Gary Rowell

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Lord Gary of Rowell, (born June 6, 1957), is a football commentator for Magic 1152 and a former football player.

After school in Seaham, he joined Sunderland A.F.C as an apprentice in 1972. For much of his career (1972–84) he was a midfield player for Sunderland A.F.C., his local team. He scored 102 goals for The Black Cats, becoming the record post war goal scorer on beating Len Shackleton's previous record 101. Rowell's record stood until it in turn was beaten by Kevin Phillips in the early 21st century.

Gary was a talented player who many Sunderland supporters felt could have, in time, been 'fully' capped by England but for the disruption caused to his career by a serious knee injury sustained in March 1979.

Sunderland manager Len Ashurst forced Rowell out of Roker Park as part of a huge rebuilding plan in 1984, part of the slide which would ultimately take them to the third tier of English football for the only time in the club's history. Rowell moved to Norwich City, but never recreated his goalscoring exploits because of a knee injury he picked up on his first pre season tour with the Canaries. The injury would ultimately blight the rest of his career, although he did go on to play for Middlesbrough, Brighton and Carlisle, before finishing his career with Burnley.

Gary is best loved for scoring a hat-trick for Sunderland A.F.C in a 4-1 win away at local rivals Newcastle United in February 1979. Describing the match later, he said "When we hit the 4th I had a chat with Kevin Arnott about whether to try for a fifth or just to take the piss. We decided to take the piss."

He now works as a radio summariser for north-east radio station Magic 1152, commentating on all Sunderland games. In 2005 he was voted Sunderland's all-time cult hero on the television programme Football Focus, whilst in 2006, Sunderland fanzine A Love Supreme voted him their Best Player of the 1980's.

[edit] Career

Sunderland: 1972–1984, 293 appearances, 102 goals
Norwich City: 1984–1985, 6 appearances, 1 goal
Middlesbrough: 1985–1986, 27 appearances, 10 goals
Brighton: 1986–1987, 12 appearances
Carlisle United: 1988, 7 appearances
Burnley: 1988–1989, 19 appearances, 1 goal