Iain Dowie

Infobox Football biography
playername = Iain Dowie


fullname = Iain Dowie
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1965|1|9|df=y
cityofbirth = Hatfield
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=6|in=1
position = Striker (retired)
currentclub = Queens Park Rangers ("First Team Coach")Dowie's role of first-team coach is different from the traditional role of a first-team coach in England, which is usually the third in command. QPR employ a continental model, and Dowie's role is closer to that of a manager, whilst Chairman Gianni Paladini performs the responsiblities of the Director of Football.]
years = 1983–1985
1985–1987
1987–1988
1988–1991
1989
1991
1991–1995
1995
1995–1998
1998–2001
clubs = Cheshunt
St Albans City
Hendon
Luton Town
→ Fulham (loan)
West Ham United
Southampton
Crystal Palace
West Ham United
Queens Park Rangers
caps(goals) = 034 0(2)


066 (16)
005 0(1)
012 0(4)
122 (30)
019 0(6)
069 0(9)
031 0(2)
nationalyears = 1990–2000
nationalteam = Northern Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 059 (12)
manageryears = 1998
2002–2003
2003–2006
2006
2007–2008
2008–
managerclubs = Queens Park Rangers (caretaker)
Oldham Athletic
Crystal Palace
Charlton Athletic
Coventry City
Queens Park Rangers

Iain Dowie (born January 9 1965 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England) is a football manager, currently managing Queens Park Rangers F.C., and former professional footballer and Northern Ireland international.

Playing career

At 16 Dowie was rejected by Southampton and later went to the University of Hertfordshire to study for a Master's Degree in Engineering (M.Eng). On completion he became an employee of British Aerospace, whilst keeping up football at non-league level playing for Cheshunt alongside his brother Bob. He left Cheshunt to improve his fitness and signed for St Albans City, then moved on to Hendon. While playing for Hendon, Dowie was spotted by Luton Town who snapped him up. An old-fashioned centre-forward, he then moved in quick succession to Fulham (a brief loan spell), and West Ham United.

He then moved to Southampton, where he had over 100 appearances. He then moved back to London with Crystal Palace in January 1995, which after they were relegated led to another spell at West Ham, and finally Queens Park Rangers, where he ended his days playing in defence, and being player-manager of QPR's reserve side. Dowie also had a brief spell as caretaker manager of QPR in the autumn of 1998, between the dismissal of Ray Harford and appointment of Gerry Francis.

International career

Although Dowie was born in England, his father was born in Belfast and Dowie scored 12 goals and gained 59 caps for Northern Ireland.

Management career

Oldham Athletic

After retirement from playing, Dowie then became assistant manager of Oldham. However, following the dismissal of manager Mick Wadsworth, Dowie became manager and led the club into the Division Two play offs after spending heavily. At the end of the 2002-03 season. Unfortunately financial trouble hit Oldham and Dowie lost much of his first team squad. Funds were so hard for the club at the time that Dowie along with the remaining members of the squad were not paid for several months. Dowie tried to stick out the post for as long as possible until he decided to move on citing the need to support his family as a reason.

Crystal Palace

On 21 December 2003, Dowie was appointed manager of Crystal Palace, inheriting a squad with low morale and occupying 19th place in Division One. However, under his leadership, the club went on an impressive run that included 17 wins from 23 games after he took over, until the end of the season, enabling the club to finish in sixth place in Division One, just scraping into the Division One play-off places. This feat was attributed to complete change in the atmosphere and training regime at the club, including a tougher disciplinary regime, introduced by Dowie. After beating Sunderland in the semi-final, on penalties, the club beat Dowie's former club West Ham by a single goal in the final for a place in the Premiership. Unfortunately, the club lasted only one season there, being relegated on the final day of the season when Charlton scored a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

Dowie, however, impressed as a manager. He remained at Palace when the club was relegated to the Championship despite rumours that he was approached by other Premiership clubs to take over. The only actual report of a club approaching Palace to speak to Dowie was when Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric approached Palace Chairman Simon Jordan to speak to Dowie, in November 2005. Jordan refused this approach, and for the meantime Dowie remained at Selhurst Park.

In 2004, when discussing Crystal Palace's start to the Premiership season, he coined the word "bouncebackability" in discussing their ability to bounce back from the adversity during their Division One season and their habit of conceding early goals. This word gained cult popularity within the footballing world and particularly with the Sky Sports TV program Soccer AM. In 2005 it was included in the Collins Dictionary and has subsequently been used in a promotional campaign for UK Fostering.

Dowie left Crystal Palace by 'mutual consent' on 22 May 2006 following discussions with Chairman Simon Jordan.cite news
title = Boss Dowie leaves post at Palace
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crystal_palace/5001988.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-05-22
accessdate = 2007-02-19] Jordan was however infuriated when just eight days later, on 30 May 2006, Premiership club Charlton Athletic unveiled Dowie as their new manager.

