| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leslie Terence Owen | ||
| Date of birth | 11 September 1949 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1965–1966 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1966–1970 | Everton | 2 | (0) |
| 1970–1972 | Bradford City | 47 | (6) |
| 1972–1977 | Chester City | 176 | (41) |
| 1977 | Cambridge United | 1 | (0) |
| 1977–1979 | Rochdale | 82 | (21) |
| 1979–1980 | Port Vale | 18 | (3) |
| 1980–1981 | Northwich Victoria | 8 | (2) |
| 1981 | Oswestry Town | ||
| 1981–1983 | Colwyn Bay | ||
| 1983–1984 | Caernarfon Town | ||
| 1984–1985 | Prestatyn Town | ||
| Total | 336+ | (73+) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Leslie Terence "Terry" Owen (born 11 September 1949 in Liverpool, Merseyside) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker with several clubs in the 1970s, and is best known as the father of Manchester United striker, Michael Owen.
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Owen came through the ranks with Everton and made two top–flight appearances for the Toffees in the 1967–68 season. However a place in the Everton side was always going to be difficult to come across and he moved to Bradford City in June 1970. His two seasons with the Bantams saw Owen manage six goals in 47 league appearances, but Bradford were relegated to the Fourth Division shortly before his departure to Chester in June 1972 for £1,000.[1]
Owen spent five years at Sealand Road from 1972–77 in one of the most successful periods in the club's history. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw with Cambridge United in August 1972 and went on to bag 41 league goals in 199 appearances.
The best remembered campaign was 1974–75, when Division Four side Chester defied the odds to reach the League Cup semi-finals. Playing in arguably the biggest game of his career, Owen scored in the 2–2 first-leg draw with Aston Villa and played in the return game as Chester narrowly lost 3–2 to deny Owen a Wembley Stadium date.[2] However, the season was to end in glory as Chester finished fourth in Division Four and won promotion for the first time. Owen finished as the club's top league scorer during the momentous season, with 14 efforts to his name.
He managed double-figures again in 1975–76 and played in the FA Cup fifth round for Chester at Wolves in February 1977 but left the club at the end of the campaign.
Owen played just one Football League game for his next club Cambridge United (against Chester) before returning to the north-west with Rochdale. He scored 21 goals in 82 league games for 'Dale from 1977–79 and finished his league career with three goals in 17 outings for Port Vale in the 1979–80.[3]
After finishing his professional career, Owen's non-league clubs included Northwich Victoria, Oswestry Town, Colwyn Bay, Caernarfon Town and Prestatyn Town.[4]
One of Owen's five children is former England international Michael Owen.[5] As the younger Owen began to make the mark in junior football with Hawarden Rangers, he was regularly referred to in the Chester press as "son of former Chester striker, Terry".[6] However, as time wore on and he began to establish himself in his own right, the roles would be reversed, with Terry Owen normally spoken of just as Michael Owen's father. Before Michael joined rivals Liverpool as a youngster he supported Everton, the club where his father started his career.[7]
In his role as well-known dad, Owen has often been seen at events with his son, such as when he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1998.
Owen is also the father-in-law of Richie Partridge, who currently plays for The New Saints. He asked his father-in-law for advice prior to joining Chester City in 2007.[8] One of Owen's other sons, Andrew, spent time with Chester as a youngster without making any appearances and later played for Holywell Town.[9]
Chester City