From the Essex Senior League to Portsmouth manager's job - Danny Cowley's journey to become Blues boss

Pompey have appointed Danny Cowley as their new boss until the end of the season.
A fresh-faced Danny Cowley during his time as Braintree manager.  Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesA fresh-faced Danny Cowley during his time as Braintree manager.  Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
A fresh-faced Danny Cowley during his time as Braintree manager. Picture: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

The 42-year-old is the man chief executive Mark Catlin, the Blues owners and fanbase are hoping can turn around the club's fortunes and deliver promotion this season.

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A nosedive in the Blues’ League One form since the turn of the year had seen them descend from the top of the table to dropping out of the top six.

They now sit in10th place following Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Peterborough.

Now Cowley, who’s been out of work since leaving Huddersfield in July 2019, has 12 games to get Pompey into the play-offs and then up into the Championship.

His last role prior to arriving at PO4 might have been in the second tier, but before that he’s had to work his way up through the leagues.

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Here, we take a look at the route Cowley took from starting his coaching career in the Essex Senior League with Concord Rangers while working as a PE teacher to the pressure cooker of trying to deliver Blues promotion:

Danny Cowley led Lincoln to EFL Trophy glory in 2018. Picture: Jordan MansfieldDanny Cowley led Lincoln to EFL Trophy glory in 2018. Picture: Jordan Mansfield
Danny Cowley led Lincoln to EFL Trophy glory in 2018. Picture: Jordan Mansfield

Where it all began

Cowley took his first steps into coaching in the Essex Senior League with Concord Rangers in 2007.

At the time, he was mixing a role as a PE teacher with working as assistant and then join- manager with Danny Scopes at the non-league club.

Concord were Essex Senior League champions in the 2007-08 campaign - Cowley's first as a coach - while Pompey were achieving an eighth-placed Premier League finish and winning the FA Cup under Harry Redknapp.

New Pompey boss Danny Cowley (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)New Pompey boss Danny Cowley (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
New Pompey boss Danny Cowley (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
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In his eight years at Concord, Cowley won three promotions and helped the club reach the FA Cup first-round proper before departing for National League Braintree in April 2015.

Still working as a PE teacher while manager of the Iron, his stay with the club would prove a brief but successful one.

In his sole season with Braintree (2015-16), he guided them to their highest ever league finish - third in the National League - before they were beaten over two legs in the play-off semi-finals by Grimsby Town.

Taking the leap to Lincoln

Cowley took the step into full-time football management for the first time after landing the Lincoln job in May 2016.

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The Imps had dropped out of the Football League in 2011 but the London-born boss delivered the club promotion back into the fourth tier at the first time of asking.

Lincoln picked up 99 points from their 46 National League fixtures in the 2016-17 season and all of a sudden Cowley was preparing to cut his teeth as an EFL manager for the first time.

But that was not the only success story of the that particular campaign as the Imps became the first non-league team in more than a century to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

They beat established Football League sides Oldham, Ipswich and Brighton prior to competing in the fifth-round.

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And then Sean Raggett headed home the winner for Lincoln as they wrapped up a 1-0 giant-killing win at Burnley to reach the last-eight.

The dream run came to an end as they were thumped 5-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates but it was still something to savour for Cowley and the club.

In his first season at Football League level in 2017-18, the 42-year-old took the Imps to the League Two play-offs where they were beaten semi-finalists - losing to Exeter City.

He also guided Lincoln to a first ever Wembley appearance - where they won the EFL Trophy by beating Shrewsbury Town 1-0 in the final in April 2018.

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Another trophy followed a season later - this time the League Two title - with the Imps returning to the third tier for the first time in 20 years in April 2019.

Championship chance

Cowley started the 2019-20 season in charge of Lincoln in League One, although he was soon lured away following Championship interest.

After turning down the advances of Huddersfield on a couple of occasions, he was eventually named Terriers boss in September 2019.

Cowley inherited a squad sitting in the Championship relegation zone and off the back of Premier League relegation the season previous.

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Yet, the former PE teacher turned around the club's fortunes and secured their second-tier status courtesy of a win over West Brom on the final day.

But that was still not enough to keep him at the club, with his sacking confirmed just a couple of days later as the club stated they wished to pursue a 'different vision'

How Cowley ended up at Pompey?

Cowley is the man chief executive Mark Catlin and the owners have entrusted with trying to turnaround Pompey's stuttering promotion push.

The Blues dismissed Kenny Jackett on Sunday following the EFL Trophy final penalties defeat to League Two Salford.

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Jackett had been under increasing pressure with Pompey falling from top of the table over the Christmas period to dropping out of the play-off places prior to his departure.

The club approached several perspective new managers but only on a deal until the end of the season – as opposed to a longer-term contract.

But the lure of trying to lead Pompey back into the Championship proved too much in the end for Cowley, as he has signed a deal to oversee the club's final 12 league matches - and, hopefully, a successful promotion push through the play-offs.

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And, taking a look back at the former Concord and Braintree manager's humble beginnings, it's easy to see why any length of contract to take charge of Pompey would be an attractive proposition for him.

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