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Post by gullone on Jul 25, 2021 15:52:25 GMT
A big birthday looming tomorrow for the professional football club we know and love today...    |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 25, 2021 23:00:40 GMT
Yes indeed gullone. A momentous day. 100 years of the professional Torquay United club. Here is the original prospectus signed off on 26 July 1921:      |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 25, 2021 23:06:56 GMT
From Torquay Times 29/7/21:   |
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Rags
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Post by Rags on Jul 26, 2021 13:56:05 GMT
Yes indeed gullone. A momentous day. 100 years of the professional Torquay United club. I'm slightly disappointed that the Official Website hasn't mentioned this, however I'm grateful that this site has brought such a significant anniversary to my attention. If I hadn't had too much yesterday, I would be raising a glass this evening to the next 100 years.  |
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Post by plainmoorpete on Jul 26, 2021 19:20:40 GMT
I am also disappointed that the club has failed to mark today's centenary but not really surprised, after all it would kind of bugger up the marketing of the 1899 brand.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 26, 2021 22:35:32 GMT
Here's the FA Cup draw with both Torquay Town and Torquay United in it. Babbacombe did not enter.  |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 26, 2021 22:37:06 GMT
I am also disappointed that the club has failed to mark today's centenary but not really surprised, after all it would kind of bugger up the marketing of the 1899 brand. I am quite happy to say both 1899 and 1921 are correct. If the Queen can have two birthdays, so can we. |
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Post by plainmoorpete on Jul 26, 2021 23:46:29 GMT
To be honest I prefer 1921. I feel regarding 1899 as the starting date down plays the significance of Ellacombe AFC who were at Plainmoor long before the original TUFC. It was the president of Ellacombe AFC, the Rev Percy Baker who saved the Plainmoor site for football and who has to be considered possibly the most significant individual in the history of our club.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 1, 2021 12:02:36 GMT
To be honest I prefer 1921. I feel regarding 1899 as the starting date down plays the significance of Ellacombe AFC who were at Plainmoor long before the original TUFC. It was the president of Ellacombe AFC, the Rev Percy Baker who saved the Plainmoor site for football and who has to be considered possibly the most significant individual in the history of our club. I see what you mean, but I am happy to have both. I don't think that means we ignore the parts played by Ellacombe and Babbacombe and it is fitting that we have an Ellacombe End (a stone's throw from Percy Baker’s vicarage) and a Babbacombe End (the Babbacombe fans were called the "wallflowers" as they used to sit on the wall at that end). Foundation dates are a moveable feast for all clubs who evolved rather than arrived fully formed. Our claim to 1899 is far more credible than Argyle's claim to 1886. That incarnation of Argyle folded halfway through 1894/95 and the phoenix Argyle club was not formed for another two and a half years! I generally support the "continuation in spirit" philosophy rather than the "legal entity" philosophy. If you follow the latter, Billy Wright never played for Wolves! Bill Luscombe traced a straight line from 1898 and so I have gone Umpire's Call on that - although correcting the date to 1899. Bill was there and that was what he felt happened. On the other hand, Charles Dear was Chairman of a Football League club that he believed he started up under the name of Babbacombe. I met a descendant of Babbacombe and Torquay United players Tommy and Arthur Townsend who was aggrieved that Mike Bateson had shown no interest in the Babbacombe connection. There is a common misconception that Torquay Town and Babbacombe merged to form the professional club in 1921. They did not. They both continued to play in the South Devon League in 1921/22 sharing the lower pitch. During the course of the season, Town did merge with United - becoming United's third team. Babbacombe saw out the season, but then stopped playing - although they would not actually fold for another thirty years or so! |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 1, 2021 12:08:13 GMT
Babbacombe saw out the season, but then stopped playing - although they would not actually fold for another thirty years or so! Torquay Times 7/11/52:   Note that this article dates the "amalgamation" to 1922. Babbacombe did play its last game in 1922, but United were formed a year earlier. There was no amalgamation! You can't believe everything you read in the papers! |
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hector
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Post by hector on Aug 5, 2021 17:42:14 GMT
Thanks for sharing, Jon - although I’m a bit confused by the Torquay United and Torquay Town existing at the same time thing. Can you explain why that was? I always assumed (as you suggest many did) that Torquay Town ceased to exist once the merger took place.
I was also interested to read in the letter from “Jacques” that he suggests Torquay United would be wearing blue shorts with their black and white stripes. Do we know if they actually did? I know the historical kits website has us in white shorts from 21-29 and I’ve never seen any suggestion before that we wore blue shorts with black and white stripes - it would be quite an intriguing combination. There is a suggestion that Babbacombe wore blue shorts prior to the merger so I’m not sure if that was their contribution?
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2021 13:04:23 GMT
Thanks for sharing, Jon - although I’m a bit confused by the Torquay United and Torquay Town existing at the same time thing. Can you explain why that was? I always assumed (as you suggest many did) that Torquay Town ceased to exist once the merger took place. I was also interested to read in the letter from “Jacques” that he suggests Torquay United would be wearing blue shorts with their black and white stripes. Do we know if they actually did? I know the historical kits website has us in white shorts from 21-29 and I’ve never seen any suggestion before that we wore blue shorts with black and white stripes - it would be quite an intriguing combination. There is a suggestion that Babbacombe wore blue shorts prior to the merger so I’m not sure if that was their contribution? Not sure if we if ever did wear blue shorts. If we did it did not last long. Clearly white shorts in the Devon Senior Cup final in the first season, and in the team photo at the start of the second season. torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/9366/devon-senior-cup-8-1922When the Western League scheme was mooted, Town and Babacombe both agreed that they would not stand in the way of the new club. In particular, this allowed United to take on the Plainmoor lease from the council. It was not envisaged that either club would cease to be. Both voted during the close season to carry on in the South Devon League for the 1921-22 season, sharing the lower pitch at the Ellacombe end. Indeed, the two clubs faced each other in a league match on the main pitch after United played Peasedown in the Western League on 17 September. Town won 4-1 and included Billy Pridham - who goes down in history as the only man to play for the original United and the new professional United. On October 1, Crad Evans rode his motor bike to Ashburton to cheer Town on rather than watch United at Plainmoor as United reserves had no match. Town's last game under that name was October 15 against Teign Village at Plainmoor. The Torquay Times of October 21 named the Town team to meet Chudleigh the next day, but the report the following week was of Chudleigh v Torquay United Juniors. The Western Morning News wrongly kept referring to Torquay Town until well into November. |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2021 13:07:09 GMT
TT 11/02/21   |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2021 13:08:51 GMT
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 8, 2021 13:11:00 GMT
TT 30/09/21  TT 07/10/21  TT 21/10/21  |
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