Post by Jon on Aug 1, 2010 22:17:28 GMT
Torquay United first fielded a reserve team in the club’s second season 1900-01. For three seasons, they played friendlies only before becoming founder members of the Torquay and District (later to become South Devon) League which was founded in 1903 – although it falsely claims to have been founded in 1902.
After one season in the TDL, the reserve team was scrapped as the club suffered a loss of members on losing the Recreation Ground. The reserves returned to the TDL for the 1905/06 season, but part way through the 1907/08 season, the reserve team disappeared again as the first team was forced to withdraw from the East Devon League and take over the reserves’ TDL fixtures.
There was no reserve team for two and a half years up until the merger with Ellacombe in 1910. Torquay Town’s reserves played in the TDL throughout the club’s existence 1910-14 and 1919-21.
In 1921, the reserves of the new professional Torquay United entered the Plymouth and District League – staying there for three seasons. In 1924, as part of a big cost-cutting exercise, the reserves moved to the East Devon League which was considered to be considerably weaker. After two years, they returned to the PDL for the 1926/27 season.
When the club was elected to the Football League in 1927, the reserves took the first team’s place in both the Southern League Western Section and the Western League Professional Section. In 1934/35, the reserves also played in the Southern League Central Section – a supplementary competition including teams from East and West. In 1936, the East and West sections of the Southern League merged.
At the end of the 1938/39 season, the reserves withdrew from the Western League due to the increase in the number of Southern League fixtures. Three games into the following season, Southern League fixtures were suspended. United struggled to field one professional team let alone two, but did field an amateur team in the Torquay and District Emergency League before the club closed down in 1940.
On resuming in 1945, the reserves entered the Plymouth and District Victory League and due to transport difficulties remained in the PDL for 1946/47 before returning to the Southern League.
The reserves left the Southern League after four years, becoming founder members of the South Western League in 1951 – which saw a huge reduction in expenditure but also a massive drop in quality of football.
After four years, it was decided to transfer to the Western League which offered a higher standard of football. United had to start in the second division, but spent just one season there, gaining promotion to the top flight at the end of the 1955/56 season. They were to stay there for seventeen seasons before resigning in 1973 – as explained in part 2:
torquayfansforum.com/index.cgi?board=tufchistory&action=display&thread=5355
It is also worth mentioning the midweek Western Counties Floodlit League, which Torquay entered for the first time in 1965/66. This was originally branded a first team competition, but Torquay soon started fielding a reserve team. Torquay withdrew at the end of their first season, before an ill-fated return in 1973 explained in part 2.
After one season in the TDL, the reserve team was scrapped as the club suffered a loss of members on losing the Recreation Ground. The reserves returned to the TDL for the 1905/06 season, but part way through the 1907/08 season, the reserve team disappeared again as the first team was forced to withdraw from the East Devon League and take over the reserves’ TDL fixtures.
There was no reserve team for two and a half years up until the merger with Ellacombe in 1910. Torquay Town’s reserves played in the TDL throughout the club’s existence 1910-14 and 1919-21.
In 1921, the reserves of the new professional Torquay United entered the Plymouth and District League – staying there for three seasons. In 1924, as part of a big cost-cutting exercise, the reserves moved to the East Devon League which was considered to be considerably weaker. After two years, they returned to the PDL for the 1926/27 season.
When the club was elected to the Football League in 1927, the reserves took the first team’s place in both the Southern League Western Section and the Western League Professional Section. In 1934/35, the reserves also played in the Southern League Central Section – a supplementary competition including teams from East and West. In 1936, the East and West sections of the Southern League merged.
At the end of the 1938/39 season, the reserves withdrew from the Western League due to the increase in the number of Southern League fixtures. Three games into the following season, Southern League fixtures were suspended. United struggled to field one professional team let alone two, but did field an amateur team in the Torquay and District Emergency League before the club closed down in 1940.
On resuming in 1945, the reserves entered the Plymouth and District Victory League and due to transport difficulties remained in the PDL for 1946/47 before returning to the Southern League.
The reserves left the Southern League after four years, becoming founder members of the South Western League in 1951 – which saw a huge reduction in expenditure but also a massive drop in quality of football.
After four years, it was decided to transfer to the Western League which offered a higher standard of football. United had to start in the second division, but spent just one season there, gaining promotion to the top flight at the end of the 1955/56 season. They were to stay there for seventeen seasons before resigning in 1973 – as explained in part 2:
torquayfansforum.com/index.cgi?board=tufchistory&action=display&thread=5355
It is also worth mentioning the midweek Western Counties Floodlit League, which Torquay entered for the first time in 1965/66. This was originally branded a first team competition, but Torquay soon started fielding a reserve team. Torquay withdrew at the end of their first season, before an ill-fated return in 1973 explained in part 2.