by stefano » 10 Sep 2016, 11:26
Some lovely memories rekindled by this thread which is really an obituary to the lovely man Mr Alan Smith. Whilst he had the nickname wacker, he was a very cultured player particularly for a full back in those days, when the term wacker justifiably was apt for many, wacking the ball forwards with distance being more important than direction, and wacking any opponent who came within 10 feet. Mr Smith could certainly handle himself, but he could play as well!
Reading through the thread I had the great privilege to play with several of those mentioned - Andy donnelly, Tony Scott, Alan Welsh, and John Benson in the Western League with the reserves - and Tommy Northcott in the South Western League with Newton Abbot Spurs. It is a bit difficult these days to imagine such good players to be playing in the reserves, but of course there was then only one substitute so the first team only had 13 players involved in each game (the 13th being the extra man who could replace anybody who became ill or injured but only before the game started). We had over 20 professional players in those days, so those not in the first team 13 got playing and fitness time in the reserves.
I cannot recall ever playing a game with Alan Smith, but he did regularly come to our Tuesday and Thursday training sessions for the club amateur players along with fellow professionals Geoff Cox and Doug Clark, to assist the reserve & youth team trainer Don Mills. All of them were fitness fanatics and although they had been training during the day they were more than happy to give it another go in the evening.
Alan Smith did actually sign for Newton Abbot Spurs at the same time as Tommy Northcott, but by then his knee injury had got too much and he did not make an appearance. Something I was quite pleased about at the time as being in the same position he would of course have kept me out of the side!!
A disappointing thought when reading through the thread, and emphasised by Brucie in the way that only Brucie can (it's no wonder Wivel agrees with him!), is that I have almost without doubt seen the best days. I have always hoped that before I died I would see Torquay United have at least one season in the Championship. That is a place we should have got to and deserved to get to once in the 1950's (when we finished 2nd but only one team got promoted) and then three times in the 1960's with 7th, 4th, and 6th place finishes. No play-offs in those days of course to give us a second chance!
I am sure that the lovely man Mr Alan Smith would have loved to have seen the same, but he has run out of time as those of us priveleged to see the great Torquay team of the 1960's will undoubtedly do as well.
Some lovely memories rekindled by this thread which is really an obituary to the lovely man Mr Alan Smith. Whilst he had the nickname wacker, he was a very cultured player particularly for a full back in those days, when the term wacker justifiably was apt for many, wacking the ball forwards with distance being more important than direction, and wacking any opponent who came within 10 feet. Mr Smith could certainly handle himself, but he could play as well!
Reading through the thread I had the great privilege to play with several of those mentioned - Andy donnelly, Tony Scott, Alan Welsh, and John Benson in the Western League with the reserves - and Tommy Northcott in the South Western League with Newton Abbot Spurs. It is a bit difficult these days to imagine such good players to be playing in the reserves, but of course there was then only one substitute so the first team only had 13 players involved in each game (the 13th being the extra man who could replace anybody who became ill or injured but only before the game started). We had over 20 professional players in those days, so those not in the first team 13 got playing and fitness time in the reserves.
I cannot recall ever playing a game with Alan Smith, but he did regularly come to our Tuesday and Thursday training sessions for the club amateur players along with fellow professionals Geoff Cox and Doug Clark, to assist the reserve & youth team trainer Don Mills. All of them were fitness fanatics and although they had been training during the day they were more than happy to give it another go in the evening.
Alan Smith did actually sign for Newton Abbot Spurs at the same time as Tommy Northcott, but by then his knee injury had got too much and he did not make an appearance. Something I was quite pleased about at the time as being in the same position he would of course have kept me out of the side!!
A disappointing thought when reading through the thread, and emphasised by Brucie in the way that only Brucie can (it's no wonder Wivel agrees with him!), is that I have almost without doubt seen the best days. I have always hoped that before I died I would see Torquay United have at least one season in the Championship. That is a place we should have got to and deserved to get to once in the 1950's (when we finished 2nd but only one team got promoted) and then three times in the 1960's with 7th, 4th, and 6th place finishes. No play-offs in those days of course to give us a second chance!
I am sure that the lovely man Mr Alan Smith would have loved to have seen the same, but he has run out of time as those of us priveleged to see the great Torquay team of the 1960's will undoubtedly do as well.
