THOUSANDS upon thousands of kids growing up dream of one day pulling on the famous light blue jersey and playing for Rangers, very few are lucky enough to do so.
Alan Lowing was one of them.
Now residing in New York where he is training to become a physiotherapist, Lowing spent a decade at Ibrox as he progressed through the youth ranks all the way to the first team.
A serious injury would rob him of his chance of becoming a fixture in the Rangers side of the mid-noughties but he looks back on his time in Govan with great fondness.
Lowing was initially scouted by the late Gers youth team coach Billy Duncanson and Academy scout Billy Marshall playing for his local boys club, Castleglen.
The self-confessed Rangers fan says it was a proud moment when he penned his first professional contract but an even prouder moment for his father.
“I think my dad was probably happier than I was when I signed,” he joked.
“He sacrificed a lot when I was young. We used to train up at Auchenhowie during the week. He would work till 5pm, come home, not even have his dinner, take me out to Auchenhowie, watch the training then we’d come home. He used to do that three times a week and if I was playing he would always try and come to watch me.
“He was living that through me so it was pretty cool for him I think.
“My dad had a season ticket, the same seat for 40 odd years, he sits in the Copland, my brother had a season ticket for a while too.
“I’ve always been a Rangers fan, my family is full of Rangers fans so I was living the dream.”
Even at such a tender age, it didn’t take Lowing long to be indoctrinated into the winning mentality that sets Rangers apart from the vast majority of football clubs.
“Even at that age, I could just tell it was a different standard but I fitted in so I was quite happy to be there.
“Every game, the coaches would drill into us that we’re Rangers, we’re the better team, we need to take charge of the game early.
“It was always a case of win the early battles and our quality will come through. Even at a young age, it was drilled into us, to make sure we start well, we’ve got the better players so we’ll be the better team.
“Right from the start, you go in at Rangers and it’s like we’re the top here, this is what’s expected here, you can’t let it slip at all.”
Like all apprentices, Lowing had jobs to do although not as many as you’d think, thanks to a certain renowned kitman.
“When we got in full time we got assigned jobs,” he recalled.
“First job I was doing was cleaning the dressing rooms in the youth side and you have to deal with the balls and deal with the kit then eventually as you go on you have to clean the manager’s boots and stuff like that.
“For a spell, I did that but luckily Jimmy Bell takes charge of everything so he’s like, ‘Don’t worry about that, I’ll make sure they’re perfect.’”
As many youngsters saw their dream of turning out for their boyhood heroes evaporate, Lowing managed to make the grade and eventually made his debut at the tender age of 17 in a League Cup tie at home to Clyde.
The Bully Wee almost caused an upset on that September’s night at Ibrox with Lowing conceding a penalty that was converted by Stephen O’Donnell before Rangers stormed back to win 5-2 in extra time.
The Rangers team that night consisted of: Waterreus, Lowing, Bernard, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Novo (Namouchi 83), Malcolm (Ferguson 66), Murray, Lovenkrands, Buffel, Jeffers (Nieto 62).
It’s a debut Lowing will never forget.
“The day before Bomber [John Brown] told me that I was going to be in the squad so I was surprised at that. I think I’d trained with the first team a couple of weeks previous and then I just got told I was in the squad so I thought that would be a good experience.
“The afternoon of the game Bomber gave me a call and was just like, ‘Aye, you’re starting today.’
“I was just like, ‘Right, ok’.
“I didn’t quite know how to react. I just went a walk and got a haircut and stuff just to take my mind off things because I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“I was actually playing against Robert Harris. He was at Rangers for a while and he was in my class at school.
“We’d been messaging that I was in the squad and stuff so that was cool how I was playing against him on my debut even though he was the one I brought down for the penalty so that’s not ideal!”
Despite living out his boyhood dream, Lowing admits he took it for granted.
“It’s weird now that I look back, I can’t remember specific moments like walking out the tunnel.
“It’s all a bit of a blur because it’s what I wanted to do as I grew up and knowing that my pals and my family were in the stand.
“I remember being in the changing room but I don’t really remember the feeling of being in the tunnel waiting to go outside and feeling nervous.
