Rab Howell

Rabbi "Rab" Howell (12 October 1869 – 21 July 1937) was a nineteenth-century professional footballer who played for Sheffield United and Liverpool primarily as a defender. Born in Wincobank in Sheffield, he was of Romani descent and was the first Romani to play for England, winning two caps.

Sheffield United
Howell was a highly skilled player despite his small size (5 feet 5 inches or 1.65 metres), playing as a nippy half-back or inside right. He began his career with the Sheffield club Ecclesfield and also played for Rotherham Swifts before signing along with two other Swifts players, Arthur Watson and Michael Whitham for newly formed Sheffield United in March 1890. Although he made his debut as a striker Howell was soon moved to defence where he played for the remainder of his career. He won promotion with the Blades to the First Division in 1893, and, in 1897–98, a Championship medal.

"Rab Howell," observed the player's Sheffield United teammate Ernest Needham,


 * "a gypsy by birth, perhaps owes some of his inexhaustible vitality to his lucky parentage. Certain it is that no man is more untiring. In his right-hand position this light-weight player (9st.12lbs or 57.3 kg.) always excels. He rejoices at meeting the best of forward wings, and should the outside man indulge in dribbling he sticks to him like a leech. Many duels have I seen between him and Fred (Spiksley of The Wednesday), and generally Howell has come off best. Unfortunately he is a little too fond of keeping the ball too long, and loses many opportunities."

Howell often fell foul of the club hierarchy who imposed strict codes of conduct on their players, and regularly appeared in front of the Football Committee on charges of 'misconduct' although this often resulted in him being offered a pay increase and asked to 'mend his ways'. More serious allegations were to be levelled at him however, as in his final season at the club he was believed to have attempted to throw a game against rivals for the Championship Sunderland, scoring two own goals. No charges were ever brought but Howell only played one more game for United before being quietly sold to Liverpool. He left Bramall Lane having played for 5 years, making over 200 appearances for the club. There is no evidence of match fixing, however. A more likely explanation for his sudden departure is his extra-marital affair: he set up another family in Lancashire after he left for Liverpool. Such a scandal in Victorian times would have been hushed up.

Liverpool and Preston North End
In April 1898 Howell was transferred to Liverpool for a fee of £200, making his debut for the club in a game against Aston Villa. He played 68 times for Liverpool, scoring no goals. Three years later he moved on to Preston North End, where his career was ended by broken leg in 1903.

International career
Howell scored once for the national team, on his debut in a 9–0 rout of Ireland in April 1895. His second and last appearance came in a win against Scotland four years later.

Honours
Sheffield United
 * Football League champions: 1897–98

Personal life
It seems likely that Howell was born, and lived as a child, in a Romani encampment in Sheffield. His father's profession is listed on his birth certificate as a "besom-maker." By the time of the 1871 census, however, the family were living in a house in Stocks Hill in Ecclesfield. Some of the misinformation about Rab comes from people believing an interview he gave to a match day programme in 1897 where he says amongst other things, spinning people along, that he lived in a caravan: which he clearly did not as census returns show.

Death
After giving up football, Howell worked as a general labourer and night watchman, retiring c. 1931. By late 1936 he was in poor health and almost blind, but maintained a keen interest in football and had sports news read to him by members of his family. He died on 21 July 1937 at his home in Preston, aged 69. Howell was buried in an unmarked grave at Preston Old Cemetery, however in 2015 a headstone was unveiled during a ceremony following a campaign to raise money.