Copyright expressandstar
A crowd of 7,743 turned out at the Gay Meadow to honour Shrewsbury Town goalscoring legend Arthur Rowley at his testimonial match 60 years ago, on October 27, 1965. Arthur had just recovered from illness and was under doctor's orders not to play, but led the teams out and kicked off for the benefit of the photographers, before walking back to the tunnel, acknowledging the cheers of the crowd as he went. During a 19-year playing career Arthur, a burly inside forward with a left foot which fired off cannonball shots, hit the net a record 434 times in 619 league games, including 152 in his seven-year playing stint at Shrewsbury. He was a diamond player who was a key part of a golden era for the Town. A shrewd operator on the field, he was always smart off it, dressing in smart suits and overcoats, home and away. There was a double dose of entertainment under the floodlights that night, but also some initial disappointment that two big stars on the bill failed to show. There was a loudspeaker announcement that Sir Stanley Matthews was ill in bed, and Tom Finney was also absent, thought to have been detained in Preston on jury service. The crowd's appetite was whetted by an hour-long game between what the Shropshire Star reported to be a "portly-looking" ex-Wolves side and a club International XI. "The 'old' Wolves, some in long baggy shorts, and the 'internationals,' with Bobby Ross at left half, played at a very leisurely pace and ended in a 3-2 win for the international side," the paper said. Then came the main attraction, Shrewsbury v Wolves, which Shrewsbury won by three clear goals. "Such a sparkling show did the Town players provide that the fans went away happy and well pleased with their money's worth. For make no mistake about it, this was no tip-tap exhibition game," the Star said. Player-manager Arthur had hung up his playing boots the previous April. Hampered by a niggling ankle injury, he was only turning out occasionally, and if truth be told some fans thought for some time he should no longer be in the team, even booing when it was announced at a home match against Bristol Rovers in February 1964 that he would play at centre half in place of the injured Peter Dolby. His playing days over, Arthur continued to sprinkle his gold dust in three years as manager, with Town enjoying some glorious runs in the FA Cup. In February 1965 Shrewsbury had made it to the 5th Round for the first time in their history, defeat by Leeds at Elland Road bringing the run to an end. In 1966, now with Rowley in the manager's hotseat, the Salopians did it again, this time their 5th Round encounter taking them to Stamford Bridge and a glorious 3-2 defeat before over 50,000 fans at the hands of a Chelsea team packed with household names. Further FA Cup heroics in January 1968 saw Arthur's men draw 1-1 against Arsenal in the 3rd Round at the Gay Meadow, but they lost the replay at Highbury. Arthur, who was born not far from Wolves' Molineux ground, died in December 2002. He excelled in a footballing era of muddy pitches and heavy leather balls which lacked the riches and celebrity associated with the top flight game today. The late Gordon Riley, who used to ghost-write Arthur's column in the Express & Star's sporting paper, the "Pink" - it really was on pink paper - recalled that Arthur was certainly never in the top rank as a conversationalist. He once asked him how he scored so often. "By getting the ball into the back of the net," was Rowley's reply. While his brother Jack was an England international, the nearest Arthur came was an England B game against Switzerland - in which he scored, of course. "He was so unlucky to be around in the heyday of a clutch of great inside forwards when they were dishing out international caps. But he was a giant among giants and his name will be remembered long after so many other international forwards have been forgotten," said Gordon.
