Pat Harrower

Pat Harrower

Birth name	Patrick Robertson Harrower
Date of birth	19 January 1863
Place of birth	Broughty Ferry, Scotland
Date of death	June 1936
Place of death	Pancras, London, England
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) - London Scottish () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1885 Scotland 1 (0)

Patrick Robertson "Pat" Harrower (19 January 1863 – June 1936) was a Scottish international rugby union fullback who played club rugby for London Scottish F.C. and international rugby for Scotland. Harrower is also notable as an association football referee, and he officiated the 1905 FA Cup Final.

Pat was the son of corn merchant George Kerr Harrower and his wife, Jemima Margaret Wright. The family lived in Broughty Ferry, which was then a suburb of Dundee, but later became a section of the city. His parents separated, and Pat went with his mother and siblings to live in England in 1879. In 1885, Pat married Annie Mary Lake; they had one son, Stewart Dare Harrower. Pat and Annie separated. About 1899, Patrick married Elizabeth Maud (surname unknown). Finally, in 1926, Pat married Ivy Owen. Pat and Ivy had another son, Patrick. Although he was well-known for his refereeing career, Pat mostly worked as a shipping merchant and insurance broker. In June 1936, he died in Pancras, London, England. He was buried in St. Pancras Cemetery on 9 June 1936.

Rugby career

Harrower was born in Broughty Ferry in Forfarshire in 1863, but in 1879, he and his family moved to Islington, Middlesex, England. When he was selected for international duty in 1885, he was playing for Scottish exiles team, London Scottish. His one and only international appearance was for Scotland, against Wales in the 1885 Home Nations Championship standing in for the team's regular fullback, James Veitch. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, with the Welsh team accused of trying to kill the game by their players continually lying on the ball. The next game, Veitch returned to the squad and Harrower never represented his country again.

Refereeing career

Harrower's refereeing career reached its peak when he officiated the 1905 FA Cup Final between Aston Villa and Newcastle. He refereed several international games, with three recorded friendlies between 1906 and 1908, all three games being played between Belgium and the Netherlands.

Bibliography

• Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. London: Willows Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
• Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7.