One for the historians

Post by **Louis** » 30 May 2013, 21:27

Had this on email... Anyone know the answer so I can get back to them?

Hi, I came to see you during my honeymoon week in Torquay, We are celebrating 50 years in september and would like to know who you played during the week of Monday 16th Sept. 1963.
Thanks for your help.

Look forward to seeing you at 6 Fields against the Cobblers next season.

Derek Johns

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 30 May 2013, 21:37

Lost 2-0 to Darlington on the 16th and 1-0 to Aldershot on 21st

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/ma ... 4;team=360

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 30 May 2013, 21:47

Ah i bet you remember them well Scotty eh you old duffer. :~D

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 30 May 2013, 21:55

Says the guy older than me.... :~D :~D

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 30 May 2013, 22:03

How old are you?

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 30 May 2013, 22:26

4 years younger than you

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 30 May 2013, 22:28

Well then, didn't your mam ever tell you not to cheek your elders?! :na:

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 30 May 2013, 22:49

Only if they treat you right themselves....otherwise she told me to give as good as I got

AustrianAndyGull · Post by **AustrianAndyGull** » 30 May 2013, 22:51

Good advice my friend, good advice.

stefano · Post by **stefano** » 31 May 2013, 06:02

The defeats to Darlington and Aldershot were both away games so I wouldn't have thought it was those unless they decided that some romance would be added by jumping on the Wallace Arnold for a 400 miles journey North.

Either side of those two games were games at Plainmoor:
Saturday 14 September 1963: 3-1 win over Carlisle United
Saturday 28 September 1963: 4-0 win over Bradford City

I would have thought the second one was the most likely if they had a 2 week honeymoon with Saturday 14th probably being the day they got married.

Those 2 games were towards the start of an incredible sequence at Plainmoor of 12 successive league and FA Cup games where we rattled in 48 goals - an amazing average of 4 a game.

stefano · Post by **stefano** » 31 May 2013, 07:03

Further to my previous post there is one other game I can think of as a possibility. I do not know the exact date but it was a midweek game in mid-September. It was the Don Mills testimonial game Torquay United v Swindon Town (it was meant to be a combined Swindon Town / Plymouth Argyle team but Argyle pulled their players out at the last minute). Don Mills scored early on and the game finished 2-2. It was a good attendance and would have seemed like a normal first team game (our attendances at that time were 4500-5500).

Given they are probably sure of the dates (

) and they did say their 'honeymoon week' I think this game may be more likely than the two league games I mentioned earlier.

CP Gull · Post by **CP Gull** » 31 May 2013, 07:29

stefano wrote:Further to my previous post there is one other game I can think of as a possibility. I do not know the exact date but it was a midweek game in mid-September. It was the Don Mills testimonial game Torquay United v Swindon Town (it was meant to be a combined Swindon Town / Plymouth Argyle team but Argyle pulled their players out at the last minute). Don Mills scored early on and the game finished 2-2. It was a good attendance and would have seemed like a normal first team game (our attendances at that time were 4500-5500).

Given they are probably sure of the dates ( ) and they did say their 'honeymoon week' I think this game may be more likely than the two league games I mentioned earlier.

Interesting stuff Stef but it would appear that the Don Mills game was played at the end of he next month i.e. Monday 28th October 1963 .... at least it was according to the programme cover!

So the plot thickens .....

stefano · Post by **stefano** » 31 May 2013, 11:22

CP Gull wrote: Interesting stuff Stef but it would appear that the Don Mills game was played at the end of he next month i.e. Monday 28th October 1963 .... at least it was according to the programme cover!

So the plot thickens .....

I am sure you are right CPG if you have the programme. 1963/64 was my first season supporting Torquay United and my memory was it was one of the first games I saw hence associating it with mid-September. I would have seen a few games by late October but I can remember being wrapped up well and it being chilly, so that makes late October about right.

Well if it's not our league games against Carlisle on the 14th or Bradford City on the 28th, that only leaves our reserves in the Western League (we had gone out of the League Cup in the first round well before these dates). Possibilities there are:

Wednesday 18 September Weymouth Town reserves Won 4-0
Saturday 21 September Bristol City Colts Lost 1-3
Wednesday 25 September Bath City reserves Won 3-1.

I played or subbed for Torquay against all 3 of those opponents, but not in that season as I was only eleven!

Our average reserve attendances at that time were about 1200 so I would have thought they would have realised that it was not a first team game. Mind you they were probably blinded by love and had their minds on other things.

Post by **Louis** » 31 May 2013, 12:24

Thanks guys.

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