NEWS, NOTES & MILESTONES

BIRTHS

1926 - Arthur Rowley

George Arthur Rowley had spells as an amateur with a number of clubs including Manchester United and his home town team Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining the Baggies in March 1944. He made his Albion debut the following month against Walsall in a Wartime Midland Cup match whilst still an amateur. He signed professionally for the club in May 1944 but struggled to pin down a regular first team place at The Hawthorns, leaving to join Fulham in December 1948 after scoring 15 goals in 41 appearances.

Rowley was an immediate success for Fulham, hitting 19 goals in 22 league appearances as he helped them win promotion to the First Division. Arthur struggled at the higher level though, scoring just seven goals and  he left Craven Cottage for Leicester City in the summer of 1950. There would be no looking back for the player and in eight seasons at Filbert Street he notched an incredible 251 league goals in just 303 appearances.

In the summer of 1958 Arthur left City to become the player-manager of Shrewsbury Town of the newly created Fourth Division. In his first season at Gay Meadow he led the club to promotion with a haul of 38 goals from 43 games, a feat that won him the Fourth Division golden boot. The next four seasons saw him continue to plunder goal after goal before age and fitness finally caught up with him. He finished his playing career at the end of the 1964/65 season having scored 433 league goals in 619 appearances - a record that will surely never be beaten.

He left Shrewsbury to take over as Sheffield United’s manager in July 1968 but his time there was not a success, leaving after just one season. A more successful six year spell in charge of Southend United followed before he dropped down into non-league football. After retiring from the game Arthur returned to live in Shrewsbury until his death at the age of 76 on December 19, 2002.

DEATHS

None known.

DEBUTS

1906 - Tom Picken v Chesterfield, Recreation Ground, Second Division
 

FAREWELLS

2014 - Liam Ridgwell v Manchester City, Etihad Stadium, Premier League

2002 - Ruel Fox v Crystal Palace (as substitute), The Hawthorns, League Division One

1990 - Stacey North v Swindon Town, County Ground, Second Division

1982 - Kevin Summerfield v Manchester City, The Hawthorns, First Division

1951 - Billy Elliott v Wolverhampton Wanderers, The Hawthorns, First Division

1930 - Joseph Evans v Tottenham Hotspur, The Hawthorns, Second Division

TRANSFERS

None known.

RESULTS