Jordan then issued Dowie with a writ, claiming that he had misled him about his reasons for leaving Crystal Palace.cite news
title = Palace take action against Dowie
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/crystal_palace/5029950.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-05-30
accessdate = 2007-02-19] Dowie, however, insisted this was not the case, and was publicly backed by both Charlton Athletic Chief Executive Peter Varney, who branded the writ "a sad and pathetic publicity stunt", and Chairman Richard Murray, who was adamant that his legal team could find no grounds for the writ to be upheld, and suggested that there may be more personal reasons behind the writ being issued.cite news
title = Dowie: Writ won't spoil big day
url = http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=390992&CPID=8&CLID=33&lid=&title=Dowie:+Writ+won't+spoil+big+day&channel=
publisher = Sky Sports
date = 2006-05-30
accessdate = 2007-02-19] The case was heard in the London High Court in the summer of 2007, and on 14 June The Hon. Mr Justice Tugendhat ruled that Dowie had lied when negotiating his way out of his contract. Dowie has since won the right to appeal that decision and the case will be heard in the New Year at some point

Charlton Athletic

When Iain Dowie took over at the Valley, he was given more money than any previous manager to spend on players, but was unable to prevent the team suffering a disastrous start to the Premiership campaign. Despite this, the team reached the quarter final of the Football League Cup for the first time in their history. Unfortunately, Dowie was unable to lift the team away from the relegation zone of the Premiership and build on the success of former manager Alan Curbishley, resulting in him and the club parting company on the evening of 13 November 2006, after just 15 games in charge - 12 in the Premiership.cite news
title = Charlton part company with Dowie
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/charlton_athletic/6145292.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-11-13
accessdate = 2007-02-19]

Soon after his departure from Charlton, in December 2006, he was linked with the vacant managers job at Hull City, but reportedly turned down the position, because managing Hull City would be a "slap in the face to his family".cite news
title = Dowie turns down job as Hull boss
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/6172253.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-12-16
accessdate = 2007-02-19]

Coventry City

Dowie was unveiled as Coventry City manager on 19 February 2007. He found immediate success at the club with a number of wins but towards the end of the season their form dropped off and the Sky Blues finished 17th in the Championship table. cite news
title = Dowie takes over as Coventry boss| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/coventry_city/6371083.stm
publisher = BBC Sport| date = 2007-02-19| accessdate = 2007-02-19 ] cite news| title = Dowie unveiled as new Coventry boss| url = http://www.ontheminute.com/news/news.php?news=3103| publisher = ontheminute| date = 2007-02-19| accessdate = 2007-02-19]

On August 29, Dowie was linked with the vacant manager's position at Leicester City following the dismissal of Martin Allen. Coventry City dismissed claims that an approach was even made and that any approach would be 'firmly rebuffed'. [cite news
title = Coventry deny Foxes' Dowie link| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/coventry_city/6979665.stm
publisher = BBC| date = 2007-09-05| accessdate = 2007-10-27 ] These rumors renewed again on October 24 when Gary Megson left Leicester to manage Bolton. Dowie refused to comment on the speculation. [ [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11712_2826702,00.html Dowie quiet on Leicester link] , Sky Sports 2007-10-26. Retrieved on 2007-10-26.] On February 11 2008 Coventry City announced that Iain Dowie had been released from his contract as manager [ [http://www.ccfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10269~1238146,00.html Dowie relieved of duties] , www.ccfc.premiumtv.co.uk 2008-02-11. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.] , which was officially cited as being due to significant differences of opinion between the management team and the Board as to how the club should be going forward.

Queens Park Rangers

On 14 May 2008, QPR appointed Iain Dowie as their new first team coach following the previous week's departure of Luigi de Canio.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/7400236.stm|title=Dowie confirmed as coach of QPR|publisher=BBC|date=2008-05-14|accessdate=2008-05-14]

Trivia

* Dowie has a Masters degree in mechanical engineering, which he believes helps him to be logical and analytical in his approach to football management.
* Dowie gives credit for his success at Crystal Palace to his brother and director of football Bob, and John Harbin, the Australian fitness coach Dowie met while manager of Oldham.
* Dowie is with his long time partner and childhood sweetheart Michelle Cole, they have four children; Alex (20), Rebecca (19), Colm (17) and Zach (12). They currently live in the small village of Wingham, Kent.
* His picture sometimes appeares in the opening credits of The Mark Steel Lectures, though this is probably because Mark Steel is a Crystal Palace fan, and Dowie was the club's manager when the program was made.

Managerial statistics

As at 17:00, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

References

External links

*soccerbase|2149|Iain Dowie
*soccerbase (manager)|1350|Iain Dowie
* [http://nifootball.blogspot.com/2006/10/iain-dowie.html Northern Ireland profile]