Mark Gower

Mark Gower
Personal information
Full name	Mark Gower
Date of birth	5 October 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Edmonton, England
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Gidea Park Rangers
	Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years	Team
1996–2001	Tottenham Hotspur
1999	→ Motherwell (loan)
2001–2003	Barnet
2003–2008	Southend United
2008–2013	Swansea City
2013	→ Charlton Athletic (loan)
2013–2014	Charlton Athletic
2015	Ebbsfleet United
Total
International career
2002	England C
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Gower (born 5 October 1978) is an English former footballer, who played for several clubs, including Barnet, Southend United and Swansea City.

Career

Born in Edmonton, London and moving to Romford, Gower began his career at Gidea Park Rangers, alongside Danny Cowley, before joining Tottenham Hotspur, where he was a member of the League Cup winning squad in the 1998–99 season.^[2] He had a spell on loan at Motherwell before joining Barnet in January 2001 for £32,500. At Motherwell he scored his first career goal in a 2–1 loss at Rangers.^[3] He joined Swansea City after declining a new contract at Southend United. He has the ability to play across the midfield, and he signed for Swansea City on a free transfer.^[4]

A midfielder, he is predominantly right-footed but can play on either flank or in the middle. Gower played for England schoolboys through to the under 18 team from the age of 14.

Gower played for Southend for five seasons, scoring 39 goals in the process. He moved to Swansea City when his contract at Southend expired. Gower failed to score in his first season with Swansea.

Before the start of the 2009–10 season, Gower revealed he would be ditching his number 11 shirt, when he chose that number all the squad told him it was 'cursed' and fail to find good form. Gower from then on wore the number 27 shirt.^[5] Shortly after changing shirt numbers he scored four goals in two pre-season friendlies. He finally scored his first league goal for Swansea in the 2–0 win over Queens Park Rangers.^[6] Since the start of the 2010–11 season under new manager Brendan Rodgers, Gower has adapted a new role in the centre of midfield and had played with eight different players this season in that very same position: Jordi López, Andrea Orlandi, Kemy Agustien, Darren Pratley, Joe Allen, David Cotterill, Scott Donnelly and the returning Leon Britton. Gower signed a one-year extension to his contract in November 2010, the extension proved Gower was viewed as integral to Brendan Rodgers plans.^[7]

Gower scored two 25-yard goals in consecutive games against Norwich City^[8] and Hull City respectively.^[9]

Gower signed for Charlton Athletic on a free from Swansea City on 3 June 2013, after a successful loan spell towards the end of the 2012–13 Football League season.^[10] On 22 May 2014, he was released from Charlton Athletic.^[11]

Career statistics

As of 22 June 2011

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
England			League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total
2000–01	Barnet	Division Three	14	2	0	0	1	0	15	2
2001–02		Conference National	35	5	2	0	1	0	38	5
2002–03		Conference National	41	6	4	1	8	1	53	1
2003–04	Southend United	Division Three	40	6	4	2	8	1	52	9
2004–05		League Two	41	6	1	0	6	1	48	7
2005–06		League One	40	6	1	0	1	0	42	6
2006–07		Championship	43	8	3	1	5	1	51	10
2007–08		League One	44	9	4	0	1	0	49	9
2008–09	Swansea City	Championship	36	0	3	0	2	0	41	0
2009–10			31	1	1	0	2	0	34	1
2010–11			42	2	1	0	2	0	45	2
2011–12		Premier League	20	0	1	0	1	0	22	0
2012–13		Premier League	1	0	0	0	2	0	3	0
Total	England		405	53	21	3	32	4	458	60
Career total			405	53	21	3	32	4	458	60

Honours

Southend United

Football League One: 2005–06
Football League Two play-offs: 2005
Football League Trophy runner-up: 2003–04,^[12] 2004–05^[13]

Swansea City

Football League Championship play-offs: 2011

References

^ "Mark Gower". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
^ "Danny Cowley recalls his years on the books of Wimbledon during the Crazy Gang era". Lincolnshire Echo. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
^ "Rangers title bid intact". BBC. 13 March 1999. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^ "Martinex confirms Gower signing". BBC Sport. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
^ "No more 11 curse for Gower". Planet Swans. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Swansea 2–0 QPR". Sky Sports. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^ "Gower signs new Swans deal". Sky Sports. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
^ "Swansea 3–0 Norwich". BBC. 9 April 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^ "Swansea 1–1 Hull". BBC. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^ "Mark Gower joins Charlton Athletic after Swansea City exit". BBC Sport. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
^ "Charlton announce list of released players". Charlton Athletic F.C. 22 May 2014. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016.
^ "Blackpool 2–0 Southend". BBC Sport. 21 March 2004. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
^ "Southend 0–2 Wrexham". BBC Sport. 10 April 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2024.