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Post by bluebird07 on Jun 13, 2014 16:00:30 GMT
Some fascinating stuff. Bob Gray well known in the Highland League interested me as I played with him a few times when he was on trial at Torquay. An interesting bit about him is that when we played Plymouth Argyle in the FA Youth Cup at Plainmoor and drew 1-1 Bob was in goal, but the following week in the replay at Home Park (also 1-1 after extra time) Bob was up front as striker (or centre forward as we called it then!). Robbie Robbins (a Newton Abbot boy) took his place in goal for the replay and Robbie later played I think 19 games for Torquay in the Football League but about 7 or 8 years later. Robbie was a great goalkeeper who I think could have achieved much more but he became a bit of a non-league journeyman and I am sure fell short of his capabilities. Anyway make the most of this thread while we got the chance. It will all end when they get their bloody independence!  |
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Post by bluebird07 on Jun 13, 2014 16:05:25 GMT
Stefano you have great memory thoroughly enjoyed my short spell at Torquay many years ago I did enjoy reasonable success at non-league level in Scotand. Disappointed to see the Gulls getting relegated I still look for the results from afar anyway onwards and upwards and hopefully a quick return to the football league. All the best for the coming season will be watching from the frozen north of Scotland.
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Post by bluedragon on Jun 13, 2014 19:17:55 GMT
Stefano you have great memory thoroughly enjoyed my short spell at Torquay many years ago I did enjoy reasonable success at non-league level in Scotand. Disappointed to see the Gulls getting relegated I still look for the results from afar anyway onwards and upwards and hopefully a quick return to the football league. All the best for the coming season will be watching from the frozen north of Scotland. Bluebird07's use of the words "reasonable success" is the sign of a modest man! In a recent on-line discussion on the best 'keepers in the Highland League his name was regularly mentioned. As a manager of Culter FC from Peterculter near Aberdeen he took over a club destined to relegation. He got them promoted and in a 9 1/2 year career he won four North superleague titles on the trot plus other cups and made history by managing one of the first Junior clubs to enter the Scottish Cup. He is right about one thing - the Frozen North! I watched a game in December at Deveronvale when it was so cold I expected to see Ranulph Fiennes standing next to me on a wee training spell for an expedition!
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Post by stefano on Jun 14, 2014 9:30:26 GMT
Stefano you have great memory thoroughly enjoyed my short spell at Torquay many years ago I did enjoy reasonable success at non-league level in Scotand. Disappointed to see the Gulls getting relegated I still look for the results from afar anyway onwards and upwards and hopefully a quick return to the football league. All the best for the coming season will be watching from the frozen north of Scotland. Bluebird07's use of the words "reasonable success" is the sign of a modest man! In a recent on-line discussion on the best 'keepers in the Highland League his name was regularly mentioned. As a manager of Culter FC from Peterculter near Aberdeen he took over a club destined to relegation. He got them promoted and in a 9 1/2 year career he won four North superleague titles on the trot plus other cups and made history by managing one of the first Junior clubs to enter the Scottish Cup. He is right about one thing - the Frozen North! I watched a game in December at Deveronvale when it was so cold I expected to see Ranulph Fiennes standing next to me on a wee training spell for an expedition!
