Herbert Lock was a daring and acrobatic goalkeeper, not least noted for the manner in which he faced penalty-kicks.

In the days before a goalkeeper had to stand still on his goal-line, Herbert would pace up and down, rather like a caged lion, and eventually position himself slightly off-centre. If the penalty-taker accepted the invitation to aim for the larger target, as Herbert anticipated, he would more often than not make the save.

During the 1908-09 season, he saved eight of the 12 penalties awarded against the Saints. Perhaps a little reckless, Herbert sustained more than his fair share of injuries and, when he met with mishaps in successive visits to Watford’s Cassio Road, he swore that he’d never play there again.

He was able to keep that vow in dramatic fashion – by moving to Glasgow Rangers in 1909 (see scrapbook section).  He was soon among the medals, as Rangers rattled off three successive championship wins in 1910-11-12-13, although Herbert missed most of the third of those seasons, after a characteristic dive at an opponent’s feet in October 1912. During the First World War, he worked in the Glasgow shipyards and guested widely in the Scottish League.

He was back in the Rangers’ goal for another championship triumph in 1919-20. But his first-team days at Ibrox were over and he joined Queens Park Rangers in 1921, in time for the launch of Division III(S). As Southampton were becoming the inaugural winners of that division, Bert was getting only six games for QPR. He thereupon came “home” to act as cover for Tommy Allen. His services were needed come March 1923, when Allen was injured in the FA Cup quarter-final v West Ham. Lock came in for two replays (see scrapbook section), the remainder of the League season and the end-of-season charity matches against Portsmouth.

Tommy returned for 1923-24 and Bert was on his way back to the Third South – to make a dozen appearances for the division’s new boys at Bournemouth. After which, he settled in Southampton, where he worked as a carpenter and joiner with Southern Railway. He died of a heart attack while cycling in Bitterne.