Leigh Cowlishaw
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leigh Cowlishaw | ||
| Date of birth | 16 December 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Burton upon Trent, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1992 | Richmond Spiders | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1999 | Richmond Kickers | 148 | (19) |
| 2007–2009 | Richmond Kickers | 4 | (1) |
| Total | 152 | (20) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2000– | Richmond Kickers | ||
| 2012 | Richmond Spiders (interim) | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Leigh Cowlishaw (born 16 December 1970 in Burton upon Trent) is a former English footballer and current manager for Richmond Kickers in the USL Professional Division.
Career
College and amateur
Cowlishaw played for the amateur teams of Liverpool and Everton before moving to the United States. Cowlishaw moved from his native England to the United States in 1989 to attend and play soccer at the University of Richmond. Cowlishaw made his mark by becoming the career record holder for goals (55), assists (33) and total points (143), earning All-American honors and the CAA Player of the Year award.
Professional
Cowlishaw has been an integral member of the Kickers franchise since the club’s inception in 1993, having been ever-present in the Kickers lineup since the team's first season in the league. he helped the Kickers win the double with the US Open Cup and USISL Premier League championships in 1995. He resides in sixth place on the Kickers all-time goals scored list with 19 and seventh place on the all-time points list with 49. Cowlishaw is the only player to play under every coach in Kickers franchise history and in September 1999, he was honored as the first Kicker to have his number 13 retired.
Coaching
Cowlishaw has been manager of the Kickers since 2000, during which time he coached the team to a Central Conference title in his debut year, two USL2 regular season titles in 2006 and 2007, three US Open Cup quarter final berths in 2001, 2004 and 2007, and two USL Second division championships, in 2006 and 2009.[1] He is a two-time USL2 Coach of the Year nominee, helped guide the organization to four USL Organization of the Year awards (1995, 2000, 2006 and 2007), the Fair Play Award in 2004, and was named FieldTurf USL2 Coach of the Year in 2006.