Stan Bowles made just 36 appearances for Carlisle (not including the 1972 Anglo-Italian Cup competition) and scored 13 goals in a Brunton Park visit that lasted just 11 months. However, he remains one of the best and most talked about footballers the club has ever seen.

Born in Manchester on christmas eve, 1948, Stan grew up with a love of football and a passion for gambling. He took his football seriously enough to earn a place with Manchester City, but his fiery temperament and his off field activities were more than City could stomach and he was eventually released. A short spell with Bury proved to be no better and Bowles looked to have blown his chance of life as a professional footballer. It was Crewe who decided that Stan deserved one more shot and it was whilst at Gresty Road that the immortal phrase, "If Stan could pass a betting shop like he could pass a ball, he'd have no problems," was coined.

Stan did seem to appreciate that Crewe may well be his last chance and he produced a level of football that those who had worked closely with him knew he was capable of. He was by far and away the best footballer in Division Four and did not hesitate to grab the opportunity of playing at a higher level when Ian Macfarlane, manager of Carlisle United, came to call. A fee of £12,000 was agreed and Stan signed in October 1971. His christmas present to the United fans was an outstanding hat-trick in the 3-0 home win against Norwich on the 28th December 1971. This game saw the partnership with Chris Balderstone blossom, and the pair looked invincible through the centre of midfield.

Bowles made 30 appearances in the 71/72 season and scored 12 goals, bringing added bite and a huge amount of flair to an already impressive midfield. It is of little doubt that the Bowles/Balderstone/Owen/Martin combination of midfield and forwards was amongst the best in Division Two. Stan also took part in the 1972 pre-season Anglo-Italian competition that nearly brought glory to the little Cumbrian outfit. Click here to read about that foray into European competition. Long time United fan Hughie Boyes had this to say about Stan that summer, when Roma came to Cumbria - "Can't remember much about the match, too long ago. It was a warm summer night, an unreal atmosphere, something new, as was the reaction from the Italian players as their bus entered the car park to see eight Carlisle fans, myself included, sitting backs to the wall outside the South Paddock Turnstiles, eating fish and chips out of newspaper. The Roma players all had film star looks, their wives/girlfriends looked like models. Massive kit bags, a manager who looked like a middle aged Playboy. The Carlisle players arrive, good cars, smart casual clothes, then a Transit van pulls up, out jumps Stan Bowles, scruffy tee shirt, dirty jeans and his kit in a carrier bag! Never to be forgotten."

By the time the competition had started United had parted company with Macfarlane, and the arrival of Alan Ashman in August 1972 was one that was never really welcomed by Bowles. Stan made only 6 more appearances for Carlisle after that and scored his final goal for the club away at Huddersfield in a 1-1 draw in late August 1972. Just two weeks later QPR had parted with £110,000 and had received Stan Bowles in return.

He spent just under 8 years at Loftus Road, only just missing out on the championship in 1976 when Liverpool pipped the Londoners by a single point. It was also whilst with Queens Park Rangers that Stan won his 5 England caps and finally became acknowledged as one of the countries finest footballing talents. In 1979 Brian Clough took the enigmatic midfielder to Nottingham Forest. The relationship, as described in Stan's autobiography "Stan The Man" was doomed to failure from the start. The two strong willed men were explosive together. By July 1980 Clough had had enough and Bowles was sold to Orient for £100,000, where he stayed for a year, before moving on to Brentford in the summer of 1981. Three excellent years with Brentford saw Stan dominate the Third Division before retiring from the playing side of the game in 1984, at the age of 35.

It was Stan's personality, charisma and notorious off-field exploits that drew most publicity, but it should not be forgotten that he was also one of the most skilful players ever to pull on a blue shirt. The short time he spent at Carlisle is no barrier to his inclusion amongst a list of United heroes. Queens Park Rangers saw his best playing years, but Carlisle United had the pleasure of his company as well - brief though it was.