‘Arthur Rowley, the biggest goalscorer in the history of English club football, has died at the age of 76 in Shrewsbury.
The former West Bromwich, Fulham, Leicester and Shrewbury forward amassed 464 goals in an 18-year playing career, 434 coming in league football in 619 appearances.
Although Rowley's record is superior to Jimmy Greaves's overall club total of 429 (in England and Italy), the strongly built Wolverhampton-born player with a hammer of a left foot never won a major honour or an England cap, although he represented the Football League.
The breakdown of his league goals between 1947 and 1965 was: West Bromwich (4), Fulham (27), Leicester (251)and Shrewsbury (152), where he was also player-manager for eight years. The previous English record of 380 league goals had been held by the legendary Dixie Dean of Everton and England.’
Arthur Rowley himself made an appearance for United during the second world war, when the Football League was suspended and replaced by regional competition, at only 14 years of age.’