Rowley Harry Image 2 Gillingham 1938

Description

Bilston, Staffordshire born inside left Harry Rowley began his football career with Bilston United in 1925 and played for Walsall Wood and Burton United, and then Shrewsbury Town in 1927, from where he was signed by First Division club Manchester United for £100 in May 1928, making his Football League debut in a 2-1 win at Huddersfield Town the same October. He was United’s top goalscorer in 1929-30 when he missed only two matches.

He played 96 matches for United during a three year spell, scoring 24 goals but lost his place in April 1931 as United suffered relegation and played only once more the next season before being signed by cross town rivals Manchester City in late December 1931 in exchange for Bill Ridding, making his Citizens  debut at Sunderland in January 1932, scoring two goals in a 5-2 victory.

Despite this excellent debut, he was never a regular at Maine Road scoring 4 goals in 19 matches before signing for Second Division club Oldham Athletic in February 1933.

Rowley returned to Old Trafford for £1,375 in December 1934 after 15 goals in 73 matches for The Latics and helped United to promotion in 1935-36, scoring his only career hat-trick at Norwich City in November 1935 as he bagged 19 goals in their Second Division Championship win. He took his total appearances for The Red Devils to 180 matches, scoring in total 55 goals for the club over his two spells, before he returned to non league Burton Town in July 1937, but after a season on the River Trent he joined Southern League club Gillingham, where he scored 38 goals as the finished third in The Southern League in 1938-39. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Gillingham proved his final club before his eventual retirement.