Lancastrian Frank Ward had graduated from local football, near Bury, to make more than 250 appearances in the Football League, mostly for Preston. Having featured, mainly at left-half, in the Bury side that won promotion from Division II in 1924, he was kept out of their First Division side in 1924-25 by Bill Turner, newly arrived from Southampton.

He would get a couple of dozen games over the next two seasons but he then returned to Division II for six seasons of regular football with Preston, latterly at full-back. Then, in 1933, he at last left Lancashire, but stayed in the Second Division with Southampton.

He was used mainly at centre-half in his first season and at right-half in his second, although he featured in four positions for the Saints.

Given a free transfer in the summer of 1935, he eased his way back to Lancashire, via the non-league circuit.