Alan Gow

Alan Gow (born 9 October, 1982 in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire) is a Scotland professional Association football currently playing for England club Blackpool F.C. on loan from Rangers F.C..

Club career

Early career

Gow, an attacking midfielder, started his career as a youth player with the senior turned junior club, Clydebank F.C., his hometown club. He joined Airdrie United F.C. on 30 August 2002, where he remained for three years, playing over 75 matches and helping them to the Scottish Football League Second Division championship in 2004. Gow played ninety-eight matches and scored twenty-six goals for the Diamonds.

Falkirk

Gow joined Falkirk F.C. in June 2005, following their promotion to the Scottish Premier League (SPL) from the Scottish Football League First Division in the 2004–05 in Scottish football, on a two year contract where he became an important member of their squad, helping them retain their SPL status in 2005–06 in Scottish football. His performances in the 2006–07 in Scottish football led to interest from the Old Firm clubs, Hibernian F.C., Aberdeen F.C.. English club Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. also had a bid turned down for Gow. On 1 January 2007 he scored a hat-trick as Falkirk won 5–1 at Dundee United F.C., which led to the club's manager John Hughes (footballer born 1964) saying of him, "I think he is destined for the Premiership". He also tipped him to earn a full Scotland national football team cap.

Gow marked his eighty-first and final appearance for the Bairns by scoring in a 3–0 win against relegated Dunfermline Athletic F.C..

Rangers

On 26 January 2007, Falkirk turned down an improved bid from Rangers, his boyhood heroes, for Gow. While the first offer was £100,000, Falkirk manager John Hughes was said to have been holding out for £500,000 in the hope of selling him before he could leave on a Free transfer (football) in the summer. After failed late attempts to sign Gow before the January transfer window closed, Rangers signed him for three years on a pre-contract agreement for him to join the club in the summer.

After being granted special permission by Falkirk, Gow made his Rangers debut in a post-season friendly match against Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, California, United States, coming on as a half time Substitute (football) for Nacho Novo. His first competitive match was four months later, on 26 September 2007, when he played in a Scottish League Cup match against East Fife F.C..

On 17 June 2008, English Football League Championship club, Burnley F.C. accepted a £3 million offer from Rangers for striker Kyle Lafferty, with Gow due to go the other way as part of the deal. However, Gow opted to stay with Rangers, but the deal for Lafferty still went ahead. Later in June, Gow also turned down a move to fellow Championship club Norwich City F.C.. And on 1 September 2008 he signed for the Seasiders on loan until 1 January 2009, with a set fee already in place to sign him permanently should he impress. Gow said of the move, "Obviously it hasn't worked out the way I thought it should have at Rangers but I need to go out, play some games and get my fitness back." He also confirmed that SPL club Heart of Midlothian F.C. had been interested in signing him. He scored his first goal for the Seasiders on 4 October 2008 against Cardiff City F.C.. After coming on as a Substitute (football) in the 77th minute he scored the equaliser deep into the fifth minute of injury time as the clubs drew 1–1 at Bloomfield Road.

International career

On 30 January 2007, Alex McLeish named Gow in the Scotland B national football team to play Finland national football team at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock on 7 February.
Gow came on as a substitute in the 61st minute and scored three minutes later as the teams drew 2–2.