Lewis Buxton

Buxton played for Cowes in the 1999-2000 season before joining Portsmouth, and went on to a long career in the game at several clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday where he made over 200 appearances between 2007 and 2015.

James Hayter

After 33 appearances in a Cowes shirt in 1994-95, Hayter spent ten years at AFC Bournemouth, making over 350 appearances and scoring nearly a hundred goals (including the fastest ever recorded hat-trick v Wrexham in 2004, netting three times in 2 minutes 22 seconds). Hayter then spent five seasons at Doncaster Rovers and three at Yeovil.

Lee Bradbury

Cowes-born Bradbury scored six goals in seven appearances forb The Yachtsmen in 1994-95, before joining Portsmouth. He became Manchester City’s record signing in 1997 when he joined for a £3 million fee, and represented several other clubs including Crystal Palace and Southend in a career that brought 92 goals in 510 professional appearances.

Jamie Lawrence

Jamie was a Westwood favourite during the 1992-93 season, a virtual ever-present playing for the side on day release from Camp Hill prison. At the end of his sentence Lawrence joined Sunderland, was a League Cup winner with Leicester in 1997 and played Premier League football for Bradford City after achieving promotion with The Bantams in 1999. Lawrence also represented Jamaica at international level, picking up 24 caps between 200 and 2004.

Wes Maughan

Maughan played regularly for Cowes in the mid-1950’s, before a professional career that took him to Southampton, Reading and Cambridge United.

Les Maskell

Cowes-born Maskell played for Cowes as a teenager in the 1930’s, and was just sixteen when he transferred to Norwich City in 1933. He broke into the first team in 1938 but his career was disrupted by World War 2, during which he scored over 200 goals in war league and other matches for The Canaries.

Bert Diaper

Diaper scored 24 goals in 27 appearances for Cowes during the 1928-29 season, including three consecutive hat-tricks. After joining Arsenal in 1929 he couldn’t break into the first team, but later made professional appearances for Luton Town, Fulham and Aldershot.

Cyril Matthews

Matthews turned out for The Yachtsmen in the 1918-19 season before a professional career that took him to the likes of Barrow, Bury, Notts County and Stockport County.

Arthur Brown

Brown was a Cowes regular between 1907 and 1910 while dual signed with Portsmouth. He made nine appearances for Pompey before joining Southampton in 1910 who he turned out for 39 times.

Joe Blake

Joining Cowes in 1905 after being released by Tottenham Hotspur, Blake made 33 appearances in three seasons for Cowes before appearing over 180 times for Southampton in fourteen years at The Dell.

Matthew Reilly

Goalkeeper ‘Gunner’ Reilly started his career with Royal Artillery and spent a season at Cowes in 1897-98, before joing Portsmouth, where he was a regular between 1899 and 1904. Reilly also played for Dundee and Notts Couty and was a regular between the sticks for Tottenham Hotspur in the 1906-07 season. Reilly also made two international appearances for Ireland against England, in 1900 and 1902.

Other notable former Cowes players:

Marc Burrows

‘Buzz’ appeared 156 times, scoring 30 goals, for Cowes between 1994 and 2005, and became famous in 2004 when he scored the world’s fastest ever goal in a match at Eastleigh, scoring after just 2.5 seconds.

Percy Cherrett

Percy Cherrett was a prolific goalscorer during his league career, scoring 164 goals in 264 appearances for Portsmouth, Plymouth Argyle, Crystal Palace, Bristol City and Bournemouth. Cherrett joined Cowes in 1929 and in three seasons at Westwood netted an incredible 167 goals in 109 appearances.

George Reader

After a brief career with Exeter and Southampton Reader settled at Cowes, scoring 322 goals in 313 appearances between 1923 and 1933. In later life he became a referee and was in charge of the de-facto World Cup Final between Uruguay and Brazil in 1950.

Johnny Arnold

Arnold appeared for Cowes a handful of times after the war, but enjoyed a long league career with Southampton and Fulham during the 1930’s. Arnold was also a first-class cricketer for Hampshire, and is one of only a dozen men who have appeared for England at both football (v Scotland in 1933) and cricket (v New Zealand in 1931).

Neville Rogers

Rogers was a first-class cricketer for Hampshire who played for Cowes during the cricket off-season between 1946 and 1949, scoring 31 goals in 52 appearances.

Jimmy Balfour

Balfour started his career at Dundee and was a prolific goalscorer in Scotland before health issues forced retirement and a move south to the Isle of Wight. Once here he set up as a plumber whilst also turning out for Cowes, scoring 147 goals in 124 appearances for The Yachtsmen between 1936 and 1940.

Charlie Leatherbarrow

Before arriving at Cowes in 1898 Leatherbarrow played for several league clubs, but is best known for scoring the first ever goal against Liverpool at Anfield, while playing for Rotherham in a 1-7 friendly defeat in September 1892.

Tom McKillop

McKillop was a wartime guest player for Cowes whilst still registered with Glasgow Rangers, for whom he made 73 appearances between 1935 and 1946. McKillop was also capped for Scotland vs Netherlands in 1938.

Reg Dudley

Dudley was another wartime guest player for Cowes, towards the end of his career as a Millwall player. After the war Dudley was a popular player at Queen’s Park Rangers and also spent a season at Watford.