Arthur Rowe, British champion shot putter
Barnsley-born Arthur Rowe was Britain’s first truly world class thrower. A true amateur, Rowe practiced shot put in a pub car park and even forged his own shot put at the blacksmiths where he worked.
Considering Rowe was putting the shot half a century ago, his best mark of 19.56m achieved in 1962 would rank him very highly today, in fact I wouldn’t mind betting he would get the better of current UK number 1 Carl Myerscough in a head to head.
I do not intend to give Rowe’s life story, however I feel the following photos tell the story of this true Yorkshire athlete. If you would like to know more information about Rowe, his obituary that appeared in the Guardian in 2003 can be found here.
Willie Robertson said
am April 29 2010 @ 11:06 am
My first year competing at professional games circuit was Arthur’s last season at the games.
He was great company, had a load stories of the games and sport in general.
It is great the position with the amateur/professional nonsense is abolished. I coach lads for shot, discus and hammer. I can now enter any young thrower for SGA games.
Willie Robertson
jim hogg said
am May 2 2010 @ 10:22 pm
This guy was my inspiration as a young shot putter. I trained in similarly austere conditions, but without his talent of course, though I went on to become the Scottish Schools junior shot winner and record holder in both 72 and 73, but quit after school. Rowe was very light - under 16 stone - for a putter, and I was 4 stone lighter than he was. I was simply in the wrong sport, and he was a class apart anyway. Pound for pound he may have been the best putter ever. Those who saw him throw on the highland games circuit said he moved with astonishing speed, even in his later years. RIP Mr Rowe.
Louise Rowe said
am June 17 2011 @ 2:28 pm
Thank you for the kind comments about my Dad he was an inspiration and he worked hard and overcame lots of barriers to achieve what he did. He makes me very proud to be his daughter
Kind Regards
Louise
Geoff Capes said
am November 8 2011 @ 2:21 pm
Arthur was truly an inspiration to me I met him a couple of times. Truly a great thrower I followed in his footsteps I wanted to be like him and as good !! I did both, but will remember him as my light and guide through my career as I looked up to my old mate Geoff Teal both from yorkshire and their coach Mr Boyce Thanks Arthur I will never forget you!! Geoff Capes
Peter Skevington said
am January 1 2012 @ 5:43 pm
I was a reasonable shot putter whilst still at school but lacked the dedication to training required to progress as an adult competitor. Arthur and the USA athlete Parry O’Brien were boyhood heroes of mine in what was an unsung event. Being a Bedfordshire lad I met Joe Bugner, who in 1965 or thereabouts was a mightily impressive young shot putter and discus thrower. I remember a Polish (?) youth called Andre Drzewski or similar, who was talented shotputter what became of him I wonder?