That's just as I remember him as well .... a pleasant and modest man as well as being an imposing presence between the sticks. |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jun 17, 2014 23:04:37 GMT
Stefano you have great memory thoroughly enjoyed my short spell at Torquay many years ago I did enjoy reasonable success at non-league level in Scotand. Disappointed to see the Gulls getting relegated I still look for the results from afar anyway onwards and upwards and hopefully a quick return to the football league. All the best for the coming season will be watching from the frozen north of Scotland. Bob - lots about the 1969 FA Youth Cup on this link: www.torquayfans.boards.net/thread/3427/fa-youth-cup-1969Stefano is Steve Bennett. Stuart McGowan also posts on the thread. |
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Post by Jon on Jun 17, 2014 23:14:24 GMT
Frank Walsh - checked again and I only have the one stray reference to him at Torquay. Mentioned in this programme: www.torquayfans.boards.net/thread/5185/01-10-49-norwich-cityWalsh, the former Celtic player, who came to Plainmoor on a two month's (sic - I thought people knew where apostrophes went back in 1949!) trial has not accepted the terms offered him and has returned to Scotland.Six Southern League goals. My comment about a past-his-best ex-Celtic star asking for daft wages was a topical reference to Mo Camara. |
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Post by bluedragon on Jun 18, 2014 7:01:38 GMT
Frank Walsh - checked again and I only have the one stray reference to him at Torquay. Mentioned in this programme: www.torquayfans.boards.net/thread/5185/01-10-49-norwich-cityWalsh, the former Celtic player, who came to Plainmoor on a two month's (sic - I thought people knew where apostrophes went back in 1949!) trial has not accepted the terms offered him and has returned to Scotland.Six Southern League goals. My comment about a past-his-best ex-Celtic star asking for daft wages was a topical reference to Mo Camara. Thanks Jon that clears up the reference to Torquay in his career record. To be fair Frank Walsh was only at Celtic for less than 5 months (10 games - 3 goals) and a double leg break in a Reserve match combined with Celtic's worst league season (12th out of 16) probably curtailed his spell there. He was a good goalscorer for Kilmarnock in war-time football but he did not quite carry on this form when league football resumed. Anyway he clearly did enough to attract Celtic's attention. Maybe he preferred the bracing sea air of the Irish Sea to the English Channel when he signed for Southport? He also played for Hamilton, Stranraer, East Stirling, Ards and Limerick before hanging up his boots in 1956 to work first in the steel industry and then in engineering. |
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Post by bluebird07 on Jun 18, 2014 18:38:42 GMT
Stefano you have great memory thoroughly enjoyed my short spell at Torquay many years ago I did enjoy reasonable success at non-league level in Scotand. Disappointed to see the Gulls getting relegated I still look for the results from afar anyway onwards and upwards and hopefully a quick return to the football league. All the best for the coming season will be watching from the frozen north of Scotland. Bob - lots about the 1969 FA Youth Cup on this link: www.torquayfans.boards.net/thread/3427/fa-youth-cup-1969Stefano is Steve Bennett. Stuart McGowan also posts on the thread. |
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Post by bluebird07 on Jun 18, 2014 18:44:36 GMT
I remember Stuart McGowan very we'll we shared digs beside the ground on Warbro Road nice lad pacey winger if I remember rightly. Think he struggled with my thick Scottish accent anyway nice memories. Gave up being a striker and went back into goals and after major shoulder surgery played in the Highland League for twenty years.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 20:32:46 GMT
I remember Stuart McGowan very we'll we shared digs beside the ground on Warbro Road nice lad pacey winger if I remember rightly. Think he struggled with my thick Scottish accent anyway nice memories. Gave up being a striker and went back into goals and after major shoulder surgery played in the Highland League for twenty years. Bob, good to read your memories. Tell us: did you ever come up against Dave Caldwell, a later Torquay player, during your Highland League days? |
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Post by bluebird07 on Jun 18, 2014 20:54:44 GMT
Ii think Dave did play in the Highland League but I have no recollection of playing against him although I do think he played with Inverness Caley at some point.his father also Dave was also well known in local football circles
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 21:17:43 GMT
Ii think Dave did play in the Highland League but I have no recollection of playing against him although I do think he played with Inverness Caley at some point.his father also Dave was also well known in local football circles Interesting that there was a Dave Caldwell, Snr. As for "our" Dave Caldwell I was pretty certain he played for Caley before signing for Mansfield. Double-checked this and it appears he joined Mansfield in the summer of 1979 just before his nineteenth birthday. I hadn't realised he was so young when he made the move. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 21:23:52 GMT
Frank Walsh - checked again and I only have the one stray reference to him at Torquay. (sic - I thought people knew where apostrophes went back in 1949!) trial has not accepted the terms offered him and has returned to Scotland.I bet there was some joker who kept on asking "Where's Frank?" There's always one. Probably lived on one of those new estates they were building over Chelston way. |
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Post by Jon on Jun 18, 2014 22:16:01 GMT
his father also Dave was also well known in local football circles Was he a fiery centre-forward - like father like son? |
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Post by bluebird07 on Jun 19, 2014 13:11:58 GMT
No Dave snr played in defence a pretty rugged no nonsense kind of a guy. Will try and find out which clubs he played for and get back in touch.
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