Born in Manor Park, Dowman began his career at Colchester United, making 154 league appearances and scoring 21 goals.
He then moved on to play for Wrexham, Charlton Athletic, Newport County and Cambridge United, before dropping into non-league football.
[2] As a teenager, Dowman was considered an outstanding prospect and picked (along with his partner in central defense, Lindsay Smith) as part of the PFA 4th division team of the year.
Particularly strong in the air, he scored so many goals moving forward for free kicks and corners that Colchester tried him as a centre forward before letting him to revert to his natural position.
This biographical article related to association football in England, about a defender born in the 1950s, is a stub.