Robert Samuel Worthington was prompt to answer the call to arms, enlisting at Morphetville on September 11th 1914. He had been born at Warrington, Lancashire, in 1889 and played three seasons with the Port Adelaide soccer club, 1911-1913. He was captain of Port’s successful reserve team in 1912-1913. Worthington was married with two children and gave his occupation as electrician.
Originally with the 3rd Field Company, engineers, he was in the 4th Div Signal Company by 1918. After being shot in the right thigh at Gallipoli he recovered to serve in France and England, and was not discharged until mid 1919 after five years of continual service.
Tragically his wife Alice had died in 1918, aged only 25, leaving their two children to be looked after by relatives. Worthington was named in a Cheltenham soccer club line up in 1921, so he may have briefly attempted to play on after the war. Robert Worthington died in Adelaide in 1937.