Brian Clifton was serving an apprenticeship with Portals Paper Mills in the Test Valley when he was spotted by Saints scout, Stan Woodhouse, playing for the works-team. His first two years with Southampton were spent doing National Service in the RAF at Boscombe Down. He eventually made his debut – scoring twice – at No.9, but he would mainly alternate, for Ted Bates, between Nos.4 and 10. Not a tall man – his “official” height is invariably stated as 5’11”, but Brian reckons that is stretching the point by at least an inch-and-a-half – his goals nevertheless included a string of classic headers.

The one against Reading ­– an exquisite blend of timing and power from 12 yards, on Easter Monday 1960 – all but secured promotion from Division III. A prescient George O’Brien predicted that “that goal’s going to be remembered forever.”

The iconic image seen above, of that moment, as captured by Echo photographer Jimmy Adams, has helped to ensure its place in the pantheon of the Saints’ most memorable goals, even if Brian modestly bats away any praise that might detract from the contribution to the promotion of Derek Reeves’s record-breaking 39 goals.

Having adjusted to Second Division football well enough to be ever-present in 1961-62, Brian became the first victim of the woeful start to the following season, when the numbers 4 and 10 were handed to Wimshurst and Burnside, respectively. Promptly sold to Grimsby, Brian contrived to damage his knee, just before he departed, in a “kick-about” on the unforgiving asphalt of the Dell car-park. Ted Bates was furious. And they weren’t best pleased with Grimsby, either, when the knee soon gave out. But the big freeze of 1962-63 virtually wiped out three months of fixtures, thus providing the perfect snow-screen for Brian to have his cartilage removed and barely miss a game.

If his ground-play was never quite the same, his heading ability remained undiminished – not least when he converted to centre-half, “almost sweeping”, as he puts it, and playing better, he contends, “than I’d ever played in my life.”

While far from bitter about losing his midfield role at Southampton, he does like to reflect on how “perfectly” he would have complimented Tony Knapp, as a sweeper. After suffering shin-splints at Grimsby, he went part-time, principally with Boston United. Brian then played Lincolnshire League football into his fifties and cricket for even longer. He worked for a company manufacturing freezer cabinets for the fish and poultry industries (see scrapbook for more details). Starting as a draughtsman in the drawing office, he stayed with the same firm for 28 years and was manager of the design department until he retired, remaining in the area at Holton-le-Clay.