Aaron McGowan Played Football on Day of Father’s Death as Coping Mechanism

Aaron McGowan, pictured on the left, stated that his father, Joe, was not only his dad but also his closest friend. McGowan recounted, “I knew the day was coming,” adding, “As a family, we’d been preparing for it for months. Things had got really bad for dad.” Northampton Town full-back Aaron McGowan’s 55-year-old father, Joe, passed away following a prolonged illness in the early hours of 26 September 2023. On the very same day, McGowan participated in an EFL Trophy match at Sixfields Stadium, serving as captain for the Cobblers against Chelsea Under-21s. His decision to play shortly after his father’s passing served as his method for coping with grief and loss. McGowan informed BBC Sport, stating, “There’s no right or wrong way to grieve.” He continued, “I decided to play. I’m so glad I did.” With McGowan’s team, Northampton, getting ready to play county rivals Kettering Town in the FA Cup first round on Saturday – a game scheduled for 17:30 GMT and available live on BBC Two – he discussed how football has aided him in dealing with the death of his “best mate.” The 27-year-old added, “Dad used to travel from Liverpool to watch me play all over the country.” He further mentioned, “Even when I was playing for Hamilton and Kilmarnock, he’d travel up to Scotland to watch.” Joe attended over 200 matches, but in the final year of his life, he was only able to make it to one. McGowan recalled, “He just didn’t have the energy any more. That’s when I knew it was all coming to an end.” Aaron McGowan, positioned second from the right, celebrated Northampton Town’s promotion to League One in May 2023. A bench with a commemorative plaque dedicated to Joe, who was the grandfather of McGowan’s baby daughter Amelie, is located in a park in Kirkby, near Liverpool. McGowan, currently in his fourth season with Northampton, stated, “He always used to stop for a rest on that bench while walking Barney, the family dog.” He added, “On my day off, I find solace sitting there with my daughter.” McGowan’s partner, Charl, gave birth to Amelie at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, a season that concluded with Northampton’s promotion to League One following a victory at Tranmere. This day was bittersweet for the defender, who had envisioned celebrating at Prenton Park with his father. McGowan remarked, “Tranmere isn’t far from where he lived so the fact he wasn’t able to make it, I knew he was in a bad way by then,” also expressing gratitude for the valuable months Joe spent with Amelie. In an emotional social media post shortly after his father’s death, McGowan wrote, “It makes me smile knowing that you had that time.” He continued, “Thank you for allowing me to have those memories Dad. They are something I will forever hold on to.” McGowan’s passion for football originated from attending Liverpool games, both home and away, with his father from a young age. He stated, “We’re a family of Reds and he took me everywhere.” He added, “We had a Liverpool season ticket together. We didn’t talk about much else other than football.” At 16 years old, McGowan debuted for Morecambe in League Two, with Joe present at the Globe Arena to witness this significant occasion for his son. Joe was also at Ibrox on 4 March 2020, when McGowan contributed to Hamilton Academical’s 1-0 victory over Rangers before 48,000 spectators in the Scottish Premiership. McGowan further commented, “He came to all my matches. He just wanted to watch football.” In 2021, during his time at Kilmarnock, the family received the distressing prognosis that Joe had two years to live. He had previously undergone a kidney transplant and survived a heart attack. McGowan added, “We were living a nightmare.” He elaborated, “It wasn’t sudden. It was something that had been going on for a long time. Mentally it helped me prepare for what was going to happen but it was so hard seeing someone you love in so much pain.” Aaron was raised by his father as a supporter of Liverpool. Approximately at 01:30 on 26 September 2023, McGowan received a phone call that woke him. The call was from his sister, delivering the news he had feared: his father, closest friend, and biggest supporter had died. McGowan described him, saying, “He was such a funny character.” He continued, “He was full of life and somebody who lit up a room. He was hard-working and old school in many ways. He’d have told me to get on with it.” McGowan proceeded to do exactly that. Later that day, he participated in Northampton’s 2-2 draw against Chelsea Under-21s in the EFL Trophy. He recalled, “I’m quite good at remembering moments in games but that match feels like a blur.” He added, “Looking back, I can’t believe I did it, but I knew I was the sort of person who could get through something like that.” He stated, “Before the game, I kept it to myself. A lot of my team-mates didn’t have a clue what was going on until after the match.” McGowan explained, “My dad spent the last five months of his life in hospital so when my team-mates talked about going to the zoo or going to the park with their little ones on days off, I’d spend hours in hospital visiting dad.” Joe remains a constant presence in McGowan’s thoughts, and he believes his father would have cherished being in the audience for Saturday’s derby, broadcast live on BBC cameras. McGowan, currently out of play due to a hamstring injury, expressed hope that sharing his experience of loss might assist others dealing with grief. When asked for advice for those grieving, McGowan responded, “I like to look at it like this: Dad gave me years of love, laughter and memories.” He concluded, “I know I am so lucky I got that time with him.” For individuals affected by issues discussed in this article, support and information can be found at BBC Action Line. Aaron McGowan became a member of Northampton in July 2021. Sandi Toksvig is accompanied by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi, and Alan Davies. Take the microphone for Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, and others. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble have returned for the celebrations at Longleat Safari Park. Ranging from microplastics in our air, soil, and waterways to the amount of food waste during this period of the year. © 2024 BBC. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.