George Roughton, the sixth of Exeter City’s managers and the first after the Second War, had seven years at the helm between 1945 and 1952. A player with Huddersfield Town and Manchester United, he kept City on an even-keel before departing for Southampton. 

Born in Manchester, he made his debut as a nineteen-year-old for Huddersfield Town in 1928 and enjoyed eight good seasons before switching to Manchester United where he made eighty-odd league appearances in the years leading up to the outbreak of war. Retained on the books at Old Trafford throughout the war, he eventually left to become player-manager of Exeter City in October 1945. 

Playing ten times in the Division Three South (South of the Thames) competition before the end of 1945 - and also featuring in all four of the two-legged FA Cup ties against Trowbridge Town and Newport County in the autumn of 1945 - he soon gave up playing as he faced the considerable task of rebuilding the team following the war. 

Finishing 15th, 11th, 12th, 16th and 14th during his complete seasons in charge, the job was done soundly, if modestly, as George’s appointment generally satisfied expectations with the highlights being the successive runs to the 4th round of the FA Cup in 1950 and 1951 which ended in respective defeats at Liverpool and Chelsea. 

But 1951/52 saw a marked tail-off in fortunes and, after considering his options, Mr Roughton left St James’ Park in March 1952 to accept the manager’s position at Southampton. Subsequently suffering heart problems, he was forced to retire in September 1955 although he later worked in a part-time role with the Hampshire Football Association.

George Roughton died in Southampton in 1989 aged seventy-nine.