Cowper Peter Image 1 Southampton 1931

Description

Tyldesley, near Wigan, Lancashire born outside right Peter Cowper had a journeyman career which started with Burns Celtic in 1918, he also played for Parkside Rangers in 1919 and Atherton Collieries in 1920 before trials at Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Borough in 1923, for whom he never played a first team match, before joining Rossendale United. In June 1924 he signed for First Division West Ham United for whom he made his Football League debut that October against Bury, and although he retained his place in the starting line up for the next game at Nottingham Forest he hadn’t played again for the first team by the time he left West Ham for Grimsby Town in June 1927.

A brief spell at Grimsby saw him play 4 times in the early part of the season before joining non league Lancaster Town later in 1927, whereupon he moved to New Brighton in August 1928, where he missed only two games in 1928-29, scoring 16 goals in 41 matches. His two seasons at New Brighton saw 19 goals in 72 games, before a move to Southampton in June 1930, where he only appeared 5 times in the next two seasons but scored prolifically for the reserves, scoring 33 goals in 50 matches. In March 1932 he moved back to Lancashire with Southport and scored once in his pair of appearances before the end of the season, when he moved to Carlisle United in July 1932, for whom he appeared 12 times the following season scoring once. He subsequently played for Wigan Athletic in 1933 scoring 13 goals in 37 Cheshire League games, and Altrincham in 1934 before finishing his career at Prescot Cables whom he joined in 1935.

NB This photograph was taken before Southampton’s match at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 31st January 1931, Wolves won 3-2.