Wolves are saddened to learn of the passing of former player-coach Brian Owen at the age of 80.
Owen spent seven years at Molineux having initially joined the club as a coach but found himself thrust into the spotlight during the 1972/73 season and played four league matches for the first-team.
Born in Harefield, Middlesex, Owen started out as an apprentice with Watford in 1961 and eventually played more than 170 times and scored 20 goals as he helped the Hornets to the Football League Third Division title while also stepping out in the 1969 FA Cup semi-final.
During the 1963/64 campaign at Watford, Owen worked under Bill McGarry, and in January 1972 - while a bit-part player for Colchester United - the pair reunited at Wolves, with the winger brought into Molineux as a player-coach, with a focus on youth development.
As a player, Owen would mainly turn out in gold and black for the reserves, while also coaching the youth teams and schoolboys, but despite having last seen action in the fourth tier, the utility man was handed an unexpected top flight debut in August 1972 in a First Division game against West Ham United due to a spate of injuries and illnesses affecting the first-team squad.
He would go on to play three more league matches that season, as well as making a pair of outings in the Texaco Cup, before the final game of his playing career came in a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United at Molineux in March 1972.
Owen remained at the club as a coach until 1979, with his time at Wolves seeing him lead the club to be twice named national five-a-side champions and the junior side to the 1976 FA Youth Cup final, before being promoted to the first-team coaching staff following the departure of McGarry later that year.
Upon leaving Molineux, Owen coached under Sir Bobby Robson at Ipswich Town, and enjoyed a spell with Peterborough United, before serving as a physiotherapist with Crystal Palace, Luton Town and the England national team.
After a brief stint as assistant manager of Cambridge United, Owen returned to Colchester in 1993 where he carried out various roles for the next 15 years, including helping to develop future Wolves favourite George Elokobi.
The thoughts of everyone at Wolves are with Brian’s family and friends at this sad time.
