Tom Emanuel’s opportunities for playing football, rather than rugby, were limited until he went to work for ICI. Turning out for their works-team in a local Cup Final at the Vetch Field, he caught the eye of Swansea Town and duly joined them. Following Charlie Sillett’s retirement from League football, Southampton started the 1938-39 season with manager Tom Parker experimenting at left-back. After six games in which he had tried four players in that position, he paid £2,200 to bring Emanuel to Southampton. Solution! Tom would miss only three games that season and was one of the four players who featured in all three League matches of which the next season consisted.

Having played in the 3-0 defeat of Bury on Saturday 2 September, he listened to the declaration of war on Sunday morning and, by Monday afternoon, was on his way to Swansea, with his wife of two months, to live with her parents. He soon joined up, however, and represented his battalion, while serving in North Africa, India, Burma and Madagascar. Then, in the transitional season of 1945-46, he played for the Saints in both legs of the Third Round FA Cup-tie against Newport County. But when League action resumed come September, Bill Rochford had arrived and Tom was given a free transfer to Welsh League Llanelli. After a couple of seasons, he retired and became a bus inspector in Swansea. Tom’s younger brother Len also played for Swansea.

So, too, did Len’s son, Gary – though not until he had played more than 250 League games for five other clubs, winning a Wales U-23 cap along the way. You will sometimes find Len’s surname, and invariably Gary’s, spelled with two mm’s. Tom was born with two, but lost one along the way – as his signature on his photo testifies.