Bill Clarke had been a goal-scorer in Leicester: following his 75 goals in a season for the local Nomads, he had topped the charts for Leicester City’s Reserves in 1936-37. He couldn’t get into the first team, however, that won Division II that season and moved on to Third Division Exeter. After a season in which he played only 12 times and scored but once for the Grecians, he was given a free transfer to Southampton. His chances of Second Division football were again limited.

Deployed in the Saints’ Reserves at outside-left, he was effectively under-studying Harry Osman, who had just established a club record for goals from the wing. But rejecting a move to Midland League Peterborough, Clarke waited his chance. It came in mid-April, soon after Osman had moved to Millwall when Bill was one of two debutants – Eric Webber was the other – at Blackburn. He played again in the last game of the season but was released later that month. He returned to Leicestershire with Hinckley United, but any thoughts of emulating his goal-scoring days were soon extinguished by the outbreak of war.