Post by Jon on May 26, 2010 22:31:53 GMT
After TUFC were relegated in 1972, the club came under tremendous financial pressure which led to some swingeing cutbacks early in 1973 including the sacking of the unsackable Don Mills. The reserve team, which had been playing in the Western League, was scrapped at the end of the 1972/73 season.
The plan was to run a side featuring fringe players, trialists and local amateurs in the midweek Western Counties Floodlit League, but the power crisis led to a floodlight ban which meant that we only played three fixtures. A full schedule was completed in 1974/75, but there was no reserve football at all in 1975/76.
In 1976, the Western League created a second division and TUFC entered a youngish side in this for six seasons 1976-82, before the reserves were again scrapped due to another financial crisis.
Dave Webb re-introduced reserve football in 1985, playing both in the South-Western League and in the Macbar Midweek League (later sponsored by Capital Finance & Leasing and Clifton Stockbrokers). TUFC withdrew from the SWL after three seasons, leaving only midweek reserve football in 1988/89.
In 1989, the reserves joined the Western League Combination in addition to the midweek league – this league featured the reserve teams of Western League clubs and wasn’t really strong enough to test our reserves. In 1990, we rejoined the second tier of the Western League proper. After two years, we were promoted to the Premier division of the Western League for the 1992/93 season, but then withdrew from the Western League altogether in 1993.
We remained in the midweek league throughout this time and in 1992 the league was absorbed into the Football Combination – effectively becoming its second division. We played in the Combination for four years before quitting in 1996.
Reserve football had been kept going in the mid-nineties, despite financial pressures, by the creation of a “Reserve Board” which I believe featured two of our current directors – Brian Palk and Alex Rowe.
For two years from 1996 to 1998, there was no competitive reserve football, but the Football Combination Division 2 was re-entered for the 1998-99 season. At the end of that season, the Combination scrapped its second tier, casting its South West teams adrift.
There was no competitive reserve football for another two seasons until an attempt was made to form a South West Reserve League for the 2001/02, but this lasted just one season and only featured four clubs. There has been no competitive reserve football from 2002 until now.
When I say “no competitive reserve football”, I am not counting the Devon St Luke’s Bowl. This competition started in 1997/98 – merging the Devon Pro Bowl and the St Luke’s Cup (previously competed for by Devon-based Western League teams). Although not officially reserve teams, the teams TUFC has fielded in this cup have largely been of a reserve team standard.
The plan was to run a side featuring fringe players, trialists and local amateurs in the midweek Western Counties Floodlit League, but the power crisis led to a floodlight ban which meant that we only played three fixtures. A full schedule was completed in 1974/75, but there was no reserve football at all in 1975/76.
In 1976, the Western League created a second division and TUFC entered a youngish side in this for six seasons 1976-82, before the reserves were again scrapped due to another financial crisis.
Dave Webb re-introduced reserve football in 1985, playing both in the South-Western League and in the Macbar Midweek League (later sponsored by Capital Finance & Leasing and Clifton Stockbrokers). TUFC withdrew from the SWL after three seasons, leaving only midweek reserve football in 1988/89.
In 1989, the reserves joined the Western League Combination in addition to the midweek league – this league featured the reserve teams of Western League clubs and wasn’t really strong enough to test our reserves. In 1990, we rejoined the second tier of the Western League proper. After two years, we were promoted to the Premier division of the Western League for the 1992/93 season, but then withdrew from the Western League altogether in 1993.
We remained in the midweek league throughout this time and in 1992 the league was absorbed into the Football Combination – effectively becoming its second division. We played in the Combination for four years before quitting in 1996.
Reserve football had been kept going in the mid-nineties, despite financial pressures, by the creation of a “Reserve Board” which I believe featured two of our current directors – Brian Palk and Alex Rowe.
For two years from 1996 to 1998, there was no competitive reserve football, but the Football Combination Division 2 was re-entered for the 1998-99 season. At the end of that season, the Combination scrapped its second tier, casting its South West teams adrift.
There was no competitive reserve football for another two seasons until an attempt was made to form a South West Reserve League for the 2001/02, but this lasted just one season and only featured four clubs. There has been no competitive reserve football from 2002 until now.
When I say “no competitive reserve football”, I am not counting the Devon St Luke’s Bowl. This competition started in 1997/98 – merging the Devon Pro Bowl and the St Luke’s Cup (previously competed for by Devon-based Western League teams). Although not officially reserve teams, the teams TUFC has fielded in this cup have largely been of a reserve team standard.
