Julian Dowe

Career

Having broke numerous goal scoring records in the Salford Junior League and for Trafford Schoolboys as a teen, he was coveted by both his local teams Manchester United and Manchester City as well as Leeds United. After a brief spell on the books at Manchester United, he signed as a schoolboy for Everton after their youth team manager personally made the trip to his mother's house. He later decided to join Manchester City, who took the unprecedented step to virtually guarantee Dowe a professional contract, even though he was still at school and recovering from fractured spine at the time, after getting injured previously in an Everton reserve game. After 8 months he was allowed back to action, training and playing with the 1st team squad that featured, Garry Flitcroft, Steve Lomas and Clive Allen at Maine Road when only 15 years old. After some misguided advice, he left Maine Road for Wigan, something that Dowe cited as "A big regret, it wasn't the club you see now." The then Wigan manager Brian Hamilton famously substituted Dowe minutes after bringing him on at half time of a trial game, to immediately offer him a professional contract.

He went on to make his first team debut for Wigan at the age of 16 against a Manchester United team that featured Paul Ince, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Lee Sharpe and Gary Neville. He became the youngest British player to sign a professional contract in Spain when he joined CA Marbella as an 18-year-old, along with fellow Englishman Andy Gray who joined from Tottenham Hotspur and described Dowe as "One of the most talented teenagers he'd seen."

During his spell there his first team chances were limited due to the foreigner rule that applied before the Bosman ruling. Players such as Vladan Lukić and Predrag Spasić were teammates. Dowe featured mainly in cup games and preseason tournaments against the likes of Real Zaragoza and Barcelona. Dowe went on to play in the Scottish 1st division for Ayr United F.C., under former QPR and Aston Villa player Simon Stainrod. He memorably scored a 35-yard volley in the Ayrshire Cup Final during a win over local rivals Kilmarnock F.C. in 1995. After the season ended, he went to play in the Swedish league playing for Tidaholm GoIF. Returning to England he fell into non-league football playing for Hyde United which saw him star in their most successful run in the FA Vase. A persistent knee injury kept Dowe out of the game for the best part of two years. On his return to the game, he played in the north-west counties with Colne F.C. before making a leap back into league football with Rochdale. Again, glimpses of his ability occasionally surfaced, particularly in an FA Cup game against Burton Albion, when he scored with a 30-yard strike to seal a 3-0 win. On leaving Rochdale he joined Morecambe, making his debut for the club on 23 September 2000. He later joined Latvian team FK Ventspils who signed him after a trial game against the Latvian national team after which he continued playing in non-league football around Greater Manchester before the accumulation of 7 knee operations totally ended his playing career.