FORMER Sunderland Football Club chairman and North-East entrepreneur, Sir Tom Cowie, has died at the age of 89. Sir Tom was awarded OBE in 1982 and was knighted in 1992. He died at his home, Broadwood Hall in County Durham. In 1980, the Cowie Group became involved in public transport via Grey Green Coaches. Over the next 20 years the company prospered and branched into trains. It was later sold to German company, Deutsche Bahn. Football also played a large part in Sir Tom's life. He was Black Cats chairman in the season they narrowly avoided relegation to the Third Division for the first time and was involved in a long-running struggle for power which dominated the front and back pages. He sacked three managers during his five-year term of office, but will perhaps most be remembered for bringing in Lawrie McMenemy. He eventually became frustrated with the politics and in-fighting and quit, saying that owning a football club was nothing more than an ego-trip. Sir Tom had a long association with the Conservative Party, but that came to an end when David Cameron announced he would abolish grammar schools when he came to power. Sir Tom took exception to this as he said his education at Sunderland Grammar provided him with life-changing opportunities. Mr Cameron reversed this decision some time later, but it brought to an end the donations Sir Tom had been making. After he left the company he founded, he took over North European Marine Services. Virtually bankrupt when he bought it, he turned it into a metal storage business with a 300,000sq ft warehouse on the banks of the River Wear. His love of Sunderland was demonstrated by his charitable endowments, including £600,000 to Sunderland University. He was married firstly to Lillas Hunnam, with whom he had one son and four daughters, and secondly to Diana Evans, with whom he had three more daughters and two step-children.
R.I.P. Tom, met him a couple of times when i was a car valet at Cowies between 1987 and 1990 at Trimdon Street (it's now B&Q), always took the time to come and say hello to the staff when he visited, he was responsible for bringing Mcmenemie (i know) to the club and it all went down hill from there
Tom Cowie was yet another very successful businessman who threw away his undoubted business acumen when he became chairman. For those who don't remember, his appointment of Lawrie McMenemy was seen by just about football supporter IN THE COUNTRY - not just our own - as being the catalyst for the rejuvenation of the club. Unfortunately things didn't work out to plan and before long he was hounded out of office after a series of confrontations with angry and abusive fans, which affected his health. This may have been for him the ultimate dream, to take control of his hometown club, for which he had a deep passion, but it didn't work out. He will probably always be remembered for the failure of McMenemy but people should never forget that he cared deeply about the club from being a lad until he was driven out. I met him on a few occasions and he always gave me the impression of a successful lad who never forgat his roots - no edge.
[video=youtube;qFdvehos6nE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qFdvehos6nE[/video] Know it's spelt differently but hey RIP Tom
I never liked the bloke to be honest, he treat his staff like ****e and was also a massive financial supporter of the Thatcher government...So no tears in the White household..
My old man, also passed away, used to work for him years ago and designed a house for him in Cleadon. He always had kind words for Cowie - but that was before SAFC!
No crocodile tears from me either - I thought the man was a knob. He also relocated his business out of the town costing some folks jobs. p.s. Didn't he also try to sue the Toy Dolls for their song 'Tommy Cowie's Car'?
It's never nice to hear someone has passed on so RIP Tom. Never really got Cowie the chairman, He seemed to hardly spend a bean on the team but spent a fortune to bring in Makemenemy. Cowie the man though was very good to Sunderland (City). His car company moved out of town long after Cowie had been forced out. Any job losses were not down to him
He was a total **** SAFC chairman; a thatcher loving Tory twat and the bloke that took us into the 3rd division. I never knew him personally and wouldn't have wanted to, so I will shed no tears.
My misses worked for Tom Cowie's company in the early eighties, and he paid buttons for working long hours...He represented everything that I believe is wrong with the greedy, capatalist society that prevails.
Sorry boys, dont want to fall out but I dont think anyone is asking anyone to cry over his death, if you dont like him thats fine, however, sometimes it may be better to just say nothing, just my opinion.
