclubs7 = Gateshead (assistant manager)
| manageryears8 = 2016–2017
| managerclubs8 = Bath City
| manageryears9 = 2017–2018
| managerclubs9 = Torquay United
}}
Gary Owers (born 3 October 1968) is an English former professional footballer, and football manager. He most recently managed Torquay United. He was previously manager of Bath City and Forest Green Rovers as well as the assistant manager at Aldershot Town, Plymouth Argyle and Gateshead.
Career
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Owers began his career with Sunderland, making his debut in 1986 and playing in the 1992 FA Cup Final, in which Sunderland lost to Liverpool. In December 1994 Owers moved to Bristol City for a fee of £250,000, and he spent four years there, before moving to Sam Allardyce's Notts County in the summer of 1998. In 2000 Owers signed a new two-year deal with Notts County.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/969284.stm|title=New deal for Owers|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 October 2000}} He was released by Notts County at the end of the 2001–02 season and was signed by Nigel Spink, the manager of Forest Green Rovers in August 2002.{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=5413|title=Forest Green sign Owers|work=Non League Daily|publisher=Baltic Publications|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033328/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=5413|archive-date=30 September 2007|df=dmy-all}}
Owers became player-coach at Bath City in October 2003.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930013215/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=13417 Bath appoint Owers as player-coach]}} He was appointed as Bath's new manager the following month,{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930035113/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=14084 Bath go for Owers]}} and led them to sixth place in the Southern League Premier Division in 2005–06, missing out on the play-offs on goal difference.
Owers replaced Alan Lewer as manager of Forest Green Rovers on 25 May 2005{{cite news |title=Owers is new Forest Green manager |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/forest_green_rovers/4580195.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=25 May 2005 |access-date=11 October 2017}} after they had been relegated from the Conference National. However, they got a surprise reprieve as Northwich Victoria's ground failed to meet division rules, meaning they were relegated with Forest Green taking their place.
In his first season in charge of Forest Green, where he managed the club's first ever full-time professional squad, he led the team to 19th place in the Conference avoiding relegation on the last day of the season with a 2–0 victory over Stevenage Borough.{{Cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/4933584.stm |title=Forest Green 2–0 Stevenage |publisher=BBC Sport |date=29 April 2006}} However, after a disappointing start to the 2006–07 season, he left the club alongside assistant manager Shaun Taylor on 27 August 2006.{{cite news |title=Manager Owers leaves Forest Green |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/forest_green_rovers/5290734.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 August 2006 |access-date=11 October 2017}}
On 11 November 2009 Aldershot Town Manager Kevin Dillon, confirmed that Owers was to be his new Assistant Manager at Aldershot Town.Under Dillon and Owers Shots finished in their highest ever league position ( 6th ) before losing to Rotherham in the play-off semi-final.
In June 2011 Owers was appointed as a scout at former club Bristol City under manager Keith Millen. He was promoted to first team coach after the arrival of Derek McInnes.
In June 2012 Owers joined the coaching staff at Plymouth Argyle primarily to work with the youth team players under newly appointed Academy Manager Kevin Hodges.
In January 2013 Owers was promoted from Argyle's youth set-up to begin working with the first team by newly appointed manager John Sheridan.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20957648|title = Argyle boss promotes coach Owers|work = BBC Sport}}
In April 2014 he left Plymouth Argyle, with his role being taken up by Sean McCarthy and player Paul Wotton.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27189111|title=Gary Owers leaves role as Plymouth Argyle first-team coach|publisher=BBC Sport|date=28 April 2014}} In March 2015, he was confirmed Head of Recruitment at SPFL Premiership side Motherwell.{{cite news |url=http://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/2015/03/09/gary-owers-is-head-of-recruitment/|title=Gary Owers is Head of Recruitment|publisher=Motherwell F.C.|date=9 March 2015}} However, only three months later in June 2015 he was named as assistant manager to Malcolm Crosby at National League club Gateshead{{Cite web| url=http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/sport/13335187.FOOTBALL__Former_Forest_Green_boss_Gary_Owers_set_to_swap_Motherwell_for_Gateshead/ |title=Former Forest Green boss Gary Owers set to swap Motherwell for Gateshead |publisher=Stroud News & Journal |date=16 June 2015 |access-date=21 June 2015}} but left the club in November 2015 following the sacking of Crosby.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34895202|title=Gateshead: Tynesiders sack manager Malcolm Crosby|publisher=BBC Sport|date=22 November 2015|access-date=25 November 2015}}
On 4 February 2016, he returned to Twerton Park for a second spell as manager of Bath City.{{cite news |title=Bath City: Gary Owers makes a return as Romans boss |url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Bath-City-Gary-Owers-makes-return-Romans-boss/story-28673960-detail/story.html |newspaper=Bath Chronicle |date=4 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205095742/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Bath-City-Gary-Owers-makes-return-Romans-boss/story-28673960-detail/story.html |archive-date=5 February 2016 |url-status=dead}}
On 13 September 2017, Owers left his position at Bath City to accept the role of head coach at National League club Torquay United.{{cite news |title=Gary Owers: Torquay United appoint Bath City manager as head coach |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41166186 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 September 2017 |access-date=11 October 2017}}
On 25 October 2017, after Torquay achieved a 1–0 away win at Ebbsfleet United, courtesy of a Jamie Reid special, Gary Owers claimed of Torquay United "we're not rubbish anymore".{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41746795|title=Torquay are 'not rubbish anymore'|work=BBC Sport}} However a number of poor performances and results ensued. Under Owers Torquay were relegated from the National League with 2 games to spare, finishing the season 7 points from safety.{{Cite web|url=https://www.devonlive.com/sport/angry-torquay-united-fans-turns-1985393|title = Angry Torquay United fans turns on Gary Owers again after defeat|date = 8 September 2018}} A poor start to Torquay's following season saw Owers step down from his role one day shy of a year in charge.{{cite news |title= Head Coach Gary Owers Steps Down At Torquay United |url= https://www.torquayunited.com/head-coach-gary-owers-steps-down-at-torquay-united/ |publisher=Torquay United Official Website |date=12 September 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018}}
Managerial statistics
{{updated|match played 28 April 2017}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Managerial positions
| list1 =
{{Bath City F.C. managers}}
{{Forest Green Rovers F.C. managers}}
{{Torquay United F.C. managers}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owers, Gary}}
Category:Footballers from Newcastle upon Tyne
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players
Category:Bristol City F.C. players
Category:Notts County F.C. players
Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players
Category:Bath City F.C. players
Category:Weston-super-Mare A.F.C. players
Category:Minehead A.F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:Southern Football League players
Category:English football managers
Category:Bath City F.C. managers
Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. managers
Category:Weston-super-Mare A.F.C. managers
Category:Torquay United F.C. managers
Category:National League (English football) managers
Category:Bristol City F.C. non-playing staff
Category:Aldershot Town F.C. non-playing staff