‘Mistakes produce wisdom’

Paul Bowden-Brown is back in football after joining the board at Ashford United.

The former Maidstone, Thamesmead and Ramsgate chairman has been appointed director of football at Homelands.

Bowden-Brown has had his difficulties, with Thamesmead folding, while Maidstone were on the brink before the veteran businessman made way for Terry Casey and Oliver Ash.

However, Nuts and Bolts owner Don Crosbie says “mistakes and grief produce wisdom far more than success and stressfree travelling”. Crosbie feels Bowden-Brown has “lots to offer in football terms even at 74 years of age”.

He’s experienced plenty of highs, too, bringing Maidstone back through the leagues after the Football League club went bust in 1992, and he also secured planning permission for the club’s Gallagher Stadium in 2004.

Bowden-Brown’s return to the game sees him reunited with Tommy Warrilow, his old manager at Thamesmead.

They will work closely as the Nuts and Bolts bid for promotion from Isthmian South East “without breaking the bank”, with Bowden-Brown also on board to “strengthen up our youth football stream”.

In a statement, Crosbie said: “Paul has been involved on six occasions whereby promotion has been achieved and by maintaining a strict code of spending, keeping within one’s means and not like so many clubs (who) chase the dream and allow spending to go above agreed financial constraints.

“Tommy Warrilow we believe is the best non-league manager to steer our path onwards and upwards and has worked alongside Paul during very difficult times and we as a club believe we now have a management team second to none to take our great club forward.

“The knowledge one acquires through years of ups and downs in life, especially through the darkest times, is knowledge and wisdom one can’t get without living the journey.

“Mistakes and grief produce wisdom far more than success and stress free travelling but if you marry the two you have immense wisdom and knowledge which should be imparted to all in your circle and suddenly success appears easier and far more achievable.

“Ashford United Football Club are out to achieve the success we all believe is achievable and Paul Bowden-Brown is joining our board as director of football to help grow our great club.

“Ashford United will prove that success can be made without breaking the bank and use all of our knowledge and wisdom over the years to achieve greatness.

“Tommy Warrilow almost proved this in his first season back at the club with a reduced budget taking us from mid-table in the league to play-off finalists runners up after extra time.”

Bowden-Brown stood down as Ramsgate chairman, for health reasons, in December 2019.

He stayed on as finance director and company secretary before leaving Southwood last month.

Paul Bowden-Brown