hector
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Post by hector on Sept 15, 2014 5:52:54 GMT
Just happened to be looking through the SDL tables, published in the Janner Indy, and could see no sign of Hele Rovers. Presumably they folded, which seems a shame for a long-standing club. Noticed a Polonia Torbay in Division 4 - presumably a Polish team. Lots of teams I don't recognise from the odd, very fleeting season I played in the SDL. Not so many of the old traditional South Hams teams left either.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2014 9:50:33 GMT
Having lost track of the South Devon League for a couple of seasons I'd not noticed the absence of Hele Rovers. The SDL website shows them bottom of Division One at the end of 2012/13; I couldn't see sight of them last season. Hele were taking big beatings during the spring of 2013 and there was at least one incidence of them failing to raise a team. I must say the league constitution has a more solid appearance this season. The small Division Six has gone; the shortfalls in the middle divisions made up. Six divisions - Premier plus 1-5; five with fourteen clubs; Division Four with sixteen. It would certainly be interesting to see league tables from thirty, forty and fifty years ago. How many South Hams teams in those days? How many sides from Torquay itself? Alan Merson was telling us about Torquay Hungarians, for instance, before the game at Dartford recently. Looking back we've had a good discussion before at torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/3572I guess membership of leagues at this level change over the years for all sorts of reasons: sale of pitches; population movements; people falling out. Nationwide I understand there has been a shift from playing 11-a-side to smaller version 5- and 7-a-side leagues. Looking at the South Devon League I think it's done rather well. It certainly appears to be in a better place than its Plymouth counterpart. The top end might not be so strong but that's largely due to clubs stepping up to the Peninsula. The South Hams involvement has a lengthy history. We've read before of Beesands Rovers strength over the years; the location of their ground adding to the general mystique. Beesands are in Division One these days; East Allington and Loddiswell in the Premier. Salcombe were new (replacing a former club?) just a few years back and have since made good progress. Torquay football is currently at a fascinating point. We know the issue of pitches; we know the path to the Peninsula and beyond awaits in theory. Grounds are being leased by the council so that clubs can take more responsibility and make plans for the future. We hear of intention and aspiration at Upton, Waldon and Watcombe. What happens next? And who I ask are Torquay Town who have won three out of three in Division Five? That's a fine old name and history to live up to. Are they anything to do with Torre who suffered such a sticky end? Another one to catch the eye: AFC Staverton. Have I missed going-ons down by the Dart? Wasn't there a Staverton and Landscove for a while? Will we one day see an FC United of Dittisham splitting from Dittisham United? And I still smile at the thought of Preston South End. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2014 11:13:42 GMT
Another feature of the SDL these days is the prevalence of reserve and third teams in the top divisions. Bovey Tracey, Buckland Athletic, Ivybridge Town, Newton Abbot Spurs and Stoke Gabriel have teams in the fourteen-strong Premier Division. Brixham, Buckland Athletic, Stoke Gabriel, Teignmouth and Totnes & Dartington are represented in Division One (as are the reserves of Premier Division Kingskerswell & Chelston).
And what of Newton Abbot, the beating heart of football in South Devon. I always get confused with the Newtons this, that and the other. The first teams (and I hope this is correct) of Newton Abbot 66 in Division One; Newton United in Division Two; Newton Rovers in Division Four. Tell them apart? I'm from the wrong side of the 'Kerswell Arch for that.
Ah yes, one other point. Living in Exeter I tend to see the "Newton and Teign" edition of the Herald Express. The "Voice of Teignbridge" since 1925; not that the term "Teignbridge" had any currency before the 1970s. Last Thursday I turned to the back page expecting a blockbuster Torquay United headline. Instead it was a story about Newton Abbot Sours: DYSON ANSWERS SPURS' SOS CALL. I quite approved of that to be honest.
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Post by dazgull on Sept 15, 2014 19:35:22 GMT
Newton Rovers are only in their third season I believe and are partly from Newton United and play at Bakers Park. There are of course two other sides who play in the town and that's Buckland Athletic and Buckland & Milber who play their home games at Decoy whilst all the youth sides play on the field next to where Centrax/Newton Abbot Dynamoes) used to play. That field can not be accessed now but the one for the youth teams has quite a few small sized pitches.
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hector
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Post by hector on Sept 15, 2014 20:45:34 GMT
My appearances in the SDL were very fleeting. I played for both Babbacombe clubs, Rangers and Corinthians, the odd ringer appearance for Torbay Gentlemen (at the time they had a policy of players over 35 or something, playing and I played as Mike Somebody as a 17 year-old but a hammering by an up-and-coming Chagford meant no attention was paid to the obvious clutch of teenagers in the side.) and a few games for Broadhempston United but the clashes with Plainmoor meant my stints in the SDL never lasted long.
Julian Jurak, who formed Torquay Hungarians, was a neighbour of mine (in his retirement) - a nice bloke but I haven't seen him for a long, long time.
I have always found the lack of a Torquay team above the SDL a strange scenario but the lack of a decent pitch anywhere is probably the reason why.
I enjoyed trips to places like Avonwick, Ashprington and Halwell & Morleigh etc but the worst away trip was a 16 year-old playing away at Channings Wood - that was scary! Also played in the same 7s team as the fabled Dysons at Newton Spurs/Teignmouth.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2014 8:55:56 GMT
We’ve recently mentioned Torquay Hungarians. This picture appears in the current edition of the Herald Express:  |
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hector
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Post by hector on Oct 1, 2014 5:55:46 GMT
...and other than Mr Jurak, not a single Hungarian amongst them! I suspect Polonia Torbay aren't short of Polish players (or polished players) for their side.
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Post by gullone on Oct 26, 2014 16:29:57 GMT
And who I ask are Torquay Town who have won three out of three in Division Five? That's a fine old name and history to live up to. Torquay Town lost their second league game 0 1 away at Newton Utd Res but are sitting nicely in third place. Unfortunately not wearing the original clubs colours......not yet anyway. Home venue, Barton Downs pitch 2, where else. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2014 20:05:17 GMT
Torquay Town lost their second league game 0 1 away at Newton Utd Res but are sitting nicely in third place. Unfortunately not wearing the original clubs colours......not yet anyway. Home venue, Barton Downs pitch 2, where else. A fine venue for a grand old name. But I should really remember that, when Torquay Town were in their pomp, I would have been in the Babbacombe camp. Were I born in 1895 as opposed to 1955, that is! Anyway who are the Babbacombe boys, the Ellacombe boys and the Torquay Town boys on here? And girls. Come on. Show your colours! |
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