 Lowe playing forYork City in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Keith Stephen Lowe[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-09-13)13 September 1985 (age 40)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Wolverhampton, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2004 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2008 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 14 | (0) |
| 2005 | →Burnley (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Swansea City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2006 | →Cheltenham Town (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2007 | →Cheltenham Town (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | →Port Vale (loan) | 28 | (3) |
| 2008–2009 | Kidderminster Harriers | 43 | (4) |
| 2009–2010 | Hereford United | 19 | (1) |
| 2010–2014 | Cheltenham Town | 111 | (7) |
| 2013–2014 | →York City (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | York City | 83 | (8) |
| 2016–2017 | Kidderminster Harriers | 62 | (6) |
| 2017–2019 | Macclesfield Town | 59 | (1) |
| 2019 | Nuneaton Borough | 8 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Bradford (Park Avenue) | 13 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Kidderminster Harriers | 48 | (2) |
| 2022 | Rushall Olympic | ||
| 2022–2023 | Hednesford Town | 13 | (0) |
| Total | 547 | (33) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Keith Stephen Lowe (born 13 September 1985) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as acentre back. He made over 634 league and cup appearances in a 19-year playing career.
AWolverhampton Wanderers academy graduate, between 2005 and 2008 he wasloaned out seven times:Burnley,Queens Park Rangers,Swansea City,Brighton & Hove Albion,Cheltenham Town (twice) andPort Vale. He then dropped out ofthe Football League to spend the 2008–09 season as a Kidderminster Harriers player. He then spent a season withHereford United before signing withCheltenham Town in 2010. He was voted Cheltenham's Player of the Year in 2011. He joinedLeague Two clubYork City, initially on loan, in November 2013. In January 2016, he rejoined Kidderminster Harriers before moving on toMacclesfield Town in June 2017. He helped Macclesfield to winpromotion as champions of the National League at the end of the 2017–18 season. He started the 2019–20 season atNuneaton Borough before moving on to Bradford (Park Avenue) in September 2019. He returned to Kidderminster Harriers again in January 2020. In the summer of 2022, Lowe announced he would be moving to part-time football to facilitate a career in teaching, and subsequently played forRushall Olympic andHednesford Town.
Born inWolverhampton, West Midlands, Lowe was a product ofWolverhampton Wanderers' academy.ManagerDave Jones handed him his first-team debut on 23 August 2004, in a 4–2 win atRochdale in theLeague Cup.[1][3][4] He signed his first professionalcontract of three and a half years in November 2004,[5] however, he was unable to claim a regular first-team place atMolineux and was firstloaned out toBurnley at the start of the2005–06 season.[6] At Burnley he scored his first goal in professional football in a 3–0 League Cup win overBarnsley atTurf Moor on 20 September.[7] Following his return in December 2005, he joinedQueens Park Rangers on a one-month loan in February 2006,[8] After playing just one QPR match, he had rather more success atSwansea City in March 2006,[9] playing six matches in all, and winning theFootball League Trophy. Lowe played all ninety minutes of the2006 Football League Trophy final, as Swansea beatCarlisle United 2–1.[10]
He started the2006–07 campaign on loan atBrighton & Hove Albion,[11] without making an appearance for the first-team. ManagerMark McGhee hadAdam Hinshelwood andGuy Butters out injured, whilstJoel Lynch was a doubt and admitted that he was short of cover on the bench beforeGeorges Santos was signed and said after Lowe arrived that "we don't think for a minute that we are signingRio Ferdinand".[4] A two-month loan spell withCheltenham Town started in September 2006, they appreciated him so much that he was invited back to spend the 2007 end of the season with them.[12][13]
Lowe spent the whole of2007–08 withPort Vale[14] and made 31 appearances[15] as the club sufferedrelegation out ofLeague One in 23rd place.[16]
In May 2008, Lowe was released by his parent club.[17] He subsequently signed forConference Premier clubKidderminster Harriers[18] and played 52 matches in 2008–09 before being released due to budgetary concerns.[19][20]
In May 2009, he signed withLeague Two clubHereford United, but was released at the end of2009–10 after making 25 appearances.[21] His only goal for the "Bulls" came in a 2–1 win overDarlington atEdgar Street on 31 October.[22]
Lowe joinedCheltenham Town permanently in June 2010,[23] becoming the club's first choice right-back before his season was prematurely ended by an ankle injury in the home defeat toGillingham on 27 March 2011. His consistency endeared him to the Cheltenham fans who named him as their Player of the Year for2010–11.[24] An appearance clause in his contract also ensured he would remain at the club until summer 2012.[25] He made 31 league appearances in2011–12 to helpMark Yates' team book a place in the League Twoplay-off places. He was an unusedsubstitute in thefinal atWembley Stadium, as Cheltenham lost 2–0 toCrewe Alexandra.[26] On 27 October 2012, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win overExeter City atWhaddon Road to earn himself a place on the League Two team of the week.[27]
On 21 November 2013, Lowe joined Cheltenham's League Two rivalsYork City on loan until January 2014, with a view to a permanenttransfer.[28] He made his debut two days later in a 2–1 defeat away toSouthend United,[29] and made nine appearances for York before signing permanently on 7 January 2014 on a two-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[30]The Press voted him 'Press Player of the Year' in2013–14.[31]
Lowe played in 49 of York's 50 matches in2014–15, missing just one League Cup match.[32] On 23 August, he scored in a 1–1 draw at Exeter City and was named in the Football League team of the week.[33] He won a place on the team of the week for a second time after scoring a brace in a 3–1 victory atHartlepool United on 22 November.[34] He was once again included after scoring the only goal of the game againstAccrington Stanley on Boxing Day.[35] He was voted by York supporters as the club'sClubman of the Year for 2014–15.[36] Having earlier been made available for loan under new managerJackie McNamara, Lowe left York by mutual consent on 9 December 2015.[37]