“I don’t know whether the adrenalin takes you through that to get out there but growing up as a Rangers fan, to play at Ibrox in front of 50,000, it was a dream come true and something that I should’ve probably tried to take in a bit more.”
John Brown played a pivotal role in Lowing’s development as he oversaw his progression through the youth ranks and despite his tough demeanour, he enjoyed working with him.
“He taught you a lot about the things that are expected of a Rangers player,” he remembered.
“There were some days where we’d let it slip a little and he wasn’t shy in letting us know things weren’t where they should be.
“But he was trying to prepare us for the pressure that you’re going to be under when you’re in the first team.
“Obviously when we’re younger, we’re thinking, ‘Oft, here he goes! Let’s just try and stay away from him today, he’s not in a good mood!’
“But he was great with me and I appreciated everything that he did because he pushed me pretty hard when I got there and he helped me get into the reserves when I was young and get around the first team so he definitely helped me a lot.”
Lowing would make his league bow less than a month later when he replaced Barry Ferguson in a 5-1 thumping of Dunfermline before further appearances against Dundee United and Peterhead.
The 17-year-old would see his first-team opportunities limited following the return of Alan Hutton from injury but despite losing his place he could only marvel at the talent he possessed.
“When I got my chance it’s when he was out injured.
“It was known that he was the main right back and I was just coming in to fill in.
“There was never anything too competitive or anything like that but as an athlete he was unreal.
“That season under Walter Smith, he was the best attacking outlet that we had and he was the right back.
“He was so good, he was always someone that I looked up to, I just wish I had that pace,” he joked.
It was a season to forget in the main for the Light Blues as they finished third in the league behind Celtic and Hearts despite reaching the last-16 of the Champions League.
Alex McLeish was moved on to be replaced by Frenchman Paul Le Guen. For the teenage Lowing, McLeish’s departure affected his Ibrox prospects.
“He gave me my debut so he must’ve liked me in some way,” he recalls.
“I was sad to see him go because sometimes I went for extra training for my heading with him as he felt it was an area I could improve so he was putting a bit of effort in and must’ve thought a good bit about me at that age.
“You get to a point where you think, ‘Ok, he likes me, if I push here then I’ve got an opportunity’, then he leaves and it’s kind of a clean slate so it was a difficult situation, especially when you’re a young boy because you don’t know what the new manager is going to be like.
“It was tough to see him go but it happens at football clubs so you just need to deal with it.”
Lowing’s breakthrough season was to end in disaster when he injured his groin while on Scotland Under 19 duty at a tournament in La Manga and was out for nine months.
“It was tough,” he admits.
“I was missing the opportunity to be involved with squads and then with the new manager coming in, I missed the opportunity to take part in the pre-season and try and impress him right away.
“I know everybody blames injuries but it’s one of those ones where it came at the wrong moment because I was pushing at that point and it made me fall back.
“To be honest it did take me quite a while to get over it because that was my first long-term injury.
“It took me a little longer than it ideally should have. That was the year in the under 19s that Rangers won the league and cup double. I played most of the games but I kind of knew I wasn’t playing at the level I could be playing so it was hard.”
With Paul Le Guen taking over the reins at Ibrox, Lowing’s first-team opportunities dried up but he was drafted in for a crucial UEFA Cup tie as the Light Blues defeated Partizan Belgrade 1-0 to win their group.
He would replace the goalscorer Hutton on 75 minutes and it’s a night he remembers fondly.
“It’s something that I can always say, ‘I played in the Europa League.’
“It’s not something a lot of people can say so it was a good experience.
“I’d never been in a squad before in Europe, I was a spare man in a Champions League squad before so just to experience playing in Europe against a well-known club like Partizan Belgrade, it was definitely something I look back on and I’m pretty proud of.”
Despite playing a part in a big European night Lowing’s Ibrox career was petering out. Le Guen’s tenure was brought to an end prematurely which paved the way for a triumphant return for former manager Walter Smith.
Lowing says Smith’s arrival brought about an immediate change even though his own career path would lead to Broadwood.
“It was sad news to hear about Walter’s passing recently, he’s such a legend.
