Following his retirement from football, McGowan became a pub landlord including as the licensee of the Drummond Arms in Portswood. The pub became popular with many of Southampton's Scottish players, including Jim Steele who lived there for a time. For their 1976 FA Cup Final programme, the BBC filmed a piece at the pub. After their victory over Manchester United, Steele, together with Peter Osgood and goalscorer Bobby Stokes, brought the cup to the Drummond Arms, before taking it on a "tour" of hostelries in the town centre.