 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Spencer Rowley | ||
| Date of birth | 11 September 1865[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Hanley, Staffordshire, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 16 March 1934 (aged 68)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hanley Orion | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1883–1884 | Stoke | 0 | (0) |
| 1884–1886 | Burslem Port Vale | 0 | (0) |
| 1887–1896 | Stoke | 124 | (0) |
| 1898 | Leicester Fosse | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1889–1892 | England | 2 | (0) |
| Football League | 1 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1895–1897 | Stoke | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
William Spencer Rowley (11 September 1865 – 16 March 1934) was an English footballer who played as goalkeeper for Stoke in the 1880s and 1890s, also making two appearances for England. He later became Stoke's manager between 1895 and 1897.[3]
He played for Burslem Port Vale before joining Stoke in 1887. He played in the first-ever season of the English Football League before helping the "Potters" to the Football Alliance title in 1890–91. He also won England caps in 1889 and 1892. After struggling with injuries, he was appointed player-manager at Stoke in 1896 and took the club to sixth in the league. However, he left the game for good after being censored for arranging his own transfer to Leicester Fosse in August 1898.