‘My kids feared I was going to die, I could see their fear ‘ – Premier League icon Tony Mowbray on his cancer battle
TONY MOWBRAY has opened up on his harrowing battle with bowel cancer.
The popular boss, 61, stepped away from his job as Birmingham boss in February 2024 as he battled the disease.
Following a “dehumanising” 16-month period that left him fearing for his life, Mowbray was finally given the all-clear to return to work by doctors.
The experienced manager subsequently returned to West Brom, the club he won promotion to the Premier League with in 2008.
On the stark reality that followed his cancer diagnosis, Mowbray told The Times: “I had the conversation with my family and you could see they were frightened.
“Was I frightened? My only thoughts were for my family, my three children and my wife and making sure they were OK.
“I had to put everything in order and I tried to. My wife saw our banking app for the first time in her life. It’s little things like that.
“She understood. This was serious stuff. I felt she needed to know where we had our money, whether it was ISAs or pensions and what was in the bank.”
Having collapsed at home, Mowbray spent a night in hospital on a drip.
Reliving the awful experience, Mowbray said: “I remember sitting there in bed and my kids’ eyes were watering up. They were scared I wasn’t going to live. How old were they? They were 15, 17 and 19. I could see the fear in their eyes.”
Mowbray underwent crucial surgery just 10 days after his diagnosis, and now admits: “Lots of things go through your mind. Am I going to wake up?
“I feel very humble. I have been in the hands of some amazing people. I’ve spent a lot of time in hospital, I’ve spent a lot of time on medication. I’ve spent a lot of time in chemotherapy. It’s a medicine to treat cancer. It ravages your body.”
Having previously been on temporary leave, Mowbray formally stepped down as Birmingham boss in May 2024.
His No2 Mark Venus had initially stepped in, before Gary Rowett was appointed until the end of the season.
On what made him decide to resign, Mowbray added: “I remember catching myself in a glass door and I didn’t even recognise it was me in the reflection. I was a shell of a man really. My cheeks were sunk in.
“I had lost 4.5 stone, I was hunched over and I made the decision then. I phoned Garry Cook [Birmingham chief executive] that day and said I wouldn’t be going back because I needed to get well.”
Mowbray maintained that he would like to return to work if his health would allow.
And when Carlos Corberan left The Hawthorns for Valencia following Mowbray’s all-clear, the possibility of a dream return to West Brom became a possibility.
In January he sealed a remarkable return to work, penning a two-and-a-half year contract with the Baggies.
Upon taking the West Brom job, a delighted Mowbray said: “I’m ready to relish the challenge again. It’s a new challenge.
“I know I’ve been here before, but it’s a new challenge, a new time, a new era for me at the football club.”