Colin Holmes’s football career began in remarkable parallel to that of Terry Paine. Born in Winchester five days apart, they were together at secondary school; at work, in the Body Shop at British Rail, Eastleigh; in successful Cup-runs – by the Body Shop XI that won the inter-shop Cup in 1956 (see scrapbook section) and by the Southampton side that reached the 1957 semi-final of the FA Youth Cup, becoming the first side ever to defeat Busby’s Babes – and when they signed pro that February.

A Hampshire Schools boxing champion and a towering centre-half,

Holmes had edged ahead of his tiny workmate in the first half of 1956-57, making his debut for Saints Reserves and playing for England Youth in a 7-1 win (with Jimmy Greaves getting four) over Luxembourg. Yet within three weeks of their turning pro, Paine, who was never capped at Youth level, was in the Saints’ first team – and there to stay, making 816 appearances, 815 more than Holmes. Colin would settle for non-league football (at Salisbury, Basingstoke and Winchester), for being a better cricketer than Terry – playing several times for Hampshire’s 2nd XI – and later for running 10 London Marathons. And far from being jealous of Terry’s footballing success, he admired him for “that streak – that determination,” although he wondered whether Terry’s ambition to “catch up” with him may “have spurred him on a bit.” Having attended the 2008 launch of Terry’s biography, he was soon after diagnosed with lung cancer.