Fowler is in with the bricks at Rugby Park and now has designs on building firm foundations
THE sack from his first job as a manager at Queen of the South led to James Fowler labouring on a construction site to make ends meet.
His big break in England, assisting the rebuild of fallen giants Sunderland with Jack Ross, was cut short at just 17 months despite only losing two games in 14.
With the experience of those harsh realities never to be forgotten, no wonder there was an attraction to getting in with the bricks at Kilmarnock. Fowler eased through a transition from the dugout to the directors’ box last month when appointed the Ayrshire club’s first ever head of football operations.
Now, having played a part in the firing, he is at the forefront of the hiring of Angelo Alessio’s replacement as Kilmarnock hunt for a new manager.
After coming through the Rugby Park ranks as a player, making nearly 500 appearances and winning the 2012 League Cup, Fowler has Killie at heart.
So the welfare of his club came first when confronted by the task of giving Italian boss Alessio a jolting reminder of the flimsy nature of football job security 22 games into his controversial tenure.
‘It’s never nice to see a manager lose his job because I’ve been there myself,’ admitted Fowler.
‘I had a view, having been on the other side of it, on how it should be done. It’s a difficult conversation to have.
‘I spoke to the board about how I’d like to be told, having gone through it before. We had Angelo in the office and did it face to face.
‘We explained our reasons and thoughts on it. That’s the way it should be done. It’s all part of my role now to move the club forward. Having someone in this position helps with the stability of the club — and that’s the plan for myself.
‘This opportunity came up and it might not have at any other club. It was Kilmarnock, where I’d spent 17 years. So it was always something that meant a lot to me.
‘I wanted to come back and help. The transition has been interesting. That first week, you think to yourself: “Have I done the right thing?” You get so much information thrown at you. But that’s me in the job five weeks now, so I’m finding my feet.’
Having been second in command at St Mirren then Sunderland, Fowler was fully expected to show up wherever Jack Ross landed a new gig.
Yet on the day Ross returned to the hotseat with Hibs, Fowler fell back into the arms of Kilmarnock. The homecoming aspect was significant for the 39-year-old.
‘I hadn’t really thought about a job like this,’ admitted Fowler. ‘I helped Jack with recruitment at St Mirren and, to a certain extent, Sunderland.
‘So I’ve always been keen on that side of things. I came to a Kilmarnock game and I was asked what my plans were. All my family were back up the road by that
point, which was a big factor.
‘We’d moved to
Sunderland, stayed for a year, and then came back up. My oldest started high school this year as well.
‘Football can be a selfish game as a player but also as a coach. I’m trying to give a little bit back to my family with stability.
‘It was funny, because all this happened just before Jack got the Hibs job. I left him to do what he had to do. I didn’t want anything I did to be a hindrance on what he was doing.
‘He got in touch to say he’d been offered the Hibs job, I said well done and then told him I’d been offered one at Kilmarnock. Jack didn’t tell me to hold off — he actually said the opposite. He told us to look after ourselves and do the right thing.’
Following the doomed Alessio experiment, Fowler hints the next appointment will ‘probably’ boast more managerial experience in Scotland or England.
Whichever British-based boss that turns out to be, he can be assured that Fowler will be no threat lurking over his shoulder.
‘That door is closed for me while I’m in this role at Kilmarnock,’ he stressed. ‘That might change in the future if I get thrown out in six months! But while I’m here, it’s so important as a head of football operations that you have the trust of the manager and are not seen as someone who’d take the manager’s job at the first opportunity.
‘I’ll be here to support the next manager, rather than me being touted for it and him wondering if he can trust me or not.’
Fowler’s experience of being a boss ended in uncertainty when he was axed by Queen of the South despite having led a promotion challenge from the Championship.
He admits he was almost lost to the game before Ross came to the rescue.
‘At Queen of the South, I thought I did alright as manager but didn’t get another contract and left after a successful time,’ Fowler stressed.
‘When I was out the game, I thought something would come up. But, financially, your savings dwindle and you get a fright. I ended up labouring for a Killie fan who was on my testimonial committee. We used to laugh and joke about that.
‘It was only for a matter of weeks before I got the chance at St Mirren and I’m so grateful to Jack for that.
‘That period out of it made me appreciate being in football. Getting up at 6am to work on a building site was hard graft and I wasn’t getting paid very much.
‘So it makes you appreciate working in football and the rewards you can get from it.’