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Post by ospelgull on Nov 23, 2010 9:31:47 GMT
In the 70's and 80's Torquay United regularly played their home games on the Saturday evening in stead of the normal afternoon kick-offs.
From when to when did they play these evening games and why did the club revert back to the afternoon kick-offs as I've understood that these evening games where very popular? A decision by the FA?
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Post by loyalgull on Nov 23, 2010 12:30:10 GMT
i wish saturday night footy would come back,i preferred it,even more now,leave her indoors to x-factor,casualty and all the other gumph
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Post by Budleigh on Nov 23, 2010 15:11:21 GMT
And a guaranteed mention on Match of the Day as a 'result from tonights evening kick-off'...
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Nov 23, 2010 17:23:38 GMT
I’m sure Jon and Barton Downs have posted on other threads some of the questions you have asked and maybe they can post them again on this thread.
I may be wrong but I have always thought it was the Wolves game that put an end to Saturday night kick-offs. What I’m not sure about is if that was the reason we saw a ban for a whole season on away fans and the need for all TUFC fans to have ID cards. Maybe someone can answer that for me and if it was a different season, just what happened to make Mike Batson bring in such a ban.
When we did have Saturday night kick-offs, we did have many local South Devon league players coming up to Plainmmoor to watch the games after they had played for their own team. Stuartb on here has said as much himself, but would that be the case now if we did go back to evening kick-offs.
I’m not so sure as back then it’s was just seen as the normal thing to do and now after their games today’s local players are certainly not in the habit of watching a football match on a Saturday evening.
It has been talked on here before about the club getting a closer bond to the South Devon League and the Devon FA. I know Ant on behalf of the Devon FA had a meeting at the club earlier in the season on the theme what could we do for each other.
I’m not sure what the outcome of that meeting was, but as long as the South Devon League plays their matches at the same time as Torquay United, you are never going to see any local players up at Plainmoor.
Would Saturday night football work again?
A big question really and one I don’t have the answers too myself. Yes you would think more people would be able to go on a Saturday evening, apart from the local footballers, many who have to work on a Saturday would also be able to go.
There is more magic watching a game under floodlights for sure but what might be the stumbling blocks? Would the FA allow it? Would away teams be unhappy as it might force them to stay in the Bay on a Saturday night due to the time the game finished? Would it put off some away fans that would not want to spend a weekend in the Bay? or would not want to be getting home in the wee small hours?
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Post by stefano on Nov 23, 2010 17:49:07 GMT
I used to love the Saturday evening kick offs which I think they started experimenting with in 1966/67 (I well remember a 2-1 win against Bristol Rovers when we were challenging QPR and Middlesbrough for promotion) and it then, probably because of vastly increased crowds during the experiment, became virtually a permanent fixture. There were a few objections from opposition teams and fans and particularly from the Pools companies, but in those days we were used to every game kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday which these days is not the case.
Certainly local footballers made up a large proportion of the crowd, but I think also in the 60's football was more popular and a higher priority amongst those in their teens, twenties, and thirties. If local footballers really desired to watch Torquay United you would expect our gates for midweek games to increase dramatically, but they don't they normally drop.
As somebody who is no longer of 'local footballer age' the prospect of a Saturday evening at Plainmoor and not getting home until almost 11pm doesn't really fill me with enthusiasm. I do think that football was a higher priority in all age groups 40 odd years ago (we had after all just won the World Cup for the first and probably last time) and there most definitely wasn't as much to do. I am now a convert for the traditional kick off of 3pm and then a relaxing evening in a bar, going for a meal, or watching a local group (as long as it's not too noisy! ;D)
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Post by loyalgull on Nov 23, 2010 17:58:21 GMT
a poll would certainly be interesting,i dont think it got the club bigger attendances which is the one thing that really matters,but now with the hum drum of life a saturday night kick off may benefit more people.Like i said before i miss the 730 kick off,then go the lash afterwards,sadly the boozing days are long gone
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Post by jmgull on Nov 23, 2010 18:59:04 GMT
Like most of a certain age on here..........i was brought up on Plainmoor on saturday evenings. It made for a great football day.........my dad was still playing SDL and i was the teams linesman from a far too early age......if he wasn't playing the it was Argyle or Exeter on saturday afternoon (perish the thought now  ) fish n chips after, then up to Plainmoor  . I'm pretty sure it was changed as gates on sat evenings were dropping off and by playing sat afternoons we qualified for pools money.....could be wrong though. |
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keyberrygull
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Post by keyberrygull on Nov 23, 2010 19:17:22 GMT
And a guaranteed mention on Match of the Day as a 'result from tonights evening kick-off'... And during the classified results shown on final score  Torquay United E v E ................. K.O 7:30 |
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Post by loyalgull on Nov 23, 2010 19:29:23 GMT
And a guaranteed mention on Match of the Day as a 'result from tonights evening kick-off'... And during the classified results shown on final score Torquay United E v E ................. K.O 7:30 that made me laugh ;D |
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Post by stuartB on Nov 23, 2010 22:15:51 GMT
Loved my saturday's back then. Play in the SDL in the afternoon, watch evening kick off and then down to the 400 club for the night. what could be better?
the alleged reason not happening now was that the plods could not police the game and the seafront pubs. Absolute bollox. We don't need any plods plus the aggro doesn't start till much much later in the pubs
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Post by loyalgull on Nov 23, 2010 22:30:23 GMT
Loved my saturday's back then. Play in the SDL in the afternoon, watch evening kick off and then down to the 400 club for the night. what could be better? the alleged reason not happening now was that the plods could not police the game and the seafront pubs. Absolute bollox. We don't need any plods plus the aggro doesn't start till much much later in the pubs 400 club? i used to work there in the 70s,showing your age like me stuartb ;D |
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Post by stuartB on Nov 23, 2010 22:36:57 GMT
Loved my saturday's back then. Play in the SDL in the afternoon, watch evening kick off and then down to the 400 club for the night. what could be better? the alleged reason not happening now was that the plods could not police the game and the seafront pubs. Absolute bollox. We don't need any plods plus the aggro doesn't start till much much later in the pubs 400 club? i used to work there in the 70s,showing your age like me stuartb ;D i was only a teenager  |
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) fish n chips after, then up to Plainmoor 
.
