Top 100 Torquay United Players

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 07 Jan 2015, 15:58

a. Chris Brandon okay-ish player. Worked hard but bit of a headless chicken. I reckon his son or daughter must have included him.
b. Clint Boulton. Not in my top ten but would probably get into my top 100. Clint was a leader in the Guy Branson mode. How we could do with someone like him now.
c. Sako & Simb. What ??? I can only think that we have someone with a French background amongst our midst of Forum posters ! Ahhhh ...... FRENCHGULL !! you are a likely suspect !!!!!

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 07 Jan 2015, 16:22

Haha - I don't think it's down to not taking it seriously - and I don't really mind to be honest as it gets the lists numbers up

Once we get more into it, I can tell you it gets a bit more interesting!

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 08 Jan 2015, 09:19

Another player to pick up a single point in this list is a bit moreâ€¦respectable, than the previous couple. This man played a big role as Torquay clinched automatic promotion for the first time in nearly 40 years. It'sâ€¦

Craig Taylor

Time spent at club: 2003-2007
Gulls Appearances: 138
Gulls Goals: 6

Craig Taylor, brother of former assistant Shaun, started his career at Exeter in 1992. He then moved on to spend a season at Dorchester, before returning to the Football League with Swindon Town, who paid £25,000 for his services. Two years on, he moved back to Devon with Plymouth Argyle, where he made 80 league starts in 4 years. Injury prevented the defender from making more. His initial move to the Gulls came via a loan, at the end of the 2002/03 season, making 5 appearances for United. Leroy decided to make it a permanent signing in the summer, and Taylor was given the captains armband. In his first season at the club, Taylor built a solid partnership with Steve Woods, and Torquay won automatic promotion on the final day of the 03/04 campaign, leapfrogging Huddersfield with a final day victory at Southend.

Taylor went on to play for United until 2007, before injuries forced an early retirement. His final appearance in the yellow shirt came at home to Barnet in February 2007, as he scored our only goal in a 1-1 draw.

samuel · Post by **samuel** » 08 Jan 2015, 13:40

Craig Taylor was a really good player and not much got past him or Woodsy. Plenty of effort from Craig and a good spot by Leroy.

RussianGull · Post by **RussianGull** » 08 Jan 2015, 13:46

Taylor would have made my list, but I only saw him play a few away games a season, didn't know he played for all three Devon clubs, I wonder how many players in our history have played for all three?

madgull · Post by **madgull** » 08 Jan 2015, 15:27

tomogull wrote:a. Chris Brandon okay-ish player. Worked hard but bit of a headless chicken. I reckon his son or daughter must have included him.

Yeah, that must be why he spent most of his career at a higher level than us...

frenchgull · Post by **frenchgull** » 08 Jan 2015, 15:42

Sorry Tommo but not guilty, besides I thought they were a couple of lads from Newton Abbot!

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 09 Jan 2015, 15:41

Okay, moving on, but still with the players who picked up a single point. This player is the first goalkeeper on the list, and had we got him a couple of months earlier, we may have stayed in League One and, well, who knows to be honest. It'sâ€¦

Andy Marriott

Time spent at club: 2005-2006
Gulls Appearances: 57
Gulls Goals: 0

Andy Marriott started his career as a youngster at Arsenal, before joining Nottm Forest in 1989. He went on to have spells with West Brom, Blackburn and Burnley (all loans) before eventually joining Wrexham in 1993. He stayed there for 5 years, making over 250 appearances for the Welsh outfit. In that time, he also made 5 appearances for Wales. Spells with Sunderland, Barnsley, Beira-Mar and Bury followed, before he found his way to Plainmoor.

Andy Marriott wasn't at Plainmoor for long, having joined the club in the second half of the 2004/05 campaign, in League One. He was goalkeeper number 6 in a poor season, but he was by far the best number 1 we had that season, almost keeping us in the third tier. He signed permanently for the following season on a one year deal, and played every game as we just survived a second straight relegation. He was offered a new deal that summer, but turned it down in favour of a move to Boston United.

Andy ended his career back in Devon, but with Exeter City, where he played for four years.

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 10 Jan 2015, 10:49

Moving on to the final player to pick up one point, and it's another player who played for us just before my time. This man didn't stay at Plainmoor for long, only making a fistful of appearances. It'sâ€¦

Dean Sturridge

Time spent at club: 1994-1995
Gulls Appearances: 10
Gulls Goals: 5

Dean Sturridge joined Torquay on a 6 month loan spell from Derby County. The move was his first consistent bit of first team football, and he showed his ability by finding the net once every two games, on average. The loan spell seemed to breath confidence into the striker, as he scored 20 goals to fire Derby to the Premier League upon his return to the Rams. He played consistently at the top level for Derby, and to this day he is still their top Premier League goalscorer, with 32 goals. He joined Leicester City after Derby, but his impact was nowhere near the same, and he was sold to Wolves for £350,000. He did well at Wolves, but not to the same extent as his time with the Rams.

