Jimmy McGowan

James McGowan (12 January 1924 – 28 March 1984) was a Scottish footballer who played as an inside forward in the 1940s and 1950s. After starting his professional career in his home city with Celtic, he moved to England in 1946 where he played for Grimsby Town and Southampton. He died shortly after his 60th birthday from drowning.

Playing career McGowan was born at Cambuslang, on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. As a youth he played for Fallin Youth Club, gaining Scottish schoolboy honours. Whilst training as a coachbuilder, he played part-time for Junior club Armadale Thistle, before joining Celtic in 1944. At Celtic, he played in the wartime leagues, including in the 8–1 defeat by Rangers on New Year's Day 1943.

In his eight years with Southampton, he made 82 appearances, scoring nine goals.

Later career Following his retirement from football, McGowan became a pub landlord including as the licensee of the Drummond Arms in Portswood. The pub became popular with many of Southampton's Scottish players, including Jim Steele who lived there for a time. For their 1976 FA Cup Final programme, the BBC filmed a piece at the pub. After their victory over Manchester United, Steele, together with Peter Osgood and goalscorer Bobby Stokes, brought the cup to the Drummond Arms, before taking it on a "tour" of hostelries in the town centre.

On 28 March 1984, a few weeks after his 60th birthday, McGowan drowned in the boating lake on Southampton Common.