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When Danny and Nicky Cowley left their jobs as secondary school PE teachers in Essex in the summer, few would have predicted that come February they would be lining up for the FA Cup fifth round. The duo have come a long way from their days as coaches at National League South side Concord Rangers. Lincoln City will take 3,210 fans to Burnley on Saturday with their ticket allocation sold out, only 90 less than the capacity of Thames Road, where it all began for the Cowley brothers.
From the very start, they looked like they had the potential to go all the way. Three promotions with the Beach Boys caught the eye, and it was a move to another Essex team that followed. Braintree Town picked up their services from their southern neighbours, the 38-year-old and his brother may only have lasted one season at the club, but it was the best in their history to date, leading them to third in the National League on one of the division’s smallest budgets, eventually losing to Grimsby Town in the play-off final at Wembley in May.
A move to Lincoln City followed in the summer, and it is no surprise to once again seeing the club exceed all expectations. For the first time in his career, working with a sizable transfer budget and the backing of chairman Bob Dorrian, who has recently launched for a new stadium within three to five years, the Imps are currently top of the table by three points with a game in hand on Dagenham & Redbridge as the club seek to return to the Football League after six years away from the 92.
Given his track record, it is perhaps not such a shock that the duo have masterminded an amazing cup run. Whilst in the Ryman League Division One, he led Concord to the last eight of the FA Vase and after promotion to the Conference South, he picked up the Essex Senior Cup trophy, reached the FA Cup first round proper for the first time in the club’s history and famously saw off Barnet, who went on to win promotion at the end of the season.
With a very distinctive style of football, the Cowleys use a typical two up front, with Matt Rhead providing the strength and aerial prowess whilst surrounding him with pace in the likes of Theo Robinson, who surprised many with a deadline day move away from Sincil Bank as he returned to former club Southend United in League One. The club acted quickly, though, bringing in 23-year-old Dayle Southwell on loan from Wycombe, who scored 52 goals in 74 games in the Conference North before a summer move to the Chairboys.
One man who has stuck with the Cowleys is Alex Woodyard. The former Southend midfielder, who had trials at Leyton Orient only two years ago, has followed the brothers as they have swapped clubs twice in the past three years since he first joined them at Concord. Currently leading the way for the club’s player of the year awards with the highest number of man of the match awards, the combative central midfielder has five England C caps to his name and looks destined for the Football League sooner rather than later.
Now, it seems that the management duo will be the next to enter the Football League. Currently, favourites to secure a return through a league title victory in May, regardless of Lincoln’s faith it seems to only be a matter of time until the duo end up in charge at one of the 92. made an approach in January but no-one is keen to see their current relationship end, with Danny and Nicky already legends in the making given the similarities being drawn between them and Graham Taylor, who started his career in Lincolnshire.
Excelling in their first roles at a professional, full-time outfit, all concerned will be hoping that the club’s success this season is not just limited to the FA Cup. Into the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy, a win at Turf Moor against Premier League Burnley would take them to that stage of the FA Cup whilst also topping the league table. Having beaten a host of experienced managers on their way to the fifth round of the FA Cup, including ex-top flight bosses like Chris Hughton at Brighton and Mick McCarthy at Ipswich, the success of the brothers in the country’s oldest competition is the one making the headlines.
League victory and promotion back to the Football League remains the biggest objective for the family oriented club and the ambitious boss, but the FA Cup is certainly a welcome distraction. Up against their biggest challenge to date, Turf Moor may not be the most glamorous of destinations for the club, but it is the furthest that they have gone in the competition since 1902, and a win would take them further than the club has ever gone before. Keep an eye out for the Lincoln result this weekend, they are good value for a shock giant-killing, as they have proved in their last three fixtures against Oldham, Ipswich, and Brighton, but whilst the club are expected to achieve big things this season, the management duo will go even further in the game. Don’t be surprised to see their names pop up at a top club in the next few years… that’s if they don’t lead Lincoln to one of the higher divisions first.
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