“He came in and completely changed the whole mentality of the club from when Le Guen was there.
“When he first came in I was in and around the first team but I wasn’t playing all that great so I never really broke through at all when he was the manager.
“He realised that we needed a lot of change to get more solid and more professional and he just brought a whole presence to the changing room and the training ground, you just knew that he was the boss and was the man in charge.
“Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall would take the training, we’d play games sometimes and McCoist would still play and he’d score a few goals, his finishing was still brilliant.
“He just needed that half yard and he would score, I guess you never lose it. He was always a good character to have around, even though he was jokey, he could be serious when he had to be.
“It was a good team, the three of them.
“McDowall was the main trainer, McCoist was on the training ground a lot as well while the gaffer was overseeing everything.
“It was definitely a strong setup and it showed with the success we had under them.”
Lowing joined Clyde on loan under newly-appointed boss John Brown in August 2008. It was a move the then 20-year-old wished he made earlier.
“Looking back all I’d been at was at Rangers so it was like, you just want the dream of breaking through and playing in the first team and staying there but obviously you need to get some experience.
“I wasn’t involved in the first team, I was playing reserves every week and had played there since I was 17 and I was almost 20 so it gets to the point where you need to try something different and challenge yourself so that’s why I went out to Clyde.
“It was a good experience in the First Division, obviously they were struggling at that point so it was a battle but it was a valuable experience to play proper men’s football where the results have meaning.”
It wouldn’t be until March 2010 when Lowing’s long association with his boyhood club came to an end when he would depart for East Fife.
He looks back on his exit with a tinge of regret.
“I had been there for 10 years so it was all I knew,” he recalled.
“I was supposed to leave in the summer, I was playing reserves and I hurt my medial ligament in my knee so I was injured for a little while.
“They gave me an extra six months so stayed a little longer but it was just delaying the inevitable because I had to go out there and try something else.
“It’s funny when you’re a young boy at Rangers they always say, ‘Don’t leave those blue gates and look back thinking I could’ve done more or should’ve did this, should’ve did that.’
“But when you’re a young boy you’re just like, ‘Yeah, whatever, I’m here, I’m playing’, you don’t think about it, you’re just in the moment. Looking back now, I wish I went out on loan when I was younger, maybe gained a bit more experience, came back and went to train with the first team.
“It wasn’t easy to leave but it’s what was needed for my career.”
His move to Methil would end in disaster after sustaining a serious injury but it would present a left-field opportunity that would see Lowing move to Iceland and change his life.
“I was supposed to go in and train at Falkirk but the game before that I did my ACL so I was out for 14 months without a club, I was only on a couple of months contract with East Fife to get games to see what can happen if I was going to go to Falkirk.
“Luckily I knew the physio at Rangers, Steve Walker, so he helped me out with my knee, he helped me get the surgery and do all the rehab. I even trained with the youths at Rangers during that 14 months just to get myself fit.
“I came back fit and it was around April time, the season was coming to a close whereas I was just trying to get games.
“I had an agent and he said he had this opportunity where I could go and play in the summer in Iceland to get games and get my sharpness up so I went over there and it just clicked, I loved it over there.
“I don’t know if it was just the change, it was the first time I wasn’t living at home, I was living by myself. It just helped me grow as a person to be thrown out of my comfort zone for the first time.
“So I went over there, played and stayed there for eight years so it was definitely something I didn’t expect but something I look back on and I’m happy that it happened.”
Lowing would meet his future wife in Reykjavik before emigrating to New York in 2019 but despite living on the opposite side of the world, he still keeps an eye on what’s happening down Edmiston Drive.
With fellow right back Nathan Patterson bursting onto the scene, Lowing sees many similarities to the time he was breaking through but admits he has a job on his hands to displace James Tavernier.
“It’s the position, if you’re a young boy, you probably don’t want to come through because Tavernier’s the captain and the main man.
“Patterson is similar to Hutton in a way in that he’s so athletic, he’s so direct when he gets the ball.
“It lifts the team when you have someone like that who can just drive at people and I think he’s got a real opportunity, I hope he gets a chance at Rangers but he could be a big player in the future.”
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