Darran Rowbotham

Darran Rowbotham (born 22 October 1966) is a Welsh former footballer who made more than 450 appearances in the Football League playing as a striker.

Darran Rowbotham

Personal information
Full name	Darran Rowbotham
Date of birth	(1966-10-22) 22 October 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth	Cardiff, Wales
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1983–1984	Plymouth Argyle
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1984–1987	Plymouth Argyle	46	(2)
1987–1991	Exeter City	118	(46)
1991–1992	Torquay United	14	(3)
1992–1993	Birmingham City	36	(6)
1992	→ Mansfield Town (loan)	4	(2)
1993	→ Hereford United (loan)	8	(2)
1993–1995	Crewe Alexandra	61	(21)
1995–1996	Shrewsbury Town	40	(9)
1996	→ Exeter City (loan)	2	(1)
1996–2000	Exeter City	118	(37)
1999	→ Leyton Orient (loan)	6	(0)
2000–2002	Weymouth
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Rowbotham was born in Cardiff, Wales. He began his career as a junior with Plymouth Argyle, and turned professional with the club in November 1984. Three years later he joined local rivals Exeter City.^[1] A key player in Exeter winning the Fourth Division title in the 1989–90 season, his goalscoring had linked him with possible moves to top-flight football. However, he sustained a serious knee injury which kept him out of football for a year, after which his career was restricted to the lower divisions of the Football League.^[2]

After four years at Exeter, where he scored 58 goals in 142 games in all competitions, he joined Torquay United for a fee of £25,000. Only four months later he moved on again, following his former Exeter manager Terry Cooper to Birmingham City for a fee of £20,000.^[1]

Lack of goals for Birmingham resulted in loan spells at Mansfield Town and Hereford United before he left on a free transfer, signing for Crewe Alexandra before the 1993–94 season.^[1] He spent two years there, followed by an 18-month spell at Shrewsbury Town, before returning to Exeter in 1996. He remained at Exeter for four years, including a month on loan to Leyton Orient,^[3] before being released at the end of the 1999–2000 season.^[2] He ended his career playing alongside brother Jason for Weymouth in the Southern League.^[4]

Honours

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 1989–90 Fourth Division^[5]