Jamie Crowther has played football for the entirety of his life and now, 12 years after making his professional debut, he is set to hang up his boots and pick up the tactics board.
“I have said for years that I am not too bothered about playing. Coaching is more rewarding for me now.” he said. “I only came back because Steve needed players!”
The Wrexham-born midfielder has tested himself both in his beloved Wales and over the border, featuring for clubs such as Colwyn Bay during their years in the National League North and Welsh Prem giants, Connah’s Quay.
He says the experience from his playing days should help him to conquer the managerial game.
“I’ve played in a fair few dressing rooms and always established myself as a leader in every one of them. Hopefully that will put me in good stead as a manager in the future.
“I have always had those leadership qualities from an early age. If you compare me now to my 10-year-old self, you will see similar characteristics when it comes to leadership so that is something that has been in me for a long time,” noted Crowther.
The Airbus man came back to the club in a player/coach role back in the summer of 2021 following three seasons at Caernarfon to further pursue his dream of coaching.
His love affair with the club started at 12 years of age when he was part of the first ever academy side.
“I was at Connah's Quay initially but moved to the club (Airbus) the year they were promoted to the Welsh Premier League. I have pretty much been involved at the club in one way or another since.
“There was a two-year spell from the age of 15 when I left to play elsewhere but I was back a few years later to start coaching,” said a reminiscent Crowther.
Despite starting his coaching career early, it was not always at the forefront of the ex-Bala Town man’s mind.
“I had to do it as part of a scholarship programme. You had to do your level 2 but as part of that you needed to have on-field coaching hours. I went in just because I was doing the scholarship, not because I had a calling to become a coach”.
That choice to enrol on the programme now looks like one of the best decisions of Crowther’s career. He finds himself embarking on a journey that can see him experience things his feet never allowed him to.
“I had a good career for the level and I’m proud of it. I’ve played in the topflight in Wales, represented my country at youth level and played in European qualifiers. I had a decent run!” said Crowther.
“Despite all that I have greater ambitions for my next career. It’s something that will last for another 30 years hopefully so I am really excited as to where my coaching will take me,” expressed the Wingmakers number 8.
No matter what level you are at in your field of expertise, there is always an individual who inspired you along the way to make that next step. For Crowther, it was his former manager at Connah’s Quay, Andy Morrison.
“The way he was tactically and how driven he was about the game was infectious. It changed my mind in that I had learnt so much from him that it made me know it was an avenue I wanted to go down,” said the midfielder.
“That realisation probably came at 25 or 26. From that day it has always been at the back of my mind that I wanted to be a coach and then one day a first team manager somewhere.”
Simple interactions that at face value seem insignificant to one person could well be the very reason a career was born.
Crowther is currently in the process of completing his UEFA Pro License, the last course available to coaches across the Europe. Taught through the Football Association of Wales, the ex-Barrow man has rubbed shoulders with non-other than Davide Ancelotti, son of Carlo and assistant manager of Real Madrid while on the elite programme.
“It’s great to be able to share ideas and learn from top coaches across Europe. We’re all just trying to pick up different things from one another,” professed Crowther.
If there was one thing that was absolutely clear from speaking to Jamie, it was that he has a channelled vision when it comes to coaching. He lives and breathes it, quite literally.
Of a day he is a sports coaching lecturer alongside teammate, Gareth Edwards and
of an evening he is either coaching the youth sides at Airbus’ fantastic facilities or training with the first team squad.
To some it may seem a tad over the top, but for Crowther, it is his life.
“It’s all I have ever known. I’ve given a lot to the game, and I like to think it has given me a lot in return. I’ve planned when and how I’ll transition into management, and I cannot wait for the challenge,” he said.
In return to Crowther’s answer, the football fan inside of me had to ask a meaningless question yet one that will forever fascinate my inner footie nerd.
“Will you be a tracksuit or suit manager?”
The question was met with initial laughter and followed with a very stern, “I’m definitely not a suit manager I can assure you of that!”.
What started off as a jovial question developed into incredible insight from a man who was described by Mark Allen, assistant manager of Airbus, as a “student of the game”.
“For me I would be more of a head coach. I would want to do a lot of stuff on the grass in terms of coaching. You also have to find that balance between being a tough manager but also a relatable coach who can be one of the lads.
“People think that managers just pick the team but the more you look into it, you realise how much detail you have to put into everything,” noted Crowther.
If I learnt anything from our hour-long chat, it was that detail was and probably never will be an issue for him.
The next step for the budding coach is to test himself in the Welsh Premier League, assisting Steve O'Shaughnessy and Mark Allen as the Bus look to compete against the best Wales have to offer upon their return to the premier division.
Comments