Gerry Deane

That's clear concise coverage of the "association game" in the Torquay Times.

It's funny how we seem to have gone full circle with newspapers. When the weekly Torquay Times ceased publication it had become something of an anachronism. Now we're back to just having a weekly newspaper in Torquay.

And, I must confess, I became used to the idea of a weekly Herald Express far more quickly than I anticipated. At first there was a knee-jerk reaction to go looking for a copy whenever I set foot in the circulation area. Now, arriving in Torquay on a Saturday, I know without thinking that I picked up a copy in Exeter on the Wednesday. And, more than likely, I've read it over a couple of cups of coffee at the Imperial near St David's. Indeed another Torquay United supporter spotted me doing just that two or three weeks ago.

Wednesdays, of course, rather than Thursdays. We're told this is by far the better day. Something about our shopping habits; something about Wednesdays fitting our busy lives to better effect. We'll see shortly whether or not the Herald Express is able to include a Tuesday night match report in the same week's edition.

It also remains to be seen if the Herald Express follows the path of Exeter's Express and Echo in switching to twice-weekly production. This was heralded in an editorial as "an ambitious move by an ambitious newspaper operating in an ambitious city" (or words to that effect). Laughable really considering the paper had been publishing six times a week until just three years previously.

Anyway the Monday edition costs 50p. It's very good and includes the weekend sport. I can't, as yet, find a reason to also buy the £1 edition on a Thursday. I'm sure the Monday edition will eventually increase in price. In that case I'll probably buy one rather than the other. Ultimately, of course, I'm more interested in South Devon matters rather than those of Exeter. I guess I'd succumb to both editions of the Herald Express if it was published twice-a-week.

And, naturally enough, yesterday's Express and Echo was full of Exeter Chiefs victory over Bath. Hector has already told us of the record crowd which weighed in at 12,621. As an aside, given the cost of admission at Sandy Park, I would imagine this amounts to takings roughly equivalent to ten games at Plainmoor. Hang on. After checking the prices for the Northampton game, that may be an under-estimate.

Back to 1905 and was Gerry Deane purely a football man (to go with his cricket)? Or did he play rugger as well? A "gentleman" - I think - you may have, by that time, ordinarily marked him down a rugby player. As it transpired, he appears to have been the association game's gain.

I wouldn't have anticipated a "coupon competition" based around forecasting the results of local games. You trust it was all above board and there wasn't "insider dealing" - or sufficiently large sums of money - to jeopardise sporting integrity.

I see the name of Lymington Rangers tucked away in the second division of the local league. You suspect they played somewhere on Lymington Road which had only relatively recently been laid out. This sort of fits my theory that, in another set of circumstances, the town's main football venue may have ended up where the coach station is today. Well, it doesn't really. But I'm sticking to it.