Injuries affected his spell at Molineux, and he was eventually released to QPR for free. His impact at Loftus Road was minimal, and he was soon released. Sturridge ended his career at Kidderminster, where he only managed 6 appearances, before injuries forced the striker to retire.

Bristolgull · Post by **Bristolgull** » 10 Jan 2015, 23:42

As a picture of the great JPS was missing here is one from the day he made his debut when eifion hit his hatrick, image stolen from the corridors at plainmoor. Loved him celebrating by running down the pop side giving the high fives!

Good memories of another player mentioned here, chris Brandon and his debut away at gay meadow. Good away day, made better that we won the raffle in their social club before game paying for our entrance fees.

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 12 Jan 2015, 17:11

The previous seven players all picked up a single point apiece, and now we are moving on to the players that picked up two. 6 more players picked up two points each from various lists. Starting with this playerâ€¦

Chima Okorie

Time spent at club: 1994-1995
Gulls Appearances: 14
Gulls Goals: 6

Chima Okorie came to Torquay at the mid point of a two-year spell in the English leagues. Having been a legend in Indian football, where he finished top scorer 7 times, he came to try his luck in England. An offer from Notts County was rejected, while Premiership side Leeds rejected the forward. Eventually Peterborough took a chance, but it didn't really work. He then moved north to Grimsby, where he made only 5 substitute appearances before suffering a broken leg.

He moved to Plainmoor in the early months of 1994, and played at the club until his release in 1995, having been replaced by Duane Darby.

Behind-the-Gulls · Post by **Behind-the-Gulls** » 13 Jan 2015, 08:35

I seem to remember him getting substituted after about 10 minutes(if that), in one match and it wasn't because he was injured!

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 13 Jan 2015, 09:08

Ha! Not going to lie, the list is going to be unpredictable for a little bit longer as one vote could put someone in, which explains the inclusion of Sako and Simb among others

. Anyway, we must move on to the second player who picked up two points, and this man is the most recent name to come out onto the list. It'sâ€¦

Chris Zebroski

Time spent at club: 2007-2008, 2009-2011
Gulls Appearances: 135
Gulls Goals: 40

Chris Zebroski started his career in the Plymouth Argyle youth team, before that pre-season incident with then club captain Paul Wotton resulted in the young striker leaving Home Park. He was then signed by Millwall, where he made over 20 appearances. In the summer of 2007, Torquay first got the youngster in on loan from the Lions, as the club looked to gain promotion back to the Football League. Zebroski was almost an ever present, in a front three with Lee Phillips and Tim Sills. Zebroski managed 19 goals as the 3 combined to hit the net over 50 times. Despite this, Torquay's season was to end in the worst possible way, losing to Exeter in the Playoff Semis, before losing at Wembley in the FA Trophy Final.

Upon leaving Millwall, Zebroski found himself at Wycombe, making nearly 50 appearances for the Chairboys. He fell out of favour, and Torquay were there again to offer a chance on loan, which Zebroski took. In January 2010, he signed an 18-month permanent contract at Plainmoor. In 2010/11, he spearheaded the attack as we finished in the League 2 playoffs. He scored the opening goal against Shrewsbury at Plainmoor, which finished 2-0, before sealing a Final spot with a goalless draw at the Greenhous Meadow. Old Trafford awaited, but with manager Paul Buckle already destined for a move, the Gulls couldn't reach League One. Buckle left, and Zebroski followed him to Bristol Rovers, for a fee of around £35,000.

Since Rovers, Zebroski has failed to find a club he can call home, having had spells at Cheltenham, Eastleigh and currently Newport County.

Mo Gull · Post by **Mo Gull** » 13 Jan 2015, 13:35

Zeb could have been a legend. His performances warrant it, but everything else that comes with him means that he's just seen as a good player who messed up a few too many times.

I remember Chima with fond memories, though he'd never get my vote. not a bad scoring record, but i'm fairly sure they were all 6 yard goals as his build up play was awful.

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 13 Jan 2015, 14:28

Ah! Zebs. The first of my ten chosen men appears.

I enjoyed watching him when he played for us - and who could forget when he came back with Bristol Rovers and, inevitably, scored against us in the quality 2-2 draw when (Super) Lee scored a brace.

Good player and, in my opinion, worthy of an inclusion.

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