From Charlton, Holton made his last move to Orient (the "Leyton" had been dropped at the time), before finally retiring to full-time engineering at the age of 38; gone from football maybe, but never forgotten in Watford.

And now almost thirty years later, Big Cliff has hung up his earthly boots for the last time. In early June 1996, aged 67, while on holiday in Spain, he passed away. Cliff Holton, tea-totaller, non-smoker, superb athlete, master of his trade, gentleman supreme in a sport of players; for those of us whose Saturdays he filled with his unique presence at the Vic those long years ago, he still lives in memories that return us to our own youth.

He came to a Watford near to its lowest ebb, and left it established on a path that, despite ups and downs, would see it scale the highest pinnacles of the sport within the next twenty years.

Thanks for everything, Big Fella.