Post by Jon on Dec 23, 2018 16:57:21 GMT
2018 will be the first time ever that Torquay United has sat top of the league on Christmas Day! There have been a few near misses though.
On Monday 27 December 1965 (no Sunday football in those days), TUFC thrashed Aldershot 5-1 infront of 8,257 fans at Plainmoor to go top as Christmas leaders Tranmere tripped up 0-3 at home to Notts County. Funnily enough, I bumped in to Sir Robin Stubbs - who scored one that day - at Sainsburys this morning and reminded him!
On Saturday 22 December 1990, we needed a win over Maidstone at Dartford to be top at Christmas. Going to plan at half-time - 2-0 up. Maidstone pulled us back in the second half. Despite having Mark Gall sent off for that sickening assault on Phil Lloyd, the ten men equalised in the 86th minute to knock us down to third place.
We have suffered an even more galling top spot throwaway. On the morning of Saturday 23 December 1911, we sat proudly top of the Plymouth & District League. The only team that could catch us did not even have a league match! We managed to lose 4-0 to Argyle reserves at Home Park and dented our goal average so badly that we slipped back to second place behind St Austell.
We did regain top spot on Boxing Day when, as St Austell drew, we walloped pesky groundsharers Babbacombe 4-0 at Plainmoor - with Crad Evans scoring all four. I'd take a repeat of Torquay 4 groundsharers 0 on Wednesday!
Another time we were level on points with the leaders on Christmas Day was in 1908, but Bovey St Johns had a better goal average - and two games in hand.
On Monday 27 December 1965 (no Sunday football in those days), TUFC thrashed Aldershot 5-1 infront of 8,257 fans at Plainmoor to go top as Christmas leaders Tranmere tripped up 0-3 at home to Notts County. Funnily enough, I bumped in to Sir Robin Stubbs - who scored one that day - at Sainsburys this morning and reminded him!
On Saturday 22 December 1990, we needed a win over Maidstone at Dartford to be top at Christmas. Going to plan at half-time - 2-0 up. Maidstone pulled us back in the second half. Despite having Mark Gall sent off for that sickening assault on Phil Lloyd, the ten men equalised in the 86th minute to knock us down to third place.
We have suffered an even more galling top spot throwaway. On the morning of Saturday 23 December 1911, we sat proudly top of the Plymouth & District League. The only team that could catch us did not even have a league match! We managed to lose 4-0 to Argyle reserves at Home Park and dented our goal average so badly that we slipped back to second place behind St Austell.
We did regain top spot on Boxing Day when, as St Austell drew, we walloped pesky groundsharers Babbacombe 4-0 at Plainmoor - with Crad Evans scoring all four. I'd take a repeat of Torquay 4 groundsharers 0 on Wednesday!
Another time we were level on points with the leaders on Christmas Day was in 1908, but Bovey St Johns had a better goal average - and two games in hand.
