Torquay United Fans Forum

Left at the end of the 1963/64 season. Good player. Bumped into him at Millbrook a few times where he was the groundsman at the local football club. I always told him he was a childhood hero which he seemed to like! Sadly died a few years ago. He was another of those who attracted derision from that certain element we have within our support, but for me as an 11 year old he was awesome!

Plainmoor78 wrote: ↑11 Apr 2019, 12:24 Stefano, I simply pointed out we didn't actually win the overall Southern League title. The Southern League Western Division wad on a par with the Eastern Division. Brighton beat us in the play off.
I'm not debunking it, we were champions of the Western Division.

Well I have been supporting now for 56 years but still can't claim that I was there, so I have to rely on the research of the most knowledgable man I have ever met in matters Torquay United. He confirms that there was a game between Torquay and Brighton but that it was not a play off and no play off system was in operation. The game was a midweek friendly well into the following season and as Torquay were then playing in the Football League they did not even field their full first team.

I suppose it can be argued as to which is the most significant of the two 1927 or 2019 (when it is finally achieved)

The 1927 title was in a league one step below the Football League and led to the election of the club to the Football League for the following season.

2019 is significant as it is happening now and we have no memory of the last time, and it also arrests our worrying slide down the pyramid which looked at the start of the season as though we could be heading down again to the Southern League. It is though still two steps from the Football League. The same next year would certainly make it as significant.

It is nice to see smiles at Plainmoor again, and we haven't had to wait since 1927 for that as although there have been numerous low points there have been a lot of good times as well.

SuperNickyWroe wrote: ↑10 Apr 2019, 23:33 Er, unlikely??? I'd say impossible - mathematically and theorectically impossible - the GD...<cough>

Plainmoor78 is correct on this one which is a pleasant change. Mind you I haven't forgiven him for posting nonsense on another thread debunking our 1927 title win which got us into the Football League in the first place on the basis it was Southern League West so a regional league. What the hell does he think National League South is?

wivelgull wrote: ↑08 Apr 2019, 14:39 Running onto the pitch is, for Torquay United, a fairly recent phenomenon. Before that it was unknown. The Codgery will back me up on this; certainly there was no pitch incursion at the 1965 Spurs game or during the 1965-6 promotion season.

Well even with a fading memory I can say that there certainly was a pitch invasion at the 1965 Spurs game. When Robin Stubbs scored to make it 3-3 hundreds went on to the pitch to celebrate. I was at the Cow Shed end so it was at the opposite end to me, the Babbacombe End where the equalising goal was scored. Part of the fence behind the goal was demolished in the invasion, and after the game some were moaning that had the pitch invasion not happened we would have gone on to win as we had the momentum. It took a few minutes though for Spurs to kick off, and a couple of minutes later it was all over at 3-3. Of course not much would have been added on if anything as the referee knew that Spurs had to rush off to catch the train back to London which was why the kick off was 2.45 instead of the normal 3 p.m. How times have changed!

Dutchgull wrote: ↑06 Apr 2019, 16:22Game over

Not yet 5-3

Dutchgull wrote: ↑06 Apr 2019, 15:59 Over optimistic

No such thing - probably a translation issue!

Woking won't keep their heads 2nd half and we'll kill them off in last 20 minutes. 5-2 Torquay.

samuel wrote: ↑06 Apr 2019, 12:47 Thought Southampton Gull was a tad harsh on you there Stefano. After all, we are the sages of this forum. I said Woking would wilt, you said Woking would wobble. Nuff said.

He's like a big cuddly teddy bear really!

Southampton Gull wrote: ↑06 Apr 2019, 11:34 Long post to admit that you were wrong

Nice of you to examine it in detail though!

I did correct myself a couple of posts later and say that I had miscalculated and that we would actually be 7 points ahead when we played Woking and not 8 as originally stated.

However despite my timely correction I cannot claim to have been correct, as I was going on Woking drawing at home to Slough and losing away to Bath. So although the overall points tally was the same I got both results wrong!

