Fowler showed nerves of steel
FOR some footballers, stepping up to score the winning penalty in a major final may be too much to handle – but not for Lee Fowler.
That was the situation in which the Welshman found himself in at the Millennium Stadium in May 2004 as Huddersfield Town faced Mansfield Town in the Third Division play-off final.
Coupled with crippling debts and the club reeling from relegation to the bottom division for the first time since the 1979/80 season, the 2003/04 campaign can be considered as one of the most important in the club’s history.
Entering administration in 2003, former Town favourite Peter Jackson was greeted by a squad of just eight players on his return to the McAlpine Stadium as manager after previously taking control between 1997 and 1999.
Jackson quickly went about rebuilding the decimated side, snapping up the likes of Rob Edwards, Tony Carss, Efe Sodje, Steve Yates and Lee Fowler as the Town boss attempted to arrest the downward trajectory.
The latter signing initially joined Huddersfield Town on a three-month loan deal from Coventry City before signing permanently after being released from his contract by the Midlands club.
“It was a bit of a transitional period, things had been bleak with all the financial issues and debts,” recalls Lee Fowler.
“The side Peter Jackson put together was a bit of a misfits team – youngsters like myself, mixed with more experienced players.”
Fired by the early season goals of Jon Stead before his move to Blackburn Rovers, Town eventually finished the season in fourth position in the table and faced Lincoln City in the two-legged Play-Off Semi-final.
Due to injury, Fowler took no part in either game as Town booked their place in the Millennium Stadium showpiece finale with a 4-3 aggregate win over The Imps.
However, the creative midfielder returned to fitness in time for the final in his hometown of Cardiff in what he describes as ‘one of the real successes’ of his career.
Although not selected in the starting XI, the then-20-year-old came on as an 85th-minute substitute for Jonathan Worthington with the game locked with Mansfield locked at stalemate.
The game eventually went to extra time and penalties and, with Wayne Corden and Liam Lawrence both missing their spotkicks for the Stags, it fell to Fowler to hammer home the winning penalty.
“Being a proud Welshman and from Cardiff, to win at the Millennium Stadium was probably one of the real successes I’ve had in my career,” said Fowler.
“Jacko (Peter Jackson) showed faith in putting me on late in the game and I suppose it was just meant to be.
“All my family and friends were there and it was such a great feeling to win and gain promotion in my hometown.”
But after such a period of turmoil for the club, was there any nerves as he took the long walk from the centre circle to the penalty spot with all eyes of a 37,218 on him?
“I can’t say I had too many nerves – rightly or wrongly I have always had confidence in my ability throughout my career and knew what I was going to do,” added Fowler.
“I knew how much it meant to the club, particularly after the hardships they had gone through over the recent years.”
The following season Fowler played a cameo role before joining Scarborough on-loan in November 2005 and eventually departing West Yorkshire for Burton Albion in the summer of 2006.
In total he made 49 league appearances for the club, including 14 as substitute and while his only goal came in the LDV Vans Trophy, he will always be affectionately remembered for his part in a promotion which saw the beginning of Huddersfield Town’s revival.