Owers Ebenezer “Ginger” Image 1 Clyde 1913

Description

Leytonstone, Essex born centre forward Ebenezer “Ginger” Owers played junior football for Bashford in 1904 and Leytonstone in 1905 before joining Southern League Leyton in 1906. In the 1907 close season he transferred to Second Division Blackpool making his Football League debut at Stockport County that September, but the same November he transferred to West Bromwich Albion after 3 goals in 9 appearances for The Seasiders. However he made only 4 scoreless appearances for The Baggies over the remainder of the season, and left The Hawthorns to join Chesterfield Town early in 1909.

His spell with The Spireites produccd 3 goals in 15 League appearances before Chesterfield Town dropped into the Midland League for 1909-10 and won the Midland League Championship. Owers made 41 appearances scoring 40 goals including a club record run of scoring in 10 consecutive Midland League games, a spell broken by injury although he was fit enough to act as linesman in the game that he missed. Only Jimmy Cookson in 1925-26 with 44 goals has scored more goals in a single season for Chesterfield than Ginger.

He returned to Football League action with First Division Bristol City in July 1910, where he undoubtedly had the most successful spell of his career scoring a goal every other game. He top scored with 16 goals in 32 appearances during 1910-11, and even though his goals couldn’t save The Robins from relegation. He was called into the England squad in February 1911, but was a non playing reserve against Ireland at The Baseball Ground, Derby, and never won a cap for his country.

Owers then joined Darlington in July 1911 and scored 19 goals in the North Eastern League in season 1911-12 as Darlington finished in 3rd place. Owers netted hat-tricks against Carlisle United in a 7-1 thrashing and at Wallsend Park Villa in a 5-2 win. He also scored all four goals in a 4-1 win at Jarrow on 30th December 1911. Owers returned to Bristol City again in March 1912., he was again their top scorer in 1912-13 when he notched 13 times including 4 against Stockport County in a 7-2 home victory in January 1913.

The same summer he joined Scottish League Clyde after 32 goals in 64 appearances for The Babes, and he stayed with Clyde until his retirement besides a spell on loan at Celtic in 1913-14, having struggled initially at Clyde. He joined Celtic in December 1913, scoring on his debut as Celtic defeated Third Lanark 3-0 in a League clash at Parkhead on December 6th. Probably his greatest performance was the 6-0 League win over Ayr, where he scored four goals. Although this haul did skew his records for his goal-scoring prowess, his total for Celtic was hence 11 from 16 appearances. He continued to net frequently in the League as Celtic took the League Championship but a poor performance in the Scottish Cup Final at Ibrox against Hibernian in a match that finished 0-0 saw him dropped for the replay, which Celtic won 4-1, and he later returned to Clyde, scoring 9 goals in 26 appearances through to 1915.

Owers went on to serve in The Sportsmans’ Battalion in the First World War but a War wound finished his playing career.