Norman Low

Norman Low

Personal information
Full name	Norman Harvey Low
Date of birth	23 March 1914(1914-03-23)
Place of birth	Aberdeen, Scotland
Date of death	21 May 1994(1994-05-21) (aged 80)
Place of death	Toronto, Canada
Playing position	Central defender
Youth career
	Rosehill Villa
1931–1933	Newcastle United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1933–1936	Liverpool	13	(0)
1936–1946	Newport County	112	(0)
1946–1950	Norwich City	150	(0)
Total		275	(0)
Teams managed
1950–1955	Norwich City
1956–1957	Workington
1957–1962	Port Vale
1967–1968	Witton Albion
1968	Cleveland Stokers
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Norman Harvey Low (23 March 1914 – 21 May 1994) was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the son of Scottish international footballer, Wilf Low.^[1]

A central defender, he played for Newcastle United between 1931 and 1933, before a three years spell with Liverpool. From 1936 up until the end of World War II he turned out for Newport County, before he spent 1946 to 1950 with Norwich City.

In 1950 he was appointed as Norwich City's manager, a position he held for five years. He spent 1956 to 1957 as Workington manager, before he was installed in the hotseat at Port Vale. He led the club to the Fourth Division title in 1958–59, before resigning in October 1962. Spending time as a scout at Stoke City and Liverpool, he was made Witton Albion manager in 1967, before he took to the United States for a brief spell in charge of the Cleveland Stokers in 1968.

Playing career

Low began his professional career with Liverpool, but the dominant centre-half struggled to get into the first team. Though he did play eleven consecutive games in place of Tom Bradshaw for the First Division club during the first half of the 1934–35 season.^[1]

Leaving Anfield in 1936, he then spent ten years with Newport County. During World War II he also guested for Bristol City, Everton, Liverpool, Swindon Town and Lovell's Athletic.^[2] In 1946 he moved onto Norwich City, where he played 150 league games in four years.

Management career

Low was appointed manager of Third Division Norwich City in 1950, before he left the club in April 1955.^[3]

After a short spell in charge at Workington he was made manager of Port Vale in February 1957. Replacing Freddie Steele who developed the Steel/Iron curtain, Low adopted an attacking policy, instructing his players 'to go out an entertain the public'.^[2] Despite the fact that 'he never discussed the opposition' he led the club to the Fourth Division title in 1958–59. The club adapted well to life in Third Division and he also helped the club lift the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy in 1961. However he could not 'see eye to eye with the board on their buying policy' and tendered his resignation in October 1962.^[2] He had travelled to Huddersfield Town to sign Willie Davie for a £20,000 fee; however during his absence the Port Vale directors finalized agreements for Freddie Steele to return to the club, and upon his return he found himself out of a job.^[4]

He later served as a scout at Stoke City and Liverpool before taking up the reigns at Witton Albion^[2] in 1967. He later emigrated to North America, where he became the coach of Cleveland Stokers.^[2]

Honours

as a Manager

with Port Vale

• Football League Fourth Division champion: 1958–59
• Supporters' Clubs' Trophy winner: 1961

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Norman Low". lfchistory.net. http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=720. Retrieved 2009-06-10. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 177. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200. 
3. ^ "Norman Low". leaguemanagers.com. http://www.leaguemanagers.com/manager/history-1333.html. Retrieved 2009-06-10. 
4. ^ Dawson, Denis (2010). Port Vale: Grass Roots Revisited. Three Counties Publishing. pp. 66–67. ISBN 9780955484575. 

External links

• Norman Low management career stats at Soccerbase

Sporting positions
Preceded by Jack Taylor	Norwich City Captain 1946-1950	Succeeded by Reg Foulkes

Persondata
Name	Low, Norman
Alternative names	Norman Harvey Low
Short description	Footballer, football manager
Date of birth	23 March 1914
Place of birth	Aberdeen, Scotland
Date of death	21 May 1994
Place of death	Toronto, Canada