A six-match loan-spell is likely to be a minor interlude in the career of any player, but this was especially so when Colin Boulton took a temporary leave from Derby County to keep goal for Southampton. In his long stay at the Baseball Ground, he had been the only ever-present in the Rams’ two Championship-winning sides of 1972 and 1975. But, out of favour with manager Dave Mackay, Boulton stopped by at The Dell to help out Lawrie McMenemy, whose Cup-winning side had started the 1976-77 season badly, with Steve Middleton not inspiring his manager as a stand-in for the injured Ian Turner.

Colin’s stay was not lacking in drama, with a 6-2 defeat at Charlton and a 6-2 win at Wolves in successive away games. Despite playing behind a “nightmare defence” that bore no resemblance to the protection provided by Colin Todd, Boulton would happily have signed full-time. But he was required back at Derby, leaving Middleton to play his last game for the club, while McMenemy found himself another loanee ’keeper in Jim Montgomery. Restored to Derby’s first team by Mackay and retained by his successor, Colin Murphy, Boulton would go on to total 344 games for the club – a record for County’s goalkeepers – before heading to Los Angeles for three years in the NASL. His return to the Football League with Lincoln was soon ended by a broken leg. The son of a police officer, and himself a former police cadet, Colin now sold burglar alarms for a firm run by ex-police officers. After which, he was a sales rep’ for Mitre Sports for 27 years. In retirement, he is faithful to his roots, following Gloucester RFC and generally preferring rugby union to football, with all of its divers and other cheats.

(When Brian Clough took over at Derby in 1967, he vowed to “sack the bloody lot.” His purge fell short of that, with Colin Boulton among the three surviving first-teamers as 11 men went out of the door, reportedly along with two tea-ladies, said to have laughed following a defeat).