Victor Barton was a teenage gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery when he took up sport in earnest. He soon became a professional cricketer with Kent (1887-90) but he returned to represent his native Hampshire in 1891. 

A splendid batsman and a very useful bowler he was able to claim distinction in dismissing the great WG Grace for a duck and playing in a test for England on their 1891-92 tour of South Africa.

All of which considerably overshadowed a football career that consisted of nine friendly appearances and one competitive game for the Saints.

Dr Russell Bencraft, the Hon Secretary of the County Cricket Club and soon to be President of the Football Club, invited Barton to join the latter as a stand by ‘keeper. An injury to Ralph Ruffell, by then the sole survivor of Saints inaugural fixture in 1885, meant that Barton was required for the semi-final of the Hampshire Senior Cup. He kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Portsmouth Association, a short-lived club not to be confused with yet-to-be formed Portsmouth FC. Any chance of Victor’s playing in the Final vanished, however, when he, in turn, was injured. His goalkeeping career was over and he returned to concentrate on cricket. As a businessman Victor partnered Jack Dorkin in a Sports Outfitters venture in London Road (later Toomers) before becoming an hotelier at the Alexandra Hotel in Southampton, but died at 38.