 In February 1905, after 167 league games, he left West Brom to join Aston Villa for a fee of £250, but played just 11 times before joining Nottingham Forest in April 1906.A year later he moved again, this time to Southern League Southampton.According to Holley & Chalk's "The Alphabet of the Saints" he was "a methodical yet energetic half-back, dedicated to looking after the forwards by supporting, feeding and directing them into advantageous positions".