hiː bɪɡˈæn ðə fˈɑːloʊɪŋ sˈiːzən æz fˈɜːst tʃˈɔɪs, mˌeɪkɪŋ hɪz deɪbjˈuː ɐwˈeɪ tʊ ˈɛksɪɾɚ sˈɪɾi ˌɔn ˈeɪtiːn ˈɔːɡəst nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː, kˈiːpɪŋ ɐ klˈiːn ʃˈiːt æz ðə ɡˈʌlz wˈʌn θɹˈiː zˈiəɹoʊ θˈæŋks tʊ ɐn ˈɜːni pˈɪm hˈættɹˈɪk, ænd ɹᵻmˈeɪnd ɐ ɹˈɛɡjʊlɚ fɚðə nˈɛkst θɹˈiː ænd ɐ hˈæf sˈiːzənz, bᵻfˌoːɹ bɹˈeɪkɪŋ ɐ fˈɪŋɡɚ ænd lˈuːzɪŋ hɪz plˈeɪs ɪnˈɪʃəli tə mˈaɪk tˈɜːnɚ ænd ðˈɛn tə ɡˈæɹi mə ɡˈaɪɚ.
He began the following season as first choice, making his debut away to Exeter City on 18 August 1962, keeping a clean sheet as the Gulls won 3–0 thanks to an Ernie Pym hat-trick, and remained a regular for the next three and a half seasons, before breaking a finger and losing his place initially to Mike Turner and then to Gary McGuire.