Arthur Rowley
Encyclopedia
George Arthur Rowley, nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his explosive left-foot shot, was an English
football
player and cricketer. He holds the record for the most goals in the history of English league football, scoring 434 from 619 league games. He was the younger brother of Manchester United
legend Jack Rowley
. He was shortlisted for inclusion into the English Football Hall of Fame
in 2008.
He holds the club record for the most goals in a single season at both Leicester City
and Shrewsbury Town
, scoring 44 goals in 42 league matches at Leicester in 1956-57
and 38 goals in 43 games for Shrewsbury in 1958-59
. He is also Shrewsbury's record league goalscorer with 152 league goals. He is Leicester's second all-time top goalscorer, netting 265 times for the Foxes, 8 goals short of Arthur Chandler
's record.
in 1944. However, he struggled at The Hawthorns
both to score goals and gain a regular place in the first team.
, where he immediately found his goal-scoring touch, scoring 19 goals in 22 appearance as he helped the side to the Second Division
title.
Rowley failed to recapture his form in the First Division
as he scored only 7 goals.
. There was much criticism from Leicester fan originally towards manager Norman Bullock
on signing the relatively unproven Rowley as a replacement for the well-liked Jack Lee
. However, after a slow start as a centre forward, Bullock moved Rowley into the "number 10" inside left role which is where he would make his name at the Foxes, on 23 September, in which Rowley scored Leicester's consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat to Coventry City
." By the end of his debut season, his 28 goals had appeased the crowd, though the club still finished in a disappointing 14th position.
It was in his second season, Rowley began to make a name for himself as he broke Arthur Chandler
's club record for the most goals in a season, netting 38 times. Then broke his own record again the following season, scoring 41 times in 42 games. 39 of these goals coming in the league, earning him the Second Division
golden boot award. He scored a further 36 goals in the 1953-54
season helping fire Leicester to the Second Division title.
However, Leicester lasted just one season in the First Division as they were relegated back to the second tier at the first attempt. A couple of seasons later, in 1956-57
Rowley broke the club record for the most goals in a season for the third time, scoring 44 times in 42 games (this record still stands today), again earning him the Second Division top goalscorer award and again leading Leicester to the Second Division title. Rowley scored a further 20 times in 25 games in 1957-58
to help Leicester this time avoid relegation back to the second tier.
However Dave Halliday
decided to sell Rowley in the summer of 1958, as he was just 8 goals short of Arthur Chandler's club record for the all-time top goalscorer. Bullock's decision to sell Rowley led to a loss of faith by the fans and ultimately his sacking 2 months into the 1958-59
season.
In his 8 seasons at Filbert Street
overall, he scored 265 goals in 321 games, including 16 hat-tricks.
of the newly-created Fourth Division
. In his first season at the Gay Meadow
Rowley led Shrewsbury to promotion with a haul of 38 goals in 43 games, winning the Fourth Division golden boot. He followed that up in the Third Division
as he continued scoring prolifically, netting 32, 28, 23 and 24 times over the next four seasons, before falling away in his last couple of seasons with the club as he began to put on weight and became less mobile, but his influence on the pitch was still to be seen, even employing himself as a make-shift defender on occasion, before finally retiring in 1965.
on 11 July 1968. United had just been relegated to Division Two but despite good signings who would later gain the team promotion, results were disappointing and he was sacked on 6 August 1969.
He managed Southend United
from 1970 to 1976 and was also assistant manager of Telford United
and manager of non-league Knighton Town
and Oswestry Town
before leaving football.
Leicester City
Shrewsbury Town
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and cricketer. He holds the record for the most goals in the history of English league football, scoring 434 from 619 league games. He was the younger brother of Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
legend Jack Rowley
Jack Rowley
John Frederick "Jack" Rowley was an English football striker from the 1930s to the 1950s, mainly remembered for playing for Manchester United. He was nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his prolific and explosive goalscoring, achieving scoring statistics with United of 208 goals in 422 appearances...
. He was shortlisted for inclusion into the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2008.
He holds the club record for the most goals in a single season at both Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
and Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, scoring 44 goals in 42 league matches at Leicester in 1956-57
1956-57 in English football
The 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East...
and 38 goals in 43 games for Shrewsbury in 1958-59
1958-59 in English football
The 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester...
. He is also Shrewsbury's record league goalscorer with 152 league goals. He is Leicester's second all-time top goalscorer, netting 265 times for the Foxes, 8 goals short of Arthur Chandler
Arthur Chandler
Arthur Clarence Hillier Chandler was a professional footballer in the 1920s and 1930s. He is most famous at Leicester City, where he is the club's all time record goal scorer, with 273 goals, though he also played for Queens Park Rangers and Notts County....
's record.
West Bromwich Albion
Rowley began his career as an amateur at Wolverhampton Wanderers before turning professional with West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in 1944. However, he struggled at The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
both to score goals and gain a regular place in the first team.
Fulham
Albion sold Rowley early in the 1948–49 season to FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, where he immediately found his goal-scoring touch, scoring 19 goals in 22 appearance as he helped the side to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
title.
Rowley failed to recapture his form in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
as he scored only 7 goals.
