Townrow Frank Image 1 Bristol City 1930

Description

West Ham, London born inside right and later inside left/left half Frank Townrow was an England Schoolboys international who began his football career with Barking Town immediately after the First World War and spent 1919-20 on the books of Chelsea without making their first eleven. He returned to non league football with Northfleet in 1920 before signing amateur forms with First Division club Arsenal in November 1920, turning professional in April 1921, making his Football League debut at Sheffield United in October 1922. He played once more the same season and had a run in the team in the late autumn of 1923 when he scored twice for The Gunners in 7 further matches but he remained in the reserves in the Football Combination, and with the arrival of Herbert Chapman he left Highbury to join Scottish League club Dundee in 1926, where among other goals he scored the winner in a Dundee derby match against Dundee United in August 1929.

Townrow returned to Football League action after four years with The Dark Blues, signing for Second Division club Bristol City in June 1930. At Bristol City he played inside left and scored a hat-trick in his fourth match in a 4-2 win over Bury. Described as “a tireless worker, he is a great schemer and has a strong shot”, Townrow only scored twice more during the rest of his single season at Ashton Gate, leaving to join neighbours Bristol Rovers in June 1931 after 22 appearances for The Robins. At Eastville he missed only 4 matches in his first season where from January 1932 he mainly appeared at left half, and played alongside his brother Jack Townrow during his second season with The Gas, scoring 8 goals in 57 appearances for Bristol Rovers before ending his playing career with non league Taunton Town, where he played from 1933 to 1934.

His older brother Jack was an England international who played for Clapton Orient, Chelsea and with Frank at Bristol Rovers.