Antonio: George Rowlands (George)

WW2 Guest: 1943-1944 (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Inside Forward

Born: Whitchurch, Shropshire: 20-10-1914

Debut: Bradford Park Avenue (h): 01-01-1944

Height & Weight: Unknown

A very capable inside forward or right half, he started with Oswestry Technical College and the joined Non-League Oswestry Town. He played with Bolton Wanderers, as an amateur, and South North Staffs before joining Colwyn Bay United in September 1935. He then signed for Stoke City in February 1936. He had made eighty-four appearances and scored thirteen goals for the Potters when the Second World War brought Football League fixtures to a halt. He guested for several clubs during the Second World War. That included Leeds United, where he scored five times in ten appearances, all the games being as an Inside-Right in early 1944. Another was Nottingham Forest, where he made three appearances in 1939-40 season and scored three times in seven appearances in 1940-41, and scored in his only game in 1941-42. In 1945-46 season, he guested for Ipswich Town, where he made three appearances without scoring. Other clubs he guested for included: Aldershot, one game in 1943-44 and seventeen in 1944-45, when he scored seven times. Clapton Orient, two games in 1944-45. Norwich City in 1945-46, when he scored twice in two games. Notts County, in 1942-43 when he scored five times in nineteen games and 1943-44 when he scored twice in five appearances. Wrexham one goal from three games in 1939-40, one goal from two games in 1941-42 and one game in 1944-45 without scoring, as was the case with York City in 1939-40. He did also guest for his own club Stoke City, once, without scoring in 1939-40, and then in the final War-time season of 1945-46, when he netted seven times in sixteen games, as things started to return to normal. He rejoined Stoke City after the War before being transferred to Derby County in March 1947. In the year he was at Derby he played eighteen matches and scored twice. He joined Doncaster Rovers in October 1948, appearing thirty-four times and scoring seven, then signed for Mansfield Town in October 1949 and stayed until July 1951 playing sixty-seven times, and scoring twice. The Stags were his final League club, but not the end of his playing career. He went into Non-League with his first club, Oswestry Town, where he became Player-Manager, in July 1951. He moved to Wellington Town as Player-Coach in July 1954, becoming Player-Manager in January 1955 until January 1957. He joined Stafford Rangers as Player-Manager in September 1957 before joining Oswestry Town once more as Player-Coach in July 1958. He became Player-Manager in June 1959, a position he held until June 1962. His final club was Welsh club Berriew where he was Player-Manager in 1963-64. The club held a Testimonial for him in 1968 and Sir Stanley Matthews, who he had played alongside at Stoke City, brought a team to play and a good crowd was in attendance. He is further remembered by the club with the George Antonio Trophy, which is presented to the club's player of the year. He died in Oswestry in 1997.