Leicester City
At the end of his first season in the top flight he was sold to Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. There was much criticism from Leicester fan originally towards manager Norman Bullock
Norman Bullock
Norman Bullock was the manager of Leicester City from 1949 to 1955. He also managed Bury for two four-year spells.He was born in Monton, Eccles, Lancashire....
on signing the relatively unproven Rowley as a replacement for the well-liked Jack Lee
Jack Lee
Jack Lee is an American songwriter and musician best known for composing the song, "Hanging on the Telephone."-Biography:...
. However, after a slow start as a centre forward, Bullock moved Rowley into the "number 10" inside left role which is where he would make his name at the Foxes, on 23 September, in which Rowley scored Leicester's consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
." By the end of his debut season, his 28 goals had appeased the crowd, though the club still finished in a disappointing 14th position.
It was in his second season, Rowley began to make a name for himself as he broke Arthur Chandler
Arthur Chandler
Arthur Clarence Hillier Chandler was a professional footballer in the 1920s and 1930s. He is most famous at Leicester City, where he is the club's all time record goal scorer, with 273 goals, though he also played for Queens Park Rangers and Notts County....
's club record for the most goals in a season, netting 38 times. Then broke his own record again the following season, scoring 41 times in 42 games. 39 of these goals coming in the league, earning him the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
golden boot award. He scored a further 36 goals in the 1953-54
1953-54 in English football
The 1953–54 season was the 74th season of competitive football in England.-National team:The Marvellous Magyars shocked football by defeating England 6–3 at Wembley Stadium.-Honours:...
season helping fire Leicester to the Second Division title.
However, Leicester lasted just one season in the First Division as they were relegated back to the second tier at the first attempt. A couple of seasons later, in 1956-57
1956-57 in English football
The 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East...
Rowley broke the club record for the most goals in a season for the third time, scoring 44 times in 42 games (this record still stands today), again earning him the Second Division top goalscorer award and again leading Leicester to the Second Division title. Rowley scored a further 20 times in 25 games in 1957-58
1957-58 in English football
The 1957–58 season was the 78th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:In this season, Sunderland was relegated for the first time in their history.This was the last season in which Division 3 was split, North and South...
to help Leicester this time avoid relegation back to the second tier.
However Dave Halliday
Dave Halliday
David "Dave" Halliday was a Scottish footballing prolific goalscorer and trophy winning manager. His 38 goals in 1923-24 made him top scorer in Scotland's top flight that season and 43 goals in 1928–29 gave him the same distinction in England's top flight that season. He scored 376 senior goals as...
decided to sell Rowley in the summer of 1958, as he was just 8 goals short of Arthur Chandler's club record for the all-time top goalscorer. Bullock's decision to sell Rowley led to a loss of faith by the fans and ultimately his sacking 2 months into the 1958-59
1958-59 in English football
The 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester...
season.
In his 8 seasons at Filbert Street
Filbert Street
Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...
overall, he scored 265 goals in 321 games, including 16 hat-tricks.
Shrewsbury Town
In the summer of 1958 Rowley left Leicester, who were playing in the First Division, to become the player-manager of Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
of the newly-created Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
. In his first season at the Gay Meadow
Gay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
Rowley led Shrewsbury to promotion with a haul of 38 goals in 43 games, winning the Fourth Division golden boot. He followed that up in the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
as he continued scoring prolifically, netting 32, 28, 23 and 24 times over the next four seasons, before falling away in his last couple of seasons with the club as he began to put on weight and became less mobile, but his influence on the pitch was still to be seen, even employing himself as a make-shift defender on occasion, before finally retiring in 1965.
Sheffield United
After retiring as a player Rowley managed Shrewsbury for another four years before becoming manager of Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
on 11 July 1968. United had just been relegated to Division Two but despite good signings who would later gain the team promotion, results were disappointing and he was sacked on 6 August 1969.
He managed Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
from 1970 to 1976 and was also assistant manager of Telford United
Telford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
and manager of non-league Knighton Town
Knighton Town F.C.
Knighton Town Football Club is a Welsh football club founded in 1887, currently playing in the Mid Wales South League...
and Oswestry Town
Oswestry Town F.C.
Oswestry Town F.C. was a football club, formerly playing in the League of Wales.The club was founded as Oswestry United in 1860, which meant they were one of the world's oldest football clubs. Matches were latterly played at Park Hall stadium, Oswestry, after a spell at Victoria Road...
before leaving football.
Cricketing career
He represented Shropshire in three Minor Counties Championship matches between 1961 and 1962 as a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler.Club
FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
- Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
champions: 1948-491948-49 in English footballThe 1948–49 season was the 69th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth won the First Division title for the first time with a team of no recognised stars and very few international players. They won the league by five points from Manchester United and Derby...
Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
champions: 1953-541953-54 in English footballThe 1953–54 season was the 74th season of competitive football in England.-National team:The Marvellous Magyars shocked football by defeating England 6–3 at Wembley Stadium.-Honours:...
, 1956-571956-57 in English footballThe 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East...
Individual
Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
top goalscorer: 1952-531952-53 in English footballThe 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages...
, 1956-571956-57 in English footballThe 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East...
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
- Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
top goalscorer: 1958-591958-59 in English footballThe 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester...