Thanks to the First World War, Sammy Taylor was coming 26 when he had his first taste of League football. He adjusted quickly and was at centre-forward for Huddersfield Town when they lost to Aston Villa in the 1920 FA Cup Final. But he left, during the following season, for four years in Division II with Sheffield Wednesday. By the time he signed for Second Division Southampton in 1925, he had had a season in the Midland League with Mansfield Town, although the £300 transfer fee was paid to Wednesday, who had retained his registration.

With Bill Rawlings in residence at centre-forward, it was a question of which side of him Sammy would play. Introduced on the right, he soon settled in at inside-left, with Stan Woodhouse behind him and Spud Murphy outside.

They formed a regular triangle over the best part of two seasons, arguably the best left-side trio fielded by the club before the Second World War.

Their simple, planned moves often allowed Sammy a free run at goal or, alternatively, he would act as a decoy allowing Murphy an unimpeded surge down the flank. Now approaching 35, Sammy still had something left for 30-odd games in the Third North, in total for Halifax and Chesterfield, and a non-league finale. After the War, he managed a pub in his home-town Sheffield. Reputed to be a “red-hot billiards player,” he was also an accomplished pianist, playing anything from classical to jazz.