Rowlands Stan Image 2 Wrexham 1922

Description

Coedway (Wales), near Shrewsbury born centre forward Stan Rowlands began his football career with Snailbeach White Stars in 1905 and played for Abbey Juniors in 1906, Welshpool in 1907, Wellington Town in 1908 and Birkenhead North End in 1909 before joining Birmingham and District League club Wrexham, helping them to win The Welsh Cup in 1910. He joined South Liverpool in 1910 from where he was signed by First Division club Nottingham Forest, making his Football League debut against Sheffield Wednesday in April 1911, his only appearance for Forest.

Rowlands returned to South Liverpool before signing for Liverpool in December 1911, but didn’t make their first eleven before re-joining Wrexham in 1912. He then moved to Tranmere Rovers in 1913 and scored 32 goals for Tranmere during the 1913-14 season, helping them to with the Lancashire Combination. Rowlands was then picked to play for Wales in March 1914, winning his only Welsh cap in a 2-0 defeat to England at Ninian Park, Cardiff, becoming the first Tranmere Rovers player to gain international recognition.

During the First World War he guested for Tranmere Rovers but after the War he joined Southern League club Reading, but didn’t play for Reading when they gained League status in 1920. He joined Crewe Alexandra in 1921 and scored 8 goals in 26 appearances during their 1921-22 Third Division (North) campaign, before returning to (now Football League club) Wrexham in June 1922, where he made 9 appearances over the 1922-23 season before joining non league Oswestry Town in the 1923 close season.  Rowlands joined South Molton as player-manager in August 1924 and took similar roles at Bideford in June 1926, Ilfracombe Town in August 1928, Barum Town in 1930 and Barnstaple in 1931 before finishing his football career.