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| Josh Gowling |
In Josh Gowling's latest column for the Guardian, the Hereford manager suggests that mothers deserve more credit.
He says that his mother always ensured he could make the best of himself.
'In 2003 I was released by West Brom. I rang her in tears but she said: “Look, it’s happened. What are we going to do now? Let’s go!” She immediately made me write letters to clubs and, within a week, I was in Denmark to sign for Herfølge. My mum paid for the plane ticket there and really pushed me to do it.'
Now Gowling is a manager and father and it's his partner who has to deal with the unsocial hours that go with the territory.
'In my role as Hereford manager I drive about 1,000 miles a week between Grimsby, Hereford and Birmingham, where we train. We often have two games and it means time at home with my partner, Becky, and our two young children can be limited. When you get that space with them and can just switch off, immersing yourself in everything they are doing, it’s vital to make the most of it. Becky is an incredible mum: she runs two businesses alongside doing most of the childcare, and I can’t speak enough about how supportive she is. I can get stressed sometimes but she is positive, calm, composed and sees the best in people.
'Partnerships like ours are sometimes hard to find when you work in this industry. I did not meet Becky until I was 32 and, until then, found it hard to sustain relationships: I was constantly on the move and everything came second behind football to me. I’ve lived in about 18 different places since I left home at 16, and you cannot take for granted that someone will want to move around with you, potentially foregoing elements of their life for your career. I did not want to put that upon someone: I wanted to wait until I felt I could lay down some roots and think a little bit more about the family side of life, while being in a position to help another person achieve their own aspirations and goals. If we had met 10 years ago, we probably would not be together.'
Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2022/mar/26/mothers-are-footballs-forgotten-heroes-they-deserve-more-credit