He was called up to the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and met his future wife while serving in South Africa.
[3] While playing against Swansea Town in 1947, Powell impressed that club's manager enough to take him on as a professional.
[4] In 1951, Powell joined Third Division North club Scunthorpe & Lindsey United.
He stayed for only one season, in which he was the club's top scorer with 14 league goals,[3] and then left the professional game.
He remained in non-league football, playing part-time for Kettering Town[2] and Banbury Spencer[5][6] and acting as player-manager of Wellingborough Town, until moving to Romford, Essex, in 1961 and working as company secretary of a security firm.