Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2009 0:03:34 GMT
It’s difficult to know quite where to place Jack Edwards in our history of Torquay United managers. My first thought is that he firmly belongs to those Mediocre Seasons in the Basement as referred to by the Centenary History. Edwards was, after all, in charge when we were relegated to Division 4 in 1972. His short reign – no more than fifteen months – is somehow etched in my mind as post-O’Farrell/Brown and part of the doldrum years which continued through the mid 1970s. Somehow Edwards and Musgrove go together in my memory.
But is that right? Surely Edwards, at the club as “trainer” since 1965, was a key figure at Torquay United in those great days of the late 1960s and not-so-bad times at the start of the 1970s? In that sense perhaps he represents the flickering embers of that era: one that had been O’Farrell and Edwards followed by Brown and Edwards.
But now the masters had moved on, the budget was dwindling and it was time for No. 2 to step forward. And, within Jack’s tale, there are two little twists.
Firstly, Edwards had actually been a manager in his own right before coming to Plainmoor. Believe it or not, he’d taken Exeter to promotion in 1964 (closely ahead of ourselves) only to be ditched a few months later in favour of Ellis Stuttard. His appointment as trainer to Frank O’Farrell in 1965 must have been quite a coup for Torquay United and an indication of our intentions. It also begs a supplementary question: who else has managed both Torquay United and Exeter City?
Secondly, Edwards was eventually replaced as Torquay United manager by Malcolm Musgrove, another of Frank O’Farrell’s No. 2s (who’d worked with Frank at Leicester City and Manchester United). Two men who – I assume – never worked together but had similar career histories.
To heap all the blame of relegation on Jack Edwards would most likely be unfair. The decline had set in under Brown who – after the defeat against Wrexham, 12 games into 1971/72 – commented that “this team will get me the sack.” He wasn’t wrong and the axe fell immediately with Edwards inheriting a team in 18th place. He couldn’t stop the rot.
So what was the state of affairs at Plainmoor in October 1971, just a few days after that big League Cup tie against Spurs? The results, stretching back to the turn of the year, suggest the team was in free fall. Was Jack Edwards a wise appointment? What was his overall contribution from 1965 through to 1973? How should we remember him?
Finally, looking back, you could argue Torquay United’s deteriorating fortunes can be measured by three successive Boxing Day fixtures:
26 Dec 1970 v Plymouth Argyle (h) 2-1: 3rd in Division 3
27 Dec 1971 v Plymouth Argyle (a) 1-3: 21st in Division 3
26 Dec 1972 v Exeter City (a) 2-3: 15th in Division 4.
No wonder I was so bloody angry that day at Exeter. Jack Edwards couldn’t have been around for much longer and little did we know that we weren’t to return to the third tier until 1991. A few pennies dropped that day. We were now decidedly fourth division.
But is that right? Surely Edwards, at the club as “trainer” since 1965, was a key figure at Torquay United in those great days of the late 1960s and not-so-bad times at the start of the 1970s? In that sense perhaps he represents the flickering embers of that era: one that had been O’Farrell and Edwards followed by Brown and Edwards.
But now the masters had moved on, the budget was dwindling and it was time for No. 2 to step forward. And, within Jack’s tale, there are two little twists.
Firstly, Edwards had actually been a manager in his own right before coming to Plainmoor. Believe it or not, he’d taken Exeter to promotion in 1964 (closely ahead of ourselves) only to be ditched a few months later in favour of Ellis Stuttard. His appointment as trainer to Frank O’Farrell in 1965 must have been quite a coup for Torquay United and an indication of our intentions. It also begs a supplementary question: who else has managed both Torquay United and Exeter City?
Secondly, Edwards was eventually replaced as Torquay United manager by Malcolm Musgrove, another of Frank O’Farrell’s No. 2s (who’d worked with Frank at Leicester City and Manchester United). Two men who – I assume – never worked together but had similar career histories.
To heap all the blame of relegation on Jack Edwards would most likely be unfair. The decline had set in under Brown who – after the defeat against Wrexham, 12 games into 1971/72 – commented that “this team will get me the sack.” He wasn’t wrong and the axe fell immediately with Edwards inheriting a team in 18th place. He couldn’t stop the rot.
So what was the state of affairs at Plainmoor in October 1971, just a few days after that big League Cup tie against Spurs? The results, stretching back to the turn of the year, suggest the team was in free fall. Was Jack Edwards a wise appointment? What was his overall contribution from 1965 through to 1973? How should we remember him?
Finally, looking back, you could argue Torquay United’s deteriorating fortunes can be measured by three successive Boxing Day fixtures:
26 Dec 1970 v Plymouth Argyle (h) 2-1: 3rd in Division 3
27 Dec 1971 v Plymouth Argyle (a) 1-3: 21st in Division 3
26 Dec 1972 v Exeter City (a) 2-3: 15th in Division 4.
No wonder I was so bloody angry that day at Exeter. Jack Edwards couldn’t have been around for much longer and little did we know that we weren’t to return to the third tier until 1991. A few pennies dropped that day. We were now decidedly fourth division.
When Jack Edwards joined Frank O'Farrell at Plainmoor he completed a trio of "hard men" with legendary "toughie" trainer Harry Topping driving the players hard from the saddle of his trusty bike whenever they snaked out of Plainmoor for the cruel cliff runs of Maidencombe and Watcombe.