Arthur Rowe was an innovator at a time when English soccer was wedded to the tactics of Arsenal's Herbert Chapman, whose style bypassed the midfield and much-depended on expensively imported talent. When other clubs who lacked similar spending power adopted Chapman's approach, the English game morphed into a heavy dependence on longball football, beef-and-muscle, luck, and the defensive frailties of opponents. Rowe's approach, with which he gained instant success wherever he coached, depended instead on short, first-time passing to feet.
Before injury ended Rowe's Spurs playing career he had captained the club into the First Division and was also capped by England. Then, on the eve of the Second World War, the FA selected him to visit Hungary where he passed on his soccer beliefs to locals such as Gusztáv Sebes (who would utilise a very similar style to Rowe's when coaching Hungary to two punishing defeats of England in the 1950s).
When selected as manager of his boyhood side in 1949 Arthur immediately won successive Championships, yet his thrilling 'push-and-run' style was oddly disparaged by certain of his club directors. Unable to rebuild, Rowe's ageing side gradually faltered until poor health saw him step down in 1955. However 'pupil' Bill Nicholson, benefiting from a level of financial support Arthur could only dream of led Spurs to their glories of the early 1960s.
Simultaneously Arthur, with 'push-and-run', was leading high-scoring and entertaining Crystal Palace into the of the decade. Sadly, further ill-health would see Rowe revert to a backroom role, but, contributing to youth development he saw Palace reach the First Division in a year earlier than his prediction. The club has rarely looked back since.
'Push-and-run' had pre-dated 'Total Football' by two decades and the tactics of Sebes, Cruyff, Arteta, Guardiola and others can legitimately be traced back to this unfairly overlooked visionary.
