LEGENDARY Saints manager Ted Bates missed the wedding of the club's now honorary president Terry Paine to sign an unknown 19-year-old from Scotland.

That teenager was Scotland Youth international David Paton, who was available from St Mirren on a free back in the summer of 1963.

He arrived in time for the new season despite admitting he knew nothing about Southampton, apart from the fact that his fiancée's father had been stationed there prior to D-Day.

A tall, commanding defender, he became a constant in the reserves at centre-half without ever really consistently breaking into the first team. In six years at the club, Paton made 15 appearances for Saints.

He was almost better known during his Southampton spell as the lead singer of a band called The Sunsets, which also included two teammates and another pal. Goalkeeper Gerry Gurr played guitar and centre forward Mick Judd was the drummer in the group, which regularly performed at the After Eight nightclub in Shirley and only disbanded when Paton was sold to Aldershot, then managed by Jimmy Melia, his former teammate at The Dell.

Born in Saltcoats, Scotland in 1943, Paton came from footballing pedigree - his father had played in goal for Queens Park during the 1930s.

He started his career with Saxone Amateurs before joining St Mirren in 1962 where he was released a year later without making a first team appearance.

After his spell at Saints, Paton joined Aldershot and then Margate. One opponent, future Saint Ted Macdougall, scored nine in an 11-0 win for Bournemouth in 71/72. The following year Paton played in Margate's biggest ever match, a 6-0 defeat to Tottenham in the FA Cup 3rd Round in which he marked old pal Martin Chivers.

He returned to Scotland following the end of his football career and worked as a forklift driver, in the electronics industry and for a courier company.

Dave Paton passed away in Ayrshire on September 8, aged 76.