On 12 January 2016, Lowe rejoined Kidderminster Harriers, now bottom of theNational League, until the end of 2015–16.[38] He made his debut when starting their 1–0 home defeat toGuiseley on 23 January 2016.[39] He scored two goals in 20 appearances[39] as Kidderminster were relegated in 23rd place.[40] Whilst considering whether to accept Kidderminster's new contract offer or to play higher-level football, Lowe said it was "a choice between my head and my heart", implying his heart lay atAggborough Stadium.[41] He decided to remain with Kidderminster in part due to his reverence for managerJohn Eustace, signing a new contract in June 2016,[42] and was named as clubcaptain in August.[43] Lowe scored five goals in 51 appearances in2016–17,[39] helping Kidderminster to a second-place finish before they suffered defeat in the play-off semi-final to sixth-placeChorley.[44] He was named in the 2016–17 National League North Team of the Year, alongside teammatesZaine Francis-Angol andJames McQuilkin.[45] In June 2017, Lowe was told he could leave Kidderminster on afree transfer, but remained under contract at the club.[46]
Lowe signed a one-year contract with National League clubMacclesfield Town on 29 June 2017.[47] He played every minute of Macclesfield's 46 league matches during the2017–18 season[39] as the club earnedpromotion back to League Two as champions of the National League.[48] ManagerJohn Askey left the club after this success, but his replacement, Mark Yates, had coached Lowe at Cheltenham and Kidderminster, and offered him a new one-year contract.[49] However, he featured only 17 times in the2018–19 campaign, playing only two games afterSol Campbell took charge in December.[50] He leftMoss Rose after being released in the summer.[51] Lowe went on to become one of six players – the others beingShamir Mullings,Elliott Durrell,Rhys Taylor,Jamie Grimes andRyan Lloyd – to issue the club with awinding-up petition over unpaid wages.[52]
On 25 July 2019, Lowe joinedNuneaton Borough in theSouthern League Premier Division Central.[53] He was released by the "Boro" after just two months however, on 22 September.[54] Two days after leavingLiberty Way, he signed with National League North sideBradford (Park Avenue).[55] He served the club as captain and saw an upturn in form under new managerMark Bower, before he rejoined Kidderminster Harriers for a third spell on 4 January 2020.[56] He scored one goal in nine appearances for the Harriers in the2019–20 season, which was permanently suspended on 26 March due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in England, with Kidderminster in 16th-place.[57] In May 2020, he agreed a new contract to keep him at Kidderminster.[58] He made 16 appearances in the2020–21 season, which was also curtailed early due to the ongoing pandemic.[39][59] He made 30 appearances during the2021–22 campaign, including playing in the play-off quarter-final defeat toBoston United.[39][60] Following the conclusion of the season, Lowe announced his intention to move to playing part-time, alongside a career in teaching.[61]
On 9 June 2022, he signed for Southern League Premier Division Central sideRushall Olympic, with manager, Liam McDonald, hailing it as a "massive signing".[62] On 29 September 2022, Lowe moved to league rivalsHednesford Town.[63] He played 17 games for Hednesford in the first half of the2022–23 season, before leaving the club in February 2023 after proving unable to recovery from an injury picked up towards the end of 2022.[64][65]
Lowe is renowned for his clean play.[66] In the first 167 appearances of his career the defender received just oneyellow card – given to him on 17 March 2006 whilst with Swansea. However, he picked up two further bookings in2010–11.[67]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2004–05[3] | Championship | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| 2005–06[68] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07[69] | Championship | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2007–08[15] | Championship | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Burnley (loan) | 2005–06[68] | Championship | 16 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 2005–06[68] | Championship | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Swansea City (loan) | 2005–06[68] | League One | 4 | 0 | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 2006–07[69] | League One | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Cheltenham Town (loan) | 2006–07[69] | League One | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Port Vale (loan) | 2007–08[15] | League One | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 2008–09[19] | Conference Premier | 43 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 5[b] | 0 | 52 | 4 | |
| Hereford United | 2009–10[70] | League Two | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| Cheltenham Town | 2010–11[67] | League Two | 36 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| 2011–12[71] | League Two | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
| 2012–13[72] | League Two | 31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 1 | 37 | 5 | |
| 2013–14[29] | League Two | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| Total | 111 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 133 | 8 | ||
| York City | 2013–14[29] | League Two | 30 | 1 | — | — | 2[e] | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15[32] | League Two | 46 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 49 | 6 | |
| 2015–16[73] | League Two | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 92 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 101 | 8 | ||
| Kidderminster Harriers | 2015–16[39] | National League | 20 | 2 | — | — | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| 2016–17[39][74] | National League North | 42 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 5[f] | 1 | 51 | 5 | ||
| Total | 62 | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 71 | 7 | |||
| Macclesfield Town | 2017–18[39] | National League | 46 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[g] | 0 | 49 | 1 | |
| 2018–19[75] | League Two | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[h] | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 66 | 1 | ||
| Nuneaton Borough | 2019–20[76] | Southern League Premier Division Central | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Bradford (Park Avenue) | 2019–20[39] | National League North | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[g] | 1 | 15 | 1 | |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 2019–20[39] | National League North | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2020–21[39] | National League North | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[g] | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22[39] | National League North | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 3[i] | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| Total | 48 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 55 | 2 | ||
| Hednesford Town | 2022–23[64] | Southern League Premier Division Central | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[j] | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| Career total | 547 | 33 | 28 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 44 | 3 | 634 | 36 | ||
Swansea City
Macclesfield Town
Individual
