“Bowser” – the Travellin' Man

Queens blond bombshell and midfield dynamo, Steve Bowey can rightly be called a “Travellin' Man.” For “Bowser”, as he is affectionately known by Queens fans, has clocked up more miles than most since joining the club back in February. Twice a week he makes the 200 mile round trip from his home in Gateshead for training at Palmerston, then has the match on Saturday. “Travelling doesn't really bother me too much” he said. “Having been in the army for 3˝ years, I've been used with it for most of my life.

“I always have good company on the journey to Dumfries. There's ‘Scottie,’ Warren (our coach), John O'Neill, Paddy Atkinson and of course, our physio, Kenny. So you never get bored for there's always plenty of entertainment with these guys around. “However, one week I won't forget in a hurry was back in August. We had a midweek match at Peterhead, then back up the road again on the Saturday to play Ross County at Dingwall. On the Thursday night I also had training at Palmerston, so I reckon I clocked up about 1500 miles in six days. “It was 4.30 a.m. when I got back from Peterhead on the Tuesday night. I managed to grab a quick bite to eat then it was off for an early shift at the football shirt factory where I work. And to make matters worse, I didn't even get a game that night.” Although he's travelled over 23,000 miles since joining Queens, “Bowser” has no regrets. “It's the best move I've made” he admitted. “There were big financial problems at my club, Gateshead, and I got a ‘free.’ So it was the right decision to move into Scottish football. “Let's face it – how many players can boast they were at a club for only nine months and win both a League Championship medal and a Cup Winners medal. I just love it at Palmerston, they're a great bunch of lads in the dressing room and the fans are absolutely unbelievable.” Asked to name his most memorable match since moving north, Steve opted for three – the cup final against Brechin, that gala day match against Morton where there was a crowd of over 6000 and that infamous game (again with Morton) when we won 6-5 in atrocious conditions. But another three he'll never forget was the promotion clinching victory over Hamilton, the match up at Forfar when we won the league championship and the cup semi-final with St. Mirren at Paisley when we won 5-3. Steve also vividly remembers when he was in the army and was selected to play for the Combined Services XI. “Our opponents were an International XI” he recalls. “The game took place in Bangkok with a crowd of over 50,000. It was some atmosphere.” So Steve's certainly had an eventful career to date and here's hoping he'll notch up many more miles with us at Queen of the South in the future. Bill Goldie