He was part of the Wales national football team, playing 1 match on 18 March 1893 against Scotland.
[2] John Charles Henry Bowdler (aka Jack), also a Wales international, was his brother.
[5] At the same period he with his brother was one of the formative players in the Shrewsbury Town team after the club's foundation in 1886 but unlike him did not play in the Football League competitions.
He was the unexpected cause of one unusual incident at a Shrewsbury Town home match to a visiting team from St George's in playing for the Shropshire League Cup in March 1893.
During the second half the visiting team's right-back defender kicked out at Bowdler; this sparked a pitch invasion when Bowdler's father got up from among the spectators to remonstrate with the errant player, and caused the match to be called off 15 minutes before time.