As a Deanery schoolboy, Roger Fry supported the Saints from the Milton Road terrace. Having started an apprenticeship in the Docks, he was playing for Vospers when Tom Parker’s scouts spotted his abilities as a goal-scoring left-sided winger/midfielder. Signing as a professional at 19, he developed into a man-marking full-back with Denis Hollywood as his role-model. Roger believes that Hollywood’s fearsome reputation masked excellent technique, great timing in the tackle and the ability to stay on his feet. After three seasons of Reserve-team football, he came in for Hollywood in the final game of the 1970-71 season.

Competition for the left-back berth was fierce: when Hollywood (one dodgy knee) or Francis Burns (even more dodgy knees) were nursing their injuries, right-back Joe Kirkup could move to No.3. So Roger never really enjoyed an extended run. If he could count himself lucky to miss the 8-0 thrashing by Everton in November 1971, there would be no escape, come March, from the infamous 7-0 humiliation by Leeds, shown on Match of the Day.

The two young, local full-backs, McCarthy and Fry, were the convenient fall-guys.

Although Bob McCarthy survived to play many more times for Saints, Roger’s first-team days were over. After another season of niggly injuries and Reserves-football, Roger reluctantly requested a transfer and duly moved to Walsall. When Walsall came to St. Mary’s in 2010 – their first League visit to Southampton in nearly 50 years – the “Connections” column in the match-day programme neglected to mention Roger’s 136 games over four seasons with the Saddlers, more than any other player featured there. Breezing through Fellows Park, Dave Mackay stayed just long enough to hand Roger a free transfer.

Despite nibbles from other clubs, he returned home to Southampton, for three enjoyable seasons with Salisbury, winding up his career with North Baddesley and turning out for the Ex-Saints into his fifties. He switched from plumbing to production planning at Vospers and then worked in a similar capacity at the various incarnations of Aerostructures for the next 20 years and counting, while remaining a Saints fan and season-ticket holder.