Lowes Tommy Image 2 Newport County 1922

Description

Walker, Newcastle born inside left of left winger Tommy Lowes joined his hometown professional club from local junior club Wallsend Park Villa in September 1910 and made his Newcastle United debut at Preston North End in December 1911. He scored in 3 successive games at Manchester City at the end of January 1912, then at West Bromwich Albion and in the derby against Sunderland in a 3-1 win at St James’ Park, but his Newcastle career never quite took off from there, and by the time he joined Southern League Coventry City for £50 in June 1914 he had only made 16 appearances for The Magpies.

He played both sides of the First World War for Coventry, by 1919-20 they had joined the Football League, where he played in their inaugural League fixture at home to Tottenham Hotspur in August 1919. However at the end of the season he joined first non league Nuneaton Town, then moving to Southern League Caerphilly, and didn’t return to Football League action until he joined Newport County in July 1922. At Newport he was a regular fixture, scoring 37 goals in 119 appearances over the next four seasons before joining non league Yeovil & Petters United in 1926, initially becoming player coach before becoming their manager in 1928.

His management career lasted through most of the 1930’s. He became manager of Barrow in July 1932, enjoying five seasons with the Cumbrians until he joined Walsall as manager at the end of April 1937. He discovered goalkeeper Bert Williams and signed Johnny Hancocks in October 1938, both of whom would go on to be capped by England and be two of the finest post-Second World War players at high-flying Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Lowes remained at Fellows Park until the suspension of peacetime football due to the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 although they had twice had to apply for re-election under his stewardship. Having departed Fellows Park, Lowes scouted for Arsenal and Norwich City, discovering another talent in John Barnwell. He remained at Carrow Road right up until 1972.