Torquay United v Colchester United.04/05/55.

That sub 3K gate for the last game of the season on a midweek evening showed the devastating effect the combination of having "nothing to play for" and no floodlights had on attendances for many small football clubs in those days.

It remained much the same as regards the diminishing enthusiasm of the public for such meaningless end of season games until the introduction of the much maligned play off system, and even the sternest critics of these have to acknowledge the overriding need to instil some "umph" into the end of the season that was needed at the time for so many mid table clubs.

I clearly remember my late father complaining about how midweek games were always played on a Wednesday (Torquay's half working day) when in his opinion so many of the support who lived or worked in Newton Abbot had their half day on a Thursday.

Such things are now a curious part of history, and we also have to recognise the amount of people who had to work on Saturday mornings in those days and sadly since the imposition of less labour friendly working conditions in the past quarter of a century, British society has been taking backward steps as regards the hard fought for and fiercely protected enlightenment towards the 5 day week that are still fiercely defended by the French and Germans in particular where weekends are what they say on the tin............a time for self, family and friends; not the bloody boss!

I noticed too, in the fixture list for the reserves; that they were engaged on a two games in two days excursion down into deepest West Cornwall at the same time as the First Team's double header with Colchester and Stoke City, with succesive games at Truro and Penzance in the South Western League.................I would imagine they stayed the night between games down there rather than travel all the way back and down again the next day.

I have never either watched nor played football at Truro, but forty years ago playing at Penlee Park Penzance was both a pleasurable and memorable experience ~ a neat and tidy little gound with a great pitch, good floodlights and those dressing rooms located down behind the banking at one end of the ground amongst the local fire station. Access to the pitch was up a steep ramp, through a vomitory onto the pitch beside the goal if I remember correctly.

I have got great memories of both Penzance and Truro City on the South Western League circuit as a player in the late 60's / early 70's and as a club official in the 90's.

Penzance was the nicer of the two grounds with a steep bank opposite the grandstand where people parked cars and both Penzance and Truro normally attracted large crowds.

Penzance was particularly memorable for me as it was where I made my South Western League debut for Newton Abbot Spurs, playing alongside the unforgettable Don Mills in the back four in a 1-0 defeat. I can remember further games at Penzance, a tremendous end to end 2-2 draw, and a 5-1 defeat where I only lasted 30 minutes after Tony Kellow (later to play for Argyle and Exeter) crashed into me and I was stretchered to the ambulance and off to Penzance Hospital. Lovely club and ground though and always a very real welcome.

Truro I never thought were as friendly as a club but I hold terrifyingly nightmarish memories of playing there as one of the games was what I would suspect is the record South western League score and I was not on the right end of it! We had travelled down from Newton Abbot towards the end of the season in about March 1970 to play the leaders and eventual champions with a scratch side, only three of the team having played regularly in the South western League. The pitch was an absolute bog after heavy rain all week and these days the game would not have been allowed on safety grounds. It probably wouldn't have gone ahead then had we not have made a near on 5 hour trip to get there (as it was in those days before dual carriageways and by-passes). First half playing down the slope we weren't doing too badly and were 1-0 down about ten minutes from half-time, when our Devon County goalie Roger Lang injured his hand when we conceded a second. He could not continue so an outfield player took his place. Another goal before half-time to go in 3-0 down, and a ridiculously unbelievable second half where we only got over the half way line when we kicked off several times and lost 15-0. Not sure if it is the record for the league, but it bloody well should be!!

The only thing that has prevented flashbacks and severe psychological damage was going back there only five months later at the start of the following season in about August 1970 (they always say if you fall off a horse then get straight back on again!). Truro were the deserved champions from the previous season and were probably expecting an easy game, but we had a much strengthened team with ex-Gull Tommy Northcott leading the forwards and his brother ex-Gull George Northcott at the centre of defence. A 0-0 draw but a game we really should have won with Tommy Northcott hitting the bar twice with headers.

That draw with Truro was amongst the best sequence of results I can remember at Spurs, as with our link up with Torquay United the team was constantly chopping and changing. That season though we were fourth in the table after four games with two wins and two draws.

In later years I was club secretary when Devon & Cornwall Police competed in the South western League between 1991 and 1995 and enjoyed renewing my visits to both Penzance and Truro. A 5-1 away win at Penlee Park was particularly memorable although the sweetest was in our first season a 2-1 win at Truro (who were to be champions once again that year) with ex-Gull Gerry Nardiello scoring a spectacular headed winner whilst another copper ex-Exeter Graeme Kirkup playing for Truro could only look on!

Our reasons for entering the police team in the South western League was to try to play together regularly in an attempt to win the British Police Cup for the first time. Other forces we came up against such as the Metropolitan Police and the West Midlands Police played regularly in good standard leagues as well as entering the FA Cup (a ground review of the Met ground at Imber Court would be interesting if any of our professional photographers are passing). Our mission was successful, with a 1-0 final win against West Midlands at Home Park in May 1994, with Peter Shilton being our guest of honour and presenting the trophy and medals.

We also won the best programme award in the South western League for a couple of seasons, ably compiled, edited, and produced by our very own Sam who is a member on here.

Two tremendous clubs Penzance and Truro. Out of the two I have more affection for Penzance, but I closely follow the fortunes of Truro in their new adventure (a friend of mine was manager there until being sacked last season) and it will be interesting to see how far they can go. I hope they heed the experience of others who have over-stretched themselves and blown themselves into oblivion.

Terry Coombe the goalie? Memory fading a little now Merse as you made your debut a couple of weeks before me away to Nanpean Rovers.

Imber Court. Floodlight pylon in only three of the four corners?

That's what he looked like. Glad nobody told me before the game!