Walter Gowers
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Walter Gowers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Wigan district, England | 24 December 1902||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | September 1965 Rochdale district, England | (aged 62)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] |
Walter Gowers (first ¼ 1903[2] – third ¼ 1965) was a professional rugby league and association football (soccer) footballer who played in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. He played representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain (non-Test matches), and Lancashire, and at club level for Platt Lane ARLFC (in Wigan), the Rochdale Hornets (two spells), and St. Helens (Heritage No. 450), as a goal-kicking fullback, i.e. number 1,[1] and club level association football (soccer) for Preston North End (reserves in 1926), as a full-back.
Background
[edit]Walter Gowers' birth was registered in Wigan district, Lancashire, England, he worked as a gardener, he lived at High Birch Terrace, Rochdale, and he died aged 62 in Rochdale district, Lancashire, England.
Playing career
[edit]International honours
[edit]Walter Gowers represented Great Britain in non-Test matches on the 1928 Great Britain rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand, scoring 27-goals.[3]
County honours
[edit]Walter Gowers represented Lancashire while at Rochdale Hornets, winning four County Championship medals.
Club career
[edit]Walter Gowers came out of retirement aged c. 42–43 to play one match for Rochdale Hornets against Wigan at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 12 January 1946.[citation needed]
Career records
[edit]Walter Gowers holds Rochdale Hornets' "most appearances in a career" record with 456-appearances between 1922 and 1946, and holds Rochdale Hornets' "most points in a career" record with 1497-points scored between 1922 and 1946. He previously held Rochdale Hornets' "most goals in a season" record with 109-goals during the 1933–34 season, this record was extended by Graham Starkey during the 1966–67 season.
Genealogical information
[edit]Walter Gowers' marriage to Mary E. (née Prescott) was registered during first ¼ 1929 in Chorley district.[4] They had children; Winifred J. Gowers (birth registered third ¼ 1930 in Rochdale district), John Gowers (birth registered first ¼ 1934 in Wigan district), and the rugby league footballer; Ken Gowers. Walter Gowers was the great-grandfather of the Middlesex and England cricketer John Simpson (Ken Gowers' grandson).
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ "Profile at saints.org.uk". saints.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ "Marriage details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
External links
[edit]- 1903 births
- 1965 deaths
- English rugby league players
- Footballers from Wigan
- Footballers who switched code
- Great Britain national rugby league team players
- Lancashire rugby league team players
- Rochdale Hornets players
- Rugby league fullbacks
- Rugby league players from Wigan
- St Helens R.F.C. players
- Men's association football fullbacks
- English men's footballers