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John Townrow

1901 – 1969

Footballer

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About John Townrow

Lived 1901 – 1969 (aged 68). John Townrow was a British association football player and association football coach.

John Ernest Townrow (28 March 1901 – 11 April 1969) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre-half for Clapton Orient, Chelsea and Bristol Rovers in the Football League and for the England national football team.

Townrow was born in West Ham, now part of London, and attended Pelly Memorial School in the borough. He won two caps for England's schoolboy team, one of which came against Wales in 1915. Townrow is one of only two men capped by England at senior level while an Orient player, the other being Owen Williams.

He joined Second Division rivals Chelsea in 1927, and went on to play 140 games for the club in all competitions and contribute to their promotion to the First Division in the 1929–30 season. His playing career finished with one season at Bristol Rovers in the Third Division South, where he played alongside his younger brother Frank.

Townrow was manager of Harrogate Town for a spell in the 1960s.

Honours Chelsea Football League Second Division runners-up: 1929–30

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Important facts

People in John Townrow's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Townrow's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Townrow?

footballer (1901-1969)

When was John Townrow born?

John Townrow was born on 28 March 1901 in West Ham.

When did John Townrow die?

John Townrow died on 11 April 1969.

What was John Townrow's occupation?

John Townrow was an association football player and association football coach.

What nationality was John Townrow?

John Townrow was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Townrow

· Wikidata: Q10458655

· DBpedia: John Townrow

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Townrow. https://biography.guide/john-townrow/

MLA: "John Townrow." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-townrow/.

Chicago: "John Townrow." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-townrow/.

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