Jehovah’s Witness: Peter Knowles competed for Wolverhampton Wanderers from 1962 up until the 1969–70 season. A club where he made 174 appearances. However, towards the end of the decade he was drawn by Jehovah’s Witness, a restorationist Christian denomination.
He was forced to bring his career to a close at a time when he was considered for the England squad for the World Cup. Although, the religion does not stand against sports; any form of sports that involve violent contact is prohibited. Furthermore, all activities that stand against meetings and preaching must be avoided.
Despite having played rugby league, both Peter and his brother Cyril were highly skilled football players. They were surrounded by rugby league players and were from Yorkshire. In 1962, when he was 17 years old, Peter signed a six-year contract with Wolves. He made his debut early in the 1963–1964 campaign against Leicester City under Stan Cullis. Knowingly playing below his Second Division level, the adolescent exhibited an arrogant swagger throughout his game.
Jehovah’s Witness: The religion that took England’s brightest prospect in the 60s away from football
He was rewarded with an under-23 cap and appeared to be on track for a successful club and national career. In 1969, after Wolves had finished a tour in the US and had returned to Britain, Knowles made a statement that drastically changed the course of his career. In Kansas, he converted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith.
Knowles scored in the first three games of Wolves’ first four victories in the 1969–70 season, but after that, his career came to an end in a 3–3 tie with Nottingham Forest. For 12 years, Wolves held onto his registration, but in 1982 Graham Hawkins gave up and ended his contract.
Peter Knowles in an interview explained: “I didn’t believe in God at the time. I didn’t believe that a deity existed. I was pleased to be a professional football player and play for Wolves. I’m not doing this to boast. But I was good at it, and I enjoyed it. My doorbell was once rang by two Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Why did my father and my two sisters, who had committed crimes, pass away?” I prompted them. They went in and answered the question. They answered more concerns that I had not previously had a response to.
“In this way, I became a Jehovah’s Witness. I would have continued playing football if I hadn’t run into them. You know, I could have told the Witnesses to go by facing them. I do not concur with what you mentioned. But while I listened, I convinced myself that it is reasonable.”
