I was there that night too. We'd beaten teams for fun up until this evening and I organised my work diary to be in Eastbourne. Got into the ground, no segregation (not that it was needed) and watched us get totally over run by a rampant Eastbourne.merse btpir wrote: ↑16 Oct 2017, 06:45
Tuesday December 9th, 2008
United lined-up:
Bevan,
Mansell, Hargreaves, Woods, Nicholson
Carlisle, Hodges, Wroe, Stevens
Benyon, Sills
Subs: Brough, Robertson, Thompson, Green, Carayol
Eastbourne included loan signing Ashley Barnes who mullered Hargreaves playing at centre back all night and the Gulls were lucky to get away with only getting beaten 4-2....the back four was simply dreadful. Short of pace, 'short' per se and taken to the cleaners time and time again. What ended as four could have been six; eight or even worse!
I was there amongst a crowd of 1,204 and eating some of the best fish & chips I have ever consumed on a football ground; not an occasion one would forget!
List of Players who were rubbish with us, but have gone on to be good
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TUFC never fails to let its fanbase down.
27/08/18 - Time to step back from this shambles and focus on things in life that make me happy. TUFC doesn't.
27/08/18 - Time to step back from this shambles and focus on things in life that make me happy. TUFC doesn't.
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And if I remember rightly, Mustapha Carayol was hopeless (well, extremely indifferent) until his last 6-8 matches when he suddenly became a man possessed and earned a moves to clubs closer to his dream of playing in London. Like Middlesbrough.Southampton Gull wrote: ↑16 Oct 2017, 14:00 Remember it well. Funnily enough I've just been speaking to Scott Bevan and his Dad over a business lunch and he mentioned that night. Barnes tore us a new one but never looked happy while he was here. Didn't he have a spat with Benyon before he left?
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Great call. I really liked Chalqi. Sadly, McFarland didn't. Another player who looked like he might be good but it didn't work out was Bruno Merielles who signed for us in 2004 after we got promoted.westyorkshiregull wrote: ↑16 Oct 2017, 13:27 Can this include a different take ...' players many thought were rubbish but wasn't ' if that isn't being anti subjective
Khalid chalqi...if anyone remembers ...rated him a lot. Always found time on the ball and had a footballing brain
Another is Neale Marmon. Terrible for us but had a reasonable career in the lower leagues of Germany and a season or so with Colchester.
Any excuse to mention Morike Sako and Mamadou Sow. Flashes of brilliance from both, but not what was needed in the ability-limited side that Leroy built upon our relegation from L1. Sako of course ended up playing in the second tier in Germany for Arminia Bielefeld and St Pauli (I don't think he ever played in the actual bundesliga though), whilst Sow ended up playing I think in the Cypriot top division (although I'm not 100% on that one).
I always thought both players would have been excellent "luxury" players in the 03/04 promotion season. Right place, wrong time
I always thought both players would have been excellent "luxury" players in the 03/04 promotion season. Right place, wrong time
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Another different take on the thread subject." What player who didn't fullfill his talent who would make a difference in our squad today "
Quite simply for me mark loram. No doubt he showed his magic on many occasions but also after playing last game at the young age of 26 , how much more could he done. Saw him in brixham a few times on a Friday night eating fish and chips before a match on Saturday taking 3 steps forward and 2 back. Bad luck with a few health issues I remember and liked a beer but with today's sports science how good would he have been. For me you can double the talent alex Russell had in all respect and there you have mark loram. Football brain with the cheekiness of a young child. Can remember many nights in the tolchards family stand , watching the magic .....
What our younger fans have missed , for me best player in my generation
Quite simply for me mark loram. No doubt he showed his magic on many occasions but also after playing last game at the young age of 26 , how much more could he done. Saw him in brixham a few times on a Friday night eating fish and chips before a match on Saturday taking 3 steps forward and 2 back. Bad luck with a few health issues I remember and liked a beer but with today's sports science how good would he have been. For me you can double the talent alex Russell had in all respect and there you have mark loram. Football brain with the cheekiness of a young child. Can remember many nights in the tolchards family stand , watching the magic .....
What our younger fans have missed , for me best player in my generation
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For me, and no doubt for many of the Codgery, there have been only three truly great players in the time I have been watching TUFC (i.e. since March 1963).
1 (and far and away the best). Robin Stubbs
2. John Smith (1967-68)
and
3. (I agree with Mr. westyorkshire) Mark Loram.
Others have been good, but not great.
n.b. for the REAL Codgery: I never saw Don Mills but all the real old codgers I ever knew over the years on the pop. side would say, if asked the question 'who was the greatest of them all?' would reply 'Don Mills'.
1 (and far and away the best). Robin Stubbs
2. John Smith (1967-68)
and
3. (I agree with Mr. westyorkshire) Mark Loram.
Others have been good, but not great.
n.b. for the REAL Codgery: I never saw Don Mills but all the real old codgers I ever knew over the years on the pop. side would say, if asked the question 'who was the greatest of them all?' would reply 'Don Mills'.
