Rob Sawyer
Former Everton reserve team player and 1984 FA Youth Cup winner, Ian Macowat, has passed away at the age of sixty.
Whilst studying at Park High School in Hindle, Ian represented Wigan and Greater Manchester Boys and was capped nine times by England Schoolboys. He joined the Blues’ youth set up as an apprentice in 1982, turning professional in the autumn of 1983. Contemporaries included Rob Wakenshaw, Steve Bateman, Darren Hughes and Ian Marshall. In the year above were the likes of John Morrissey Jr, Jimmy Coyle, Stuart Rimmer and Ian Bishop.
Standing out with his red hair (fitting, as he was a boyhood Liverpool FC supporter), ‘Macker’ (or ‘Macca’) – as he was nicknamed – was a left-sided central defender who also asked to operate at left-back. He credited his parents (he was followed, home and away, by his father, Dave, mother Barbara and sister Alison), schoolteacher David Crompston, plus the Everton coaches as being the biggest influences on his early playing career.
Graham Smith, who was coach of the Everton A team in the mid-1980s was clearly emotional as he recalled one of his favourite young players, ‘If ever there was a lad who I wanted to make it in football, it was Ian. He was such an honest lad and whatever you asked him to do, he would do it. It is really hard, now looking at a photo of that youth team and thinking that one of my kids isn’t here any more. In my opinion he was the best defender I have ever coached. He was a good centre-back, a Kevin Ratcliffe type in not being the tallest but he was reasonably quick. I loved him to bits – he was incredibly brave, he didn’t mind if he got hurt, was great at blocking things, with his legs, his chest or his head. He didn’t mind getting forward but he knew that primarily he was a defender. He knew he was good but didn’t want to be showing off with the ball – and I liked players like that, who knew what they were. I was gutted when Everton let him go, there were loads of good players in front of him, so he was a bit unlucky.’
Graduating to the reserves, Ian was coached by Colin Harvey before the former midfielder was promoted to first team coaching duties with Mick Heaton, under Howard Kendall. Harvey remembers the red-haired defender fondly and feels that with a bit more height (he topped out at 5’9”) he would have made a truly excellent centre-back.
Ian was highly appreciative of the time put in by Terry Darracott once he came in as reserve team coach. The former Everton full-back would regularly do one-on-one training sessions with his protege at Bellefield to help develop his game. Ian told the matchday programme, ‘I am always looking to improve. Terry Darracott has been a great influence. He told me to calm down and now I do feel more relaxed. I have picked up lots of titbits of information from him, but above all, he’s a good motivator.’
The Everton youngsters won a tournament in Groningen (in the Netherlands) – overcoming a team featuring a certain Ronald Koeman – and also reached the 1983 FA Youth Cup final. Frustratingly, Ian’s involvement in the latter was curtailed by a nagging pelvic injury. Having had to miss the semi-final, he struggled through the first leg of the final against Norwich but had to watch the second leg and replay from the bench as the Blues eventually went down to the Canaries. The same injury also had robbed him of a trip to Cannes with the England Under-17 team for a tournament.
Ian dedicated the 1983/84 season to making amends for his injury woes and was soon given an England Youth cap in a tournament in Yugoslavia. He was selected by the Central League side quite regularly and, once again, helped the club to a second consecutive FA Youth Cup final, this time against Stoke City. Although Ian wasn’t tall for a centre-back, he dovetailed with the towering Ian Marshall, who could win the high balls, with Macowat there to mop up.
One of the strengths of the 1983/84 Youth Cup team was that lan, together with lan Marshall and Darren Hughes, remained from the back four of the previous year. ‘That was a big help,’ explained. ‘It was our third year together, including the time when we played as schoolboys, and we had a good understanding. As individuals, I don’t think we were quite as gifted as the year before, but we played well as a team.’
Again, the injury curse struck, and Ian had to come off with a hamstring strain in the FA Youth Cup final first leg, with the Blues two-nil up (Stoke then pulled back two goals). He was a frustrated onlooker form the touchline in the second leg, but was relieved to see the Toffees edge the tie and was photographed celebrating in the changing room with his clubmates.
Ian was now a regular in the reserve team and appreciated the know-how of the veterans in the side like Jim Arnold: ‘It does help to have one or two senior players in the side. That’s where Jim Arnold is so valuable. He never stops talking during the games. He’s always going on at the defenders but only in a constructive way. And he’s always there when we need him.’
First team opportunities would always be hard to come by, with Mark Higgins (before his injury issues), Kevin Ratcliffe, Derek Mountfield and the emerging Ian Marshall vying for the centre-back slots. At left-back, John Bailey faced added competition with the arrival of Pat Van Den Hauwe. Ian Atkins then arrived in October 1984 to add further depth in defence. Howard Kendall discussed options with the 19-year-old defender, advising that his future probably lay elsewhere. The boss explained, ‘Ian has been unlucky with injuries. The situation now is that if it would help his progress, we would consider loans or a move to another club.’
In January 1985, Ian was granted a free transfer, moving to Kent to sign for Gillingham. A little over a year later, he returned north to join Crewe Alexandra. In his three years at Gresty Road, he made 88 appearances for the Railwaymen and was part of the team winning promotion to the Third Division in 1989. Released soon afterwards, his playing career continued at semi-pro level with Northwich Victoria and Atherton Laburnum Rovers.
Ian lived and worked in the Ashton-in Makerfield area. He was introduced to the multi-level marketing company Utility Warehouse through his father and cousin, and spent the rest of his working life there. As a trainer he would host events for new recruits around the country. One person he got to know was Alan Hughes who recalled, ‘I met Ian through a business networking organisation and joined UW briefly through him. He used to have a saying, “Money in good hands can do good things.” He was just a lovely bloke who didn’t have an enemy in the world. Since news of his passing was shared, I have seen so many lovely comments about him from people he trained at UW.’
Everton FC Heritage Society wishes to convey its condolences to Ian’s family, and everyone else affected by his passing.
[Ian’s funeral will take place at 2pm on 13 February at Wigan Crematorium (WN3 4NN). His family would like to invite anyone who knew Ian to come and pay their respects].
My thanks to:
Graham Smith
Colin Harvey
Alan Hughes