Anyway Nostradamus wasn't perfect. Nobody has ever known what he was predicting other than looking back in hindsight and saying he must have been predicting something that had already happened!

stefano wrote: ↑23 Mar 2019, 08:13 I think we will be 8 points clear at the top by the time we play away to Woking so I don't think the game will have the significance everybody thinks. Still, no good getting ahead of myself. One game at a time. A professional win away today while Woking draw at home will kick it off.........and although we will be just about out of sight by 6 April we might as well go for that one as well to extend to an 11 points gap.

We can all then sit back and enjoy Easter!

Well this was just 2 weeks ago but at the time of posting we were 2nd in the table waiting to go to Concord Rangers in the afternoon and were 1 point behind leaders Woking who had a home tie against a mid-table team.

So you can call me Nostradamus from now on!

Ok I was one point out, but even the real Nostradamus would not have expected Woking to snatch a draw at Bath!

We have to be confident today. The team is playing well, and Woking have to come at us as in reality a draw is of no use to them so that should open it up nicely as we like to get in behind them with the speed and prescision we have shown so consistently since GJ came onboard. If we lost it would not be a disaster and we would still win the league, but I would be quite surprised if we are not 10 points ahead by the end of the day.

It is massive pressure for Woking. They know a defeat will finish it. Confidence will be shot if the house of cards comes crashing down. Their manager has helped us by saying yesterday he would possibly keep 3 or 4 if they get promoted. A great example of how not to boost your players and how to demotivate them! I could see Woking struggling to hold on to 2nd place.

Wealdstone look good for me to progress through the play-offs and win at Woking in the final (if Woking do indeed hold on to 2nd). Wealdstone would certainly fancy Woking away in the final, they won convincingly there not long ago.

We will win today - but win, draw, or lose we will be going up as champions. A happy position to be in!

Happy Easter! :~D

lucy6lucy wrote: ↑29 Mar 2019, 21:09 I don’t actually think we have ever won a competitive league ever, we have won promotions through promotion places and playoffs but not a title.

1927 champions of the Southern League - a significant title as it saw us elected into the Football League Division 4 to replace Aberdare Athletic.

That season our reserves finished 2nd in the Western League - we have won the Western League with our reseve team but 1927 is the most recent 1st team title and the only one that really counts for the 1st team. There had been some previous titles in the Plymouth & District League and Torquay & District League (some of them as Torquay Town), but our A team (3rd team) used to regularly win the South Devon League back in the 1950's and 1960's so again we won't count them.

1927 does count though......

Rhys1991 wrote: ↑23 Mar 2019, 19:38 From the looks of their forum they are imploding!

Or wilting as Sam predicted ..... GJ won't over react and will be all focus on the next game. We can though as we are not on the pitch. Excellent and hopefully our first top of the table since 1927 (as long as we don't count our reserves in the Western League). Onwards and upwards, but still a long way to go given the plummet!

brucie wrote: ↑23 Mar 2019, 17:10 Billericay lose at home to Hungerford. Whats going on?

That's a crippler for Woking.

Theres every possibility that we could now end up going to Woking with more than a 3 point cushion. If that happens the pressure is all on them and a result there could all but win us the league.

I wouldn't rule out 8 points. 2 wins for us and they lose away to Bath. It's on the Cards (see what I did there!)

stefano wrote: ↑23 Mar 2019, 09:50 ......(though I think I got my maths wrong earlier we will only be 7 points ahead when we go to Woking not 8!)

Bugger! Need to re-calculate as I was rather banking on Woking managing a draw today! 8 points it is then!

Midlandgull wrote: ↑23 Mar 2019, 09:16 ...... no signs of wilting any more than us after 30+ games. I think just focussing fully on each game is really important and just doing what we can that is in our hands. COYY

Give it time give it time. The wilting comes in the run in. Remember us in 1967/68, led the Division 3 (League 1) table through the season then wilted when the finishing line came in sight. No need for us as supporters to take one game at a time. GJ will be doing that and will have the team doing that. For us we can look forward positively and with confidence (though I think I got my maths wrong earlier we will only be 7 points ahead when we go to Woking not 8!)