![Image](https://i.postimg.cc/fbdXBrSs/CAA75-FD8-CD89-4-B9-A-B964-D7-A7-E782-A20-C.jpg)
This is an interesting thread.
Eifion Williams- hat-trick on his debut then flattered to deceive but went on and had several good years at Hartlepool. Alan Connell also went onto have a decent career after not exactly setting the world alight with us.
Alex Lawless has also had a decent career after being fairly anonymous with us.
A few comments on some of those mentioned above
- Leon Constantine had a good loan spell with us in League One then Bateson bought him - he was a languid sort of player who really needed to be in a 4-4-2 with a work horse next to him. As I recall, that season he mostly player on the right of a 4-5-1 with Akinfenwa a loan striker and it never really suited him. I do remember Oldham away though towards the end of the season, when the whole team put in one of those Brazil type performances that we only ever saw under Rosenior and Constantine was unplayable, at one point bending a 25 yard effort onto the bar of the goal in front of the end we were standing.
- Mamadou Sow - that was the season after we'd been relegated back to League 2. We didn't win in our first few games I think and my first game of the season was home to Shrewsbury who had Joe Hart in goal. Connell got a cracking early goal and the place was rocking. Sow playing on the left utterly tore them apart for the first half. Very enthused I took a trip to a soaking wet Mansfield in the next game to watch us get tonked - I believe Priso made his debut and Sow indicated he was a fair weather player, not really cut out for the hustle and bustle of league 2.
Eifion Williams- hat-trick on his debut then flattered to deceive but went on and had several good years at Hartlepool. Alan Connell also went onto have a decent career after not exactly setting the world alight with us.
Alex Lawless has also had a decent career after being fairly anonymous with us.
A few comments on some of those mentioned above
- Leon Constantine had a good loan spell with us in League One then Bateson bought him - he was a languid sort of player who really needed to be in a 4-4-2 with a work horse next to him. As I recall, that season he mostly player on the right of a 4-5-1 with Akinfenwa a loan striker and it never really suited him. I do remember Oldham away though towards the end of the season, when the whole team put in one of those Brazil type performances that we only ever saw under Rosenior and Constantine was unplayable, at one point bending a 25 yard effort onto the bar of the goal in front of the end we were standing.
- Mamadou Sow - that was the season after we'd been relegated back to League 2. We didn't win in our first few games I think and my first game of the season was home to Shrewsbury who had Joe Hart in goal. Connell got a cracking early goal and the place was rocking. Sow playing on the left utterly tore them apart for the first half. Very enthused I took a trip to a soaking wet Mansfield in the next game to watch us get tonked - I believe Priso made his debut and Sow indicated he was a fair weather player, not really cut out for the hustle and bustle of league 2.
Indeed; Sako never hit the top flight in Germany. Re Sow, he looked so promising in the first home game I think it was, against Notts County. Also decided to take the trip to the consecutive away matches at Oxford and Mansfield - Oxford was quite a close game but Mansfield was an absolute car crash. Could barely see through the rain but both Sow and Priso were hauled off at half time I think. Priso never played again while Sow managed a handful more appearances.Jeff wrote: ↑16 Oct 2017, 20:21 Any excuse to mention Morike Sako and Mamadou Sow. Flashes of brilliance from both, but not what was needed in the ability-limited side that Leroy built upon our relegation from L1. Sako of course ended up playing in the second tier in Germany for Arminia Bielefeld and St Pauli (I don't think he ever played in the actual bundesliga though), whilst Sow ended up playing I think in the Cypriot top division (although I'm not 100% on that one).
I always thought both players would have been excellent "luxury" players in the 03/04 promotion season. Right place, wrong time
The Shrewsbury game mentioned above was actually a couple of weeks after the Mansfield drubbing.
Thanks Plymouth Gull - funny how minds play tricks. It was the Grimsby game afterwards - also a 3-0 defeat!Plymouth Gull wrote: ↑17 Oct 2017, 13:13 Indeed; Sako never hit the top flight in Germany. Re Sow, he looked so promising in the first home game I think it was, against Notts County. Also decided to take the trip to the consecutive away matches at Oxford and Mansfield - Oxford was quite a close game but Mansfield was an absolute car crash. Could barely see through the rain but both Sow and Priso were hauled off at half time I think. Priso never played again while Sow managed a handful more appearances.
The Shrewsbury game mentioned above was actually a couple of weeks after the Mansfield drubbing.
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Whilst I did see Don Mills play in his latter years I was too young to appreciate his great ball control, deceptive feints, accuracy of distribution, and the ability to ‘read’ a game and thus dictate its progress, he was an outstanding player whom sports journalists at every level racked their brains for new adjectives to describe. The ‘Mills Bomb’ was a favourite headline to describe his impact!
Torquay paid a club record fee in December 1952 and he stayed at Plainmoor for twenty years, retiring as a player in 1962. He is generally regarded as Torquay’s greatest-ever player and was officially elected as the "Greatest Player ever to play for Torquay United" in the Football League Hall of Fame in June 2007.
