Alfred Rowland (2 September 1920 – 1997) was an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a defender. He made 96 appearances in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

during spells with

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...

and

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...

Early life

During World War II, Rowland served in the Middle East with the

Green Howards The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...

. He was captured and served four years as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

Career

Following the end of World War II, Rowland began his professional career with

where he made 93 appearances in the

. In 1949, he signed for

for a fee of £10,500, a club record for Aldershot. However, he struggled to establish himself in the first team at Cardiff, making only three appearances as injury cover for

Fred Stansfield Fred Stansfield (12 December 1917 – 30 March 2014) was a Welsh international footballer. Career Stansfield, a centre-half, had been playing for Grange Athletic when he joined Cardiff City in 1942 as a part-time professional. He was immediat ...

, before dropping out of professional football.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowland, Alf 1920 births 1997 deaths Green Howards soldiers British World War II prisoners of war British Army personnel of World War II English men's footballers Aldershot F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players English Football League players Men's association football defenders Military personnel from North Yorkshire Sportspeople from North Yorkshire