Nicknamed “Toddler” because of his small stature, Bobby Carter had such tiny feet that his boots could easily have fitted into those of centre-half, Frank Thorpe.

His size helped him, though, to be a nippy, elusive forward –

until he picked up a head injury in the penultimate game of what would prove to be his only full season at The Dell. An attempted comeback with the Reserves, the following season, was of no avail and he retired to his native Sunderland, where he became licensee of the Ocean Queen public house. He died of a brain tumor in 1928, thus missing by more than four years the Sunderland debut of his son, who would become the legend that was Raich Carter.