He was also part of one of Torquays greatest FA Cup moments in 1954/55 (the year Torquay changed colours from the old black and white to a gold and blue.) when they were drawn against Leeds United in the Third Round. Nobody expected the team to go to Elland Road and get any kind of favourable result, but managed a 2-2 draw and with over 12,000 fans at Plainmoor for the replay ran out 4-0 winners, where captain Don Mills scored one of the goals. (Click link to see highlights of the 1955, 2-2 draw - )
That set up a 4th round clash with the then mighty Huddersfield Town, at Plainmoor which will always live on in the memory of those who attended the match on the 29th January 1955. Just how 21,908 people managed to fit into the ground is a mystery. Although Torquay lost 0-1 to the then Division One club, the day is still one of greatest cup runs in Torquay United's history, and the record crowd is never likely to be beaten.
Whilst there has been many a good player over the years, as a cultured creative midfielder with an uncanny ability to score the most sublime of goals, and over 20 years loyal service, I would put Don Mills as the "greatest of them all'.
Last edited by MellowYellow on 17 Oct 2017, 14:15, edited 2 times in total.
I missed the Mansfield debacle, but had the pleasure of watching the Shrewsbury game and the pain of the subsequent Grimsby defeat. It was at Blundell Park where - finding ourselves 1 down with about 20 to play - myself and the mates I had gone with were calling for "Big Carl" from the bench to give us some extra fire power. The result - zero effective touches and a 3-0 defeat. "Big Carl" was never clamoured for not seen again......
I also remember we had a young RB in that game by the name of Patrick McLoughlin, a non-contractee from Wolves. He was garbage and hauled off early.
We had quite a lot of garbage in what was Leroy's "experimental" era - wasn't this the season we had a lad called Ashley Keene who had come over from the States? 20-odd minutes in a JPT tie was enough for Leroy to jettison him. Always seemed like a Ali Dia type story, as this lad was completely off the radar.
Sorry - I've turned this thread into "rubbish players who stayed rubbish" theme
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Don Mills by far and away the most talented player ever to play for Torquay ,he was the "Johnny Haynes " of the lower divisions.
Soon to become the most replied to thread in forum history, then. :}Jeff wrote: ↑17 Oct 2017, 14:09 I missed the Mansfield debacle, but had the pleasure of watching the Shrewsbury game and the pain of the subsequent Grimsby defeat. It was at Blundell Park where - finding ourselves 1 down with about 20 to play - myself and the mates I had gone with were calling for "Big Carl" from the bench to give us some extra fire power. The result - zero effective touches and a 3-0 defeat. "Big Carl" was never clamoured for not seen again......
I also remember we had a young RB in that game by the name of Patrick McLoughlin, a non-contractee from Wolves. He was garbage and hauled off early.
We had quite a lot of garbage in what was Leroy's "experimental" era - wasn't this the season we had a lad called Ashley Keene who had come over from the States? 20-odd minutes in a JPT tie was enough for Leroy to jettison him. Always seemed like a Ali Dia type story, as this lad was completely off the radar.
Sorry - I've turned this thread into "rubbish players who stayed rubbish" theme
Neither McLoughlin or Keene ring a bell for me, but then in the years from 2005-2007 we had some utter, utter tosh playing for us. A look at Soccerbase shows a Patrick Flynn, who I think you mean, rather than McLoughlin (the background fits; ex Wolves, 1 game at Grimsby, never seen again!). Actually looking back at those years, there's some I don't even remember! Michael Flynn, Paul Smith, Stephen Cooke to name a few.
That will be him. Maybe slight misuse of Irish stereotyping on my part there.Plymouth Gull wrote: ↑17 Oct 2017, 14:45 Soon to become the most replied to thread in forum history, then. :}
Neither McLoughlin or Keene ring a bell for me, but then in the years from 2005-2007 we had some utter, utter tosh playing for us. A look at Soccerbase shows a Patrick Flynn, who I think you mean, rather than McLoughlin (the background fits; ex Wolves, 1 game at Grimsby, never seen again!). Actually looking back at those years, there's some I don't even remember! Michael Flynn, Paul Smith, Stephen Cooke to name a few.
Can't remember a Michael Flynn ever playing for us, but certainly remember Stephen Cooke and Paul Smith. Both were signed in the desperation of the Roberts/Kubik/Keith Curle car crash of a season. Saw both play in a particularly dreadful defeat away at Lincoln.
That season was the nadir for dismal signings (well, until now perhaps!). At that Lincoln game I remember we had a young lad at the back called Matt Halliday on loan from Norwich. The way I remember the story going was we called up Norwich to try and get Ryan Jarvis on loan - he was quite a hot property at the time and they weren't keen, but suggested we take his younger, less able brother Rossi instead. And whilst we were at it, would we fancy this Halliday lad too. Such was the chaos of that season - we went to sign one player, but ended up with 2 random other ones who we'd not even watched or even really wanted. As it was Halliday wasn't the worst player to grace the shirt.
Some terrible players that season though - Nick McCoy, Jamal Easter, Dean Oliver, Dean Gordon, Alastair John, Darren Baxter, Nathan Simpson........ it was a succession of nobodies. Even the once great David Graham was a shadow of his former self once he came back
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