Top 100 Torquay United Players

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 02 Apr 2015, 15:18

...... and Kevin Hill's 'pantomime' goal against Stockport (or was it Scunthorpe .... or neither ??) when he hid behind the keeper and then nipped in front of him to pinch the ball when he rolled it out. I'm fairly sure it was in January, the panto season. A goal that will always stick in the memory for its sheer opportunism and audacity. I think we actually lost the match but Kevin went up to the keeper at the final whistle and almost apologised to him ! He was, and still is, a good guy.

tomogull · Post by **tomogull** » 02 Apr 2015, 15:27

With reference to previous posts, logically you would vote for players you have seen play although I take Stefano's point that he voted for players he hadn't seen play such as Sammy Collins who were legends in their own right. My old man, bless him. used to rave about a centre forward (striker to you younger lot) called Jack Conley. Looking on wikipaedia, Conley played for United between 1939 and 1951, scoring 72 goals in 156 games. Dad'll be turning in his grave to think that nobody voted for him !

PlainmoorRoar · Post by **PlainmoorRoar** » 02 Apr 2015, 17:53

Kevin Hill's hide behind the GK goal

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 02 Apr 2015, 18:16

Hilly's overhead vs Macc at Plainmoor was ridiculous, not sure how I forgot that. As was the goal Samuel mentions at Carlisle. That day was excellent, beautiful sunny day and spoiling their promotion party a bit in front of over 13000 was pretty amusing, especially as it effectively saw us survive (for another 12 months).

The top three then. Kicking us off it's another who was on my list, and rightly so. A truly wonderful player to watch when he was at his peak for the club, it'sâ€¦

3. Alex Russell - 153 points

Time spent at club: 2001-2005
Gulls Appearances: 163
Gulls Goals: 21

Alex's career began in the early 1990's at Burscough, before being scouted and then signed by Rochdale for £4,000 in 1994. He went on to make over 100 league appearances for Dale, over four years, although some of that was spent in Northern Ireland in a loan spell at Glenavon. He joined Cambridge in 1998, starting 72 league matches in three years. In 2001 he came down to Plainmoor, where he enjoyed his best spell. Four years saw United just miss on the playoffs, get promoted and get relegated again. Aggy was a huge player in the promotion side of 2004, widely regarded as one of the best Torquay United sides we've seen. After 152 league starts for the Gulls, Alex felt it time to move on in 2005 after the final day relegation from League One. If I recall correctly, he had mentioned how he would have stayed on if we had not dropped back into League Two, such was the blow of that defeat at Colchester in May 05.

Anyway, Aggy moved on to Bristol City, making 56 league appearances over three years. He spent loan spells at Northampton and Cheltenham, before joining the Robins permanently in 2008. The move didn't really pay off, and he moved to Exeter initially on loan, before signing permanently in 2009. 12 months later, Alex moved on again, this time to Bath, before joining Yeovil and then Bath again, where he retired in 2013.

One of my favourite players in the yellow shirt, it seems he is one of the most memorable players we've had, especially in recent times anyway!

samuel · Post by **samuel** » 02 Apr 2015, 18:55

Alex was a really good player with great distribution and foresight. Nowhere near legend status but a good servant and well liked and respected. Leroy's team was really good wasn't it? Light years away from today.

Post by **Scott Brehaut** » 02 Apr 2015, 21:25

He was in my top ten too. One of the better midfielders I've seen in a yellow shirt.

Thought he'd scored more than that mind you. Funny how the mind plays tricks with you.

Kernowgull · Post by **Kernowgull** » 02 Apr 2015, 21:54

Scott Brehaut wrote:He was in my top ten too. One of the better midfielders I've seen in a yellow shirt.

Thought he'd scored more than that mind you. Funny how the mind plays tricks with you.

Surprised, I thought Aggy and Hilly would be one and two after the older players seemed to fall by the way side due to the oldies not voting.

I guess its between Graham and Rodney Jack Jack Jack now.

Plainmoor87 · Post by **Plainmoor87** » 03 Apr 2015, 00:19

Amazing when you consider some of the forgotten players....

Wes Saunders, Paul Smith, Phil Lloyd, Ian Twitchen, Charlie Oatway, Paul Trollope, Sean Joyce, Paul Hall, Dean Edwards, Alan McLoughlin, Don O Riordan, Phil King, Colin Anderson, Jim McNichol, Justin Fashanu, Duane Darby, Steve MCalll..all significant players from the past - certainly amazed Saunders didn't make the list!

Rjc70 · Post by **Rjc70** » 03 Apr 2015, 00:33

Kernowgull wrote:

It'll be Rodney out of those two. He brightened up a match so often in his time here, that I wouldn't be surprised.

Glad to see our all time record appearance holder poll so highly