Gowling promotion article

Probs already been posted but just in case, good article interviewing Josh Gowling about the play-off final here
https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/promotion-final-glory-really-suited-gowling-grimsb-62299

One of my favourite players of recent times.

Quoted from arryarryarry

One of my favourite players of recent times.

Agreed, hope he does well at Hereford and gets a foothold in management.

Also agree with his feeling we mentally secured promotion at Braintree point. I went to Wembley almost certain we were going up, it was an odd feeling!

Great piece. I thought Josh was great for us and seems a decent and intelligent lad. Wish him all the best for the future. It's a shame how it ended at Town for him, Bignot (was it?) clearly didn't want him and it took a while to move him on.

I think in fairness to Bignot, Gowling really struggled when we stepped back into the league.  Was a real surprise as he looked the most assured of all our defenders and the one most likely to cruise back into life in League Two.  As it turned out he seemed a yard too slow, Boyce wasn't the player we remembered from his previous spell and Pearson didn't seem to be trusted.  It left Hurst with a big gap in his spine, thankfully he managed to pull a rabbit out when he signed Danny Collins.

Gowling was a classy player for us though, both on and off the field.  

As good as promotion was, it almost felt equally as disappointing when that side was broken up and then those that stayed either didn't cut it or didn't last long themselves.  Fully agree that side needed to be broken up and overhauled, but it really was 'our' team wasn't it?

Quoted from diehardmariner

I think in fairness to Bignot, Gowling really struggled when we stepped back into the league.  Was a real surprise as he looked the most assured of all our defenders and the one most likely to cruise back into life in League Two.  As it turned out he seemed a yard too slow, Boyce wasn't the player we remembered from his previous spell and Pearson didn't seem to be trusted.  It left Hurst with a big gap in his spine, thankfully he managed to pull a rabbit out when he signed Danny Collins.

Gowling was a classy player for us though, both on and off the field.  

As good as promotion was, it almost felt equally as disappointing when that side was broken up and then those that stayed either didn't cut it or didn't last long themselves.  Fully agree that side needed to be broken up and overhauled, but it really was 'our' team wasn't it?

I think maybe age caught Josh out. He was about 33 I think when making the step up, and it is a big step up. He used to be very quick and maybe that had gone.

Saw him in A&E earlier this yer hope hes still not there gess he made it out after I left then

Quoted from hheh2

Saw him in A&E earlier this yer hope hes still not there gess he made it out after I left then

Spoke to him a couple of weeks ago on Cleethorpes beach when the sun was out, he was up here with his family.

Great pro, decent player and a really nice bloke. I hope he’s a real success.

My lasting memory of Josh is him constantly putting his head into tackles where most players just put their feet.

I think he was a big factor in us getting up as he was one of the players who didn’t have the armband but played and behaved like a captain.

Quoted from diehardmariner

I think in fairness to Bignot, Gowling really struggled when we stepped back into the league.  Was a real surprise as he looked the most assured of all our defenders and the one most likely to cruise back into life in League Two.  As it turned out he seemed a yard too slow, Boyce wasn't the player we remembered from his previous spell and Pearson didn't seem to be trusted.  It left Hurst with a big gap in his spine, thankfully he managed to pull a rabbit out when he signed Danny Collins.

Gowling was a classy player for us though, both on and off the field.  

As good as promotion was, it almost felt equally as disappointing when that side was broken up and then those that stayed either didn't cut it or didn't last long themselves.  Fully agree that side needed to be broken up and overhauled, but it really was 'our' team wasn't it?

Pearson seemed to gain confidence and improve after Collins came in and was the one defender from the last season who seemed to step up. Gowling was great during our non league years but struggled on returning to the league and lost all confidence in himself making a series of rash mistakes. Of course a falling out with Bignot sealed the deal as it did with a couple of players.

One of my favorite players, and a decent bloke to boot

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Great pro, decent player and a really nice bloke. I hope he’s a real success.

My lasting memory of Josh is him constantly putting his head into tackles where most players just put their feet.

I think he was a big factor in us getting up as he was one of the players who didn’t have the armband but played and behaved like a captain.

I couldn't have worded it any better myself.

Gowling certainly struggled when moving up to the football league, he got sent off on first game back, gave away a penalty against another team when he needlessly put his hands in the air and he generally looked very uncomfortable with the step up, that said however I do feel as time went on he did become slightly more accustomed to league 2 but never to the point that he looked comfortable, however I do remember him captaining us away at Cambridge and he had a very good game then.

He was however excellent in the national league and I wish him nothing but the best.

Still local nice guy apparently delivery driver now for amazon