1889 Books

MY SPEECH GIVEN ON THE DAY:
"I’d like to welcome everyone today, especially family members who have travelled  to be here, Kevin Abbott from Preston End, and John Garrett and Tony Currie, my boyhood hero, from Sheffield United.

Rabbi Howell was born on 26th October 1867 in a gypsy encampment in Dore, now a suburb of Sheffield. His father’s occupation is recorded as ‘besom maker’ –those witches’ brooms.  He was the fifth of eight children born to Thomas Howell and Elizabeth Brown.

Rab started playing local league football for the amateur side Ecclesfield, whilst earning a living as a coal miner. His first recorded match is, I believe, an 11-0 drubbing at the hands of The Wednesday. Ouch. By this time it appears that the Howells had became house-dwellers.

He had a brief spell in another local league team: Rotherham Swifts before signing a professional contract with Sheffield United in their first season, 1889/90. He was one of Sheffield United’s first professionals and the first Romani professional. He continued to play for United and was a mainstay of the team right through to a couple of weeks before they won the English First Division in 1898.

He married Selina Smith, a fellow Romani in 1888 and they had 4 children.

At 5'5½", he was one of the “legendary midget half-backs” alongside the great Ernest Needham, and Tommy Morren. They were regarded as the best half-back line of their day and their goals conceded record was unmatched.

He was a tough, hard-working, little player, and refused to wear shin-pads. He was described variously as “the terrier” and “the evergreen.” There was no rolling on the floor when tackled—he carried on playing in one crucial blood and thunder game against Villa with a huge cut over his eye. A newspaper report at the time said: “I don’t know exactly what Howell is made of, but he is an acrobat and I believe if he were standing on his head he would somehow get his kick in, and the ball would be picked up by one of his side.”

When he was transferred to Liverpool, he made a new home with Ada McGrail and they went on to have 5 children.

At Liverpool, his experience was crucial to Tom Watson’s building of their first championship winning side. At Liverpool he won his second cap for England, in the top fixture at the time— against Scotland. As an aside, it is especially sad that Liverpool FC have not sent a representative to honour a former player. It reflects poorly on their community involvement and their anti-discrimination stance. Rab would have undoubtedly played more for his country  had the FA been less biased towards professionals and working class men.

He moved to Preston North End at the end of Liverpool’s 1901 campaign, and played for two and a bit seasons before badly breaking his leg during a match. He was by this time 36 years old: he had been at the top level of English football for 13 years, a remarkable achievement for a player back then.

Hope you like the stone Rab."