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Not sure where the "ex-gull" thread has gone, but never mind...

Matt Hockley has played his last game for Bideford as he is moving to Norfolk for work.

No one can ever say he was the greatest Gull to grace Plainmoor, but my God could we do with some of his attitude...and I am sure, had Hargreaves played with him,...he would be on his way back :Oops:

MidDevon wrote:and I am sure, had Hargreaves played with him,...he would be on his way back :Oops:

Duh! They did play together.....Maybe it was before your time??

If Hockers and Hilly were in the team, you could be assured that we would never go down without a fight.

We did also have David Graham in the side though. Graham or Hawley? Mmmmm tough choice.

Comparing the 2013-14 Hawley to the 2005-06 one that played for Carlisle is a bit like comparing the 2003-04 David Graham to the Davey G that came back here on loan in the 2006-07 season.

Bomber wrote:Comparing the 2013-14 Hawley to the 2005-06 one that played for Carlisle is a bit like comparing the 2003-04 David Graham to the Davey G that came back here on loan in the 2006-07 season.

Lol...Pretty apt Bomber...Sometimes players just dont work out. Given his goal ration was something like 1 in 3 last season (according to soccerbase) in a struggling team the league above, its probably understandable why he looked worth a punt.

Lets face it, Gav Tomlin was something like 4th or 5th choice striker and couldnt get in the team at a really poor Daggers side yet looked the biz when he came here.
The opposite is probably true of Leon Constantine. Looked out of his depth with us, yet before us was nigh on getting 1 in 2 for Southend and a couple of years later he was banging in near a goal every 2 1/2 games for Vale.

Sometimes players fit and sometimes they dont.

The problem for Constantine was Akinfenwa. Fat boy would stand right in the middle and make Leon go out towards the right or left wing. He could never do anything up top when he's forced to play as a winger.

Just a shame that more often than not they fit elsewhere but not here!!

Back on topic - Will always remember Matt Hockley with fondness, a local lad, never the most gifted footballer but absolutely gave his all and was a proper grafter and 100%er. An integral part of the 2003/04 team.

I remember something written in the Herald about him once along the lines of - "Matt Hockley would run through a brick wall for Torquay United, whilst many of his team-mates in recent times wouldnt even run through a puddle".

His wife taught me and gave me one of his shirts, and his Wembley 08' jacket, a real hero for me. I shall never forget his goal at home to Halifax. A true Torquay United Football Club legend.

I shall never forget the 3-0 home win vs Northampton in 2003/2004, when a typically industrial Hockley clearance into touch hit me on the hooter and knocked me over. Got a nosebleed, and while I was being treated I missed the first goal.

Great days.

You don't want to **** with Hockley.
Cos Hockley, will **** kill you.

happytorq wrote:I shall never forget the 3-0 home win vs Northampton in 2003/2004, when a typically industrial Hockley clearance into touch hit me on the hooter and knocked me over. Got a nosebleed, and while I was being treated I missed the first goal.

Great days.

you should have ducked.

SuperNickyWroe wrote:you should have ducked.

Yes, thank you for that brilliant piece of advice, SNW. Presumably you'd have the same pearl of wisdom for JFK.

I was right behind the boards on the touchline, and Hockley was about 4 yards on the pitch. So I was maybe 10 yards away, and he properly hoofed it. assuming a clearance velocity of 30mph (likely on the low side), that means I had 0.7 seconds (ish) to see, calculate incoming trajectory, and react. The average human reaction is about 215 milliseconds, but I'd had a couple of drinks so call it 0.3 seconds. That means I had 0.4 seconds to both understand I was about to be hit, and complete the ducking motion. Not likely.

you numbnuts.

I got hit once just behind the goal, about halfway up in The Ministand...MIcky Cave had a shot, narrowly missed the goal & hit me instead. Absolutely no chance of ducking that one either ! You ever been hit SNW ?????