It could be argued that George Dewar chose an inopportune time to leave his native Dumbarton for Blackburn of the Football League. He had been capped twice by Scotland in the previous season and was effectively abandoning an international career, as the Scottish FA would not then countenance capping deserters to England. What’s more, the Scottish League would be formed a year later and Dumbarton would win it in both 1891 and 1892. Dewar had his recompense, however, in the form of 174 League games for Blackburn and of a Cup-winner’s medal both in 1890 and 1891. In leaving Ewood Park for New Brighton, George picked another winner: they immediately won the Lancashire League. But then he faced another choice: to remain with New Brighton as they were admitted to the Football League’s Division II in 1898 or to join the Southern League Saints?

He had no doubts – to the extent that he organised his transfer to Southampton.

This was not the smartest of moves. Now, 31 and with his best days behind him, George had to wait his chance as the Saints settled into their new home at The Dell. He had but four games, at half-back, in the Southern League and duly moved to Eastleigh, where he worked as an upholsterer – the trade in which he had been apprenticed on ships – at the Railway Carriage Works and played for the railway side, Eastleigh Athletic. Later in life, he was a trimmer at a motor works in Kings Norton.