Until the arrival of Paulo Gazzaniga in 2012, George Ephgrave enjoyed the distinction of being Southampton’s tallest-ever goalkeeper. Standing at 6’4”, George had a hand-span of 10 ins and a ‘wing-span’ of 6’8”. He could pick up an old leather ball one-handed (see scrapbook section) and reach the crossbar without lifting the heels of his size 12 boots.

No wonder he soon caught the attention of the Echo cartoonist.Moving to Guernsey aged 12, he played his early football on the island and managed only one first-team game in his three pre-war seasons with Football League sides, George spent most of the War as a POW in Odessa having been captured at Crete when serving with the Royal Marines.

He started 1946-47 in the Saints’ goal, aposition he shared for a season and a half of Second Division football with Len Stansbridge, another returning POW. He then made way for the incoming Ian Black and soon left for the Third South, with Norwich and then Watford.

George made only a few appearances for each of them, though. After playing non-league football and running a pub, he returned to Guernsey, where he became a market-gardener.