A brewery bottle-washer in his youth, Bill Smith progressed though minor football on the Woolston side of the River Itchen before coming to the attention of George Carter, who was then in charge of Southampton’s Reserves. Having signed for the Saints, Bill spent most of the next five years with Carter’s second string. His reward, in an era when the Reserves played plenty of competitive football, was a haul of eight medals, not dissimilar to Carter’s own, including two in each of the Hampshire League, the Hampshire Senior Cup and the Southampton Senior Cup.

A versatile player – he turned out in five different positions in his 13 Southern League games

– Bill would make only 20 first-team appearances, overall. But his loyalty was recognised in the award of a benefit match – albeit only against Woolston – in 1912. It realised £23.13s.3d [£23.66p]. Later that year, he emigrated to Sydney, Australia. He initially worked as a shipwright, while playing football in suburban Sydney. He later set up a successful business, building high-quality housing. Visiting England in 1954, Bill made sure he took in a game at The Dell.