Major news broke last week as Forest Green Rovers confirmed the appointment of Mark Bowen as the club’s new Director of Football.
Bowen arrives with a strong pedigree, most recently at Reading FC, where he worked under difficult circumstances – to put it mildly. Despite those challenges, he helped shape a youthful and resilient squad that pushed for a League One play-off place until the final day – an achievement that shouldn’t be understated.
In his first interview with the club, Mark told BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s Paul Furley about his role at Reading and how he views the role going forward with FGR:
“I had a situation at Reading where the whole football structure was under my remit – and that goes from the Academy, Women, Medical, Scouting, Data, everything. I was used to that role, and I’ve come here with that sort of remit as well.”
I’ve long been an advocate of the Director of Football model. When executed correctly, with the right person in place, it can bring structure, vision, and long-term stability to the club.
We’ve seen this before. Rich Hughes exemplified the success of this approach, building a squad that propelled Rovers into League One while managing a seamless managerial transition from Mark Cooper to Rob Edwards.
I’d also argue that Hughes was justified in his second managerial appointment – Ian Burchnall – despite how things ultimately played out. Burchnall inherited a tough situation: the strength of League One, combined with the departure of several key players, left him with a near-impossible task.
In terms of player recruitment, many of our more successful signings came through the club’s previous Director of Football model, with several still playing key roles in the current first team.
However, it’s only fair to acknowledge the scepticism among some supporters. The memory of Alan Steele and Stevie Grieve – both of whom found life difficult at Rovers – still lingers. Recency bias is real, and after two difficult tenures, trust in the model will take time to rebuild.
The key question for many is how this structure will influence the day-to-day operations at the club. Forest Green’s approach is evolving, and it will be interesting to see how the roles of Manager and Director of Football work in tandem moving forward.
Mark was keen to stress the importance of a good working relationship:
“It’s important that, with Steve [Cotterill] being here, he can get on with the job that he’s good at – coaching, organising the team, and setting out a game plan. I’ve got the remit to make sure the health of the club is good.
“Steve is well experienced and has been in the game a long time. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
With pre-season just two weeks away, we’ll likely hear more directly from Cotterill in due course – hopefully offering clarity and reassurance as the club moves into the early phases of the 2025/26 season.
As for Mark, he’ll be eager to get to work – and at Forest Green Rovers, he finds an ambitious and stable club keen to move forward with purpose.
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