Bill Rowley

Who was Bill Rowley?

William Spencer "Bill" Rowley 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 1986 and 1898.

He played for Burslem Port Vale, before joining Stoke in 1887. He played in the first ever season of the 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.