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Archived News from October 2003

STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
19th October 2003 23:55


Torquay were among the founder members of the old division 3 (S) in the 1920's and stayed there all the time up to 1957-58 when the old divisions 3 and 4 were formed. The Gulls, having narrowly failed to gain promotion in to the old 2nd division in 1956-57, when only goal-average separated them and Ipswich Town, fared much worse in 1957-58 and as a result of that they became founder members of the old 4th division in 1958-59. Therefore the Gulls also played the Stags when they spent four seasons in the Southern section – and the teams have also played one expunged division 3 (S) game – a 2-2 draw at Plainmoor on September 2, 1939, game NOT included in the stats below – competition then cancelled due to outbreak of the 2nd World War. And when league football was resumed in 1946-47, the teams also met early at Torquay. Again the game ended in a 2-2 draw!

Since the 1966-67 season, the teams have met very frequently in the two lower divisions of the league as the teams were relegated together from the old 3rd division in 1971-72 despite both teams then beating the champs Aston Villa. In the late sixties, Stags league fixtures against the Gulls both home and away were very successful as the Stags completed four doubles in a row over Torquay, the most important one in 1967-68 when the Stags won both fixtures 2-0, thus ensuring that the Gulls finished just three points below Bury in second promotion spot in the old third – long time it seemed that Torquay were to be runaway winners. The 2-0 home game ended a very barren spell with just one league point in nine league games – and the goal-less draw in 1971-72 was the last of nine consecutive home games without scoring.

Twice, the Stags have run out 4-0 winners. First time in 1938-39 and second time in 1985-86 – that clipping of the Gulls ensured the Stags going top of the old fourth division on October 26, 1985. On the other hand, Torquay have also twice ran out 4-0 winners in home games. The first one on a Sunday, March 10, 1974 – after the Stags had drawn 1-1 at Exeter the day before – this arrangement was surely due to the fuel crisis in 1974 – and the second one as late as in April 2000 during the Stags longest-ever spell without scoring a league goal.
The teams have also something else in common – both knocking Leeds and West Ham out of cup competitions!
While the Stags KO'ed West Ham in the FA Cup in 1968-69 and Leeds in the League cup in 1994, Torquay's disposals were in the FA Cup 3rd round. Leeds 4-0 at home in a replay after a 2-2 draw at Leeds in 1954-55, West Ham 1-0 at home in 1989-90. Apart from that, the Gulls also made the Spurs play a second time in 1964-65 after a 3-3 draw at Plainmoor.

Despite the long distance between the towns, yet quite a number of players have represented both sides. Among them are current Stags manager Keith Curle and a former one, George Foster. On the other hand, Don O'Riordan was Torquay hot-seat man between 1993 and 1995. And the manager of the first Stags championship side in 1974-75, Dave Smith, was in charge of the Gulls between 1989 and 1991 but left just before the end of the 1990-91 season and therefore wasn't in the hot seat when Torquay secured promotion after penalizing Blackpool at Wembley.

Midweek fixtures between the two teams are nothing new. As recently as in 2000-01, the teams played out a 2-2 draw in October 2000 in front of just 1880 at Plainmoor with Bacon and Greenacre as Stags scorers, Hill and Mendy replying for the Gulls. And the teams last met in the 2001-02 season. The home time was also a midweek fixture, won 2-0 with Corden and Greenacre finding the net – and the away fixture was to be the ONLY goalless away draw that season.

So far this season, Torquay are challenging the playoffs positions as they did last season, narrowly falling to reach them then. Expect a closely-fought game at Plainmoor with the writer of these lines as one of the spectators.

Played for both sides: Gary Chapman, Keith Curle, Dick Edwards, John Fairbrother, George Foster, Ian Hathaway, Arjan van Heusden, Pat Kruse, Don O'Riordan, Jason Rees, Darren Rowbotham, Mark Sale, Keith Welch.
Managed both sides: Dave Smith.

Home games: P 29, W 18, D 7, L 4, GF 54, GA 29
Away games: P 29, W 9, D 10, L 10, GF 30, GA 38

Season Home Date Away Date

1931-32 2-4 1931-09-12 2-2 1932-01-23 Div 3 (S)
1937-38 1-1 1937-09-18 1-0 1938-01-29 Div 3 (S)
1938-39 4-0 1939-03-08 0-3 1939-04-15 Div 3 (S)
1946-47 1-0 1947-01-04 2-2 1946-07-09 Div 3 (S)
1962-63 1-2 1963-04-08 3-3 1962-10-06 Div 4 (old)
1966-67 4-2 1966-10-31 2-1 1966-09-03 Div 3 (old)
1967-68 2-0 1967-11-18 2-0 1968-04-13 Div 3 (old)
1968-69 2-1 1968-08-17 1-0 1969-04-30 Div 3 (old)
1969-70 1-0 1970-03-21 2-0 1970-03-04 Div 3 (old)
1970-71 0-0 1971-03-13 0-0 1970-11-14 Div 3 (old)
1971-72 0-0 1971-12-04 1-0 1972-04-22 Div 3 (old)
1972-73 2-1 1973-04-14 1-1 1973-03-21 Div 4 (old)
1973-74 2-1 1973-10-27 0-4 1974-03-10 Div 4 (old)
1974-75 3-0 1975-01-18 2-0 1974-11-30 Div 4 (old)
1980-81 1-1 1980-11-08 1-1 1981-04-12 Div 4 (old)
1981-82 3-1 1982-05-01 0-2 1981-09-30 Div 4 (old)
1982-83 2-1 1982-12-17 1-3 1983-04-23 Div 4 (old)
1983-84 1-3 1983-10-15 0-1 1984-03-24 Div 4 (old)
1984-85 1-0 1984-10-13 0-1 1985-03-19 Div 4 (old)
1985-86 4-0 1985-10-26 2-1 1986-03-22 Div 4 (old)
1993-94 2-1 1994-04-09 0-1 1994-01-01 Div 3
1994-95 2-2 1995-04-29 1-2 1994-10-15 Div 3
1995-96 2-0 1996-04-23 1-1 1995-09-02 Div 3
1996-97 1-2 1996-10-29 2-1 1997-02-18 Div 3
1997-98 2-2 1998-04-11 1-2 1997-12-02 Div 3
1998-99 2-1 1998-10-09 0-0 1999-04-05 Div 3
1999-2000 4-3 2000-01-03 0-4 2000-04-08 Div 3
2000-01 0-0 2001-04-14 2-2 2000-10-24 Div 3
2001-02 2-0 2001-10-23 0-0 2002-03-23 Div 3

Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right)

 

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