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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2015 12:41:52 GMT
A difficult and testing trip to North Cornwall for Tics: Wadebridge 92 Torquay Athletic 5 Sympathetically covered by the Herald Express under the heading "Rivals' results a bonus for Torquay". |
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hector
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Post by hector on Mar 22, 2015 8:08:16 GMT
I suspect that despite the above horror result (in fact a season full of them) Tics will be safe from relegation, as they are now 9pts clear of St Ives, although defeat is likely for Tics next week as they play away at Exeter Uni, while St Ives face the rampant Camels of Wadebridge.
Is purely coincidence that the football and rugby teams of Torquay are probably at their lowest ebb since formation?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2015 11:04:37 GMT
Is purely coincidence that the football and rugby teams of Torquay are probably at their lowest ebb since formation? It's probably coincidental. Tics' decline is of epic proportions. Whatever United's current state, the gap between the two institutions is now enormous. Rather than thinking it's anything to do with the town per se I'm more of the opinion the rugby club never coped with the transition to league rugby. From arranging its own opponents - and being an attractive club to visit - it suddenly found itself at the beck and call of league fixture schedules. Locally, Brixham and Newton Abbot grasped the nettle as, you assume, are Teignmouth at the moment. Overall it's not a bad arrangement. Football remains the main spectator sport in Torquay; several South Devon rugby clubs are flourishing nicely. More local soccer clubs are pushing up the pyramid. The biggest shame is that there's a Western League venue in Dawlish that's not being used for an appropriate level of football. And, of course, the lack of a "second" football venue in Torquay or anything much at all in Paignton. A little bit of context too during these sobering times. Last weekend Newton Abbot and Brixham faced each other in the Devon Cup final. That's as big as rugby will ever get in South Devon. I've read two reports: one said the crowd was 1200; the other 1400. This was reported favourably in both instances. Good but, actually, it's not much more than Torquay United's lowest crowds for nearly thirty years. |
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Post by ricardo on Mar 22, 2015 12:43:08 GMT
As someone who grew up in Brixham who has maintained a passing interest in the rugby team for many years, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go to the game at Rackerhayes last Saturday. It was a good choice and made a refreshing change from the fare being served up at Plainmoor recently.
As Barton says, the lively crowd was in the region of 1,200 divided evenly between home and away fans but obviously no segregation and the opportunity to enjoy some good natured banter and a few beers while watching a hugely entertaining game. By one of those strange quirks the fixture was repeated yesterday in the league. Some revenge for Newton Abbot in a 36-7 win but I suspect the crowd was no more than a quarter of the previous week's.
I also enjoy an occasional day out at The Chiefs but only when there's no Gulls match within 200 miles!
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Mar 23, 2015 0:30:33 GMT
Here's a table from Plainmoor's first season of league football. Twice as many points as those upstarts from the Recreation Ground and six times as many points as wooden spoonists Exeter Chiefs!  |
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hector
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Post by hector on Mar 23, 2015 22:42:40 GMT
Did Torquay have two rugby teams?
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Mar 23, 2015 23:50:18 GMT
Did Torquay have two rugby teams? Torquay had lots of rugby teams in the 90s, but yes two in the Senior Cup from 1892. Torquay Town was formed through the merger of two junior clubs - Wanderers and Juniors. They filled the gap for the Recreation Ground Company when Athletic quit for the second time to return to Plainmoor in 1892 - they had played the 1890/91 season (the first season of league football) at Paignton Cycle Track. Town imploded half way through the 1894/95 season after foolishly making an allegation of professionalism against Athletic which admitted professionalism on their own part. Athletic were found not guilty, Town guilty, banned and folded. One Torquay Town claim to fame is that they were the first club ever to play a competitive match at Home Park. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 0:14:30 GMT
They had played the 1890/91 season (the first season of league football) at Paignton Cycle Track. Would this not be one of the earliest league competitions in any sport? If only it was association football, and played for continuously ever since, it would be making a claim such as being "the third oldest league in the world" (or thereabouts). The Bristol & District League (later the Western League), for instance, didn't limp along until 1892. Strange how rugby union ended up doing without league competition for many decades. |
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hector
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Post by hector on Mar 24, 2015 6:54:48 GMT
Did Torquay have two rugby teams? Torquay had lots of rugby teams in the 90s, but yes two in the Senior Cup from 1892. Torquay Town was formed through the merger of two junior clubs - Wanderers and Juniors. They filled the gap for the Recreation Ground Company when Athletic quit for the second time to return to Plainmoor in 1892 - they had played the 1890/91 season (the first season of league football) at Paignton Cycle Track. Town imploded half way through the 1894/95 season after foolishly making an allegation of professionalism against Athletic which admitted professionalism on their own part. Athletic were found not guilty, Town guilty, banned and folded. One Torquay Town claim to fame is that they were the first club ever to play a competitive match at Home Park. Thanks for that. I hadn't realised there had been a Torquay Town RFC and I guess their demise predates the merger that saw TUFC & Ellacombe become Torquay Town FC. There were, in the late 1990s, I'm pretty sure, a Torquay Town in youth football, which formed out of the ashes of a folded Torre Trojans, which folded (or simply changed the name) because of - I think I am right in thinking - a sexual abuse case, involving one of the coaches. There was also a Torquay Town that played 7 aside in the Clennon Valley league. |
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hector
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Post by hector on May 27, 2015 19:07:50 GMT
I am presently watching the Worcester v Bristol play-off, for a place in rugby's Premiership. Currently 3-3, with a 32-31 aggregate in Worcester's favour but if Bristol can overcome this and go up, what a sporting year for the city, with each of their teams getting promoted.
Meanwhile, in Torquay...
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hector
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Post by hector on May 28, 2015 11:03:55 GMT
Stunning conclusion to the above game btw - Bristol were seconds, literally seconds from promotion, until the last play of the game from which Worcester's try brought them within 2 points on the night and 1 point on aggregate. 80 mins up and only time for the conversion which was successful.
So no hatrick after all for the city of Bristol.
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