*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Matt Bowles
Appearances: 5 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 1
Date / Year of birth: 5th December 1989
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 2007/08
Season of last appearance: 2007/08
Also played for: Ramsgate
Locally-born keeper who played for Northwood Youth's Under-16's side during the 2003/04 season and then featured in Ramsgate's Under-15's during 2004/05. His father Nigel was their manager at the time.
Matt joined Margate for the 2006/07 campaign and played for the Under-18's throughout the season. On 8.11.06 he was an unused substitute for the first team as they lost 1-0 in a Kent Senior Cup tie at VCD.
In the summer of 2007 Matt appeared in several of Margate's friendlies and he became Scott Chalmers-Stevens' understudy for the 2007/08 campaign. On the eve of the new season player-manager Robin Trott told the Isle of Thanet Gazette that Matt was a "Young lad and a great shot-stopper….needs to talk more but he's a decent keeper."
He made his senior debut aged 17 as Margate lost 3-2 to East Thurrock in an Isthmian League Cup tie at Hartsdown Park on 2.10.07 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Matt "had a very good game". At the end of October 2007 he was one of the passengers in a car driven by team-mate Kieran Morris when it crashed into a ditch and Robin Trott told the Thanet Times "It's not a nice thing to happen - it shook them all up."
Matt's next first team outing came in a 2-1 home win over Welling in the Kent Senior Cup on 11.12.07 and his next two senior appearances were in the same competition. On 22.1.08 Matt featured in a 2-1 win over Chatham at Hartsdown Park and then on 26.3.08 he was part of the side that lost 4-1 at home to Gravesend & Northfleet in the semi-final.
On 26.4.08 Matt made his first Isthmian League Premier Division appearance in the last game of the 2007/08 season at Harrow. Margate won 1-0 and the Thanet Times said he "injected confidence into the side with his calling - something Blues have been missing at the back". The paper also said that Matt "made a couple of smart saves" and caretaker player-manager Steve McKimm said "Matt Bowles was superb with his handling and confidence. That came from an early save and he grew as the game went on." It turned out to be Matt's last first team outing and he finished the campaign having played five times in all.
Matt stayed with Margate for 2008/09 and he made two sub appearances in pre-season friendlies before being an unused substitute for two Isthmian League games in the opening weeks of the new campaign. He then spent the remainder of the season in the reserves before leaving the club in the summer of 2009 and dropping into local amateur football.
During the 2013/14 campaign Matt was playing in the Thanet Sunday Football League.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2007/08 (MFC) |
5 (53) |
0 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (9TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2QR |
2R |
SF |