10 things
Torquay
1 During Napoleonic years, wives of Fleet officers lived there. When football eventually came to town, it was Wags from two motley crews of college old boys from around Torbay.
2 In 1899 United first played at Teignmouth Road but quickly moved to the Recreation Ground. However this often flooded, so they went back again. Maybe kick-offs should have been at corresponding low tide.
3 By 1910 Torquay FC was at Plainmoor, having amalgamated with Ellacombe. They then became plain Town and not er, moor exotic, like Riviera, Bay Athletic or even Coasters.
4 They once more became United, with Babbacombe in 1921, joined Southern League and by 1927, Third Division (South). Not bad for a sleepy fishing village in Devon countryside. Btw their nickname of Magpies was not really because progress had been all black and white.
5 After WW2 Torquay was becoming a mass tourist spot and by 1954 the Board had a bright post holiday idea. 'Gulls' would now play in yellow and blue - like sand, sea and sexy footy fifties style.
6 During 60s & 70s United were either in third or fourth divisions. They wanted div2 but paying punters were now flying out to Med venues, instead of visiting a west country backwater.
7 A fire in 1985 put the club on edge of extinction. The place was turning into a wasteland. As Basil Fawlty once said, 'what did you expect, herds of wildebeest galloping across the Serengeti Park?'
8 Torquay would have finished bottom and fallen into the Conference during 1987. However a police dog bit a player and held up the very last game. United knew after a delay they had to score to survive - it wasn't just a toothless cop out!
9 Gulls flew into a winning Wembley play-off final in 1991 merely after finishing seventh in div4. They duly stayed in div3 following that high point but only because of reorganisation at instigation of the Premiership.
10 Neville Southall - goal-keeping legend and one who got his hands on all the pies, pasties, scones and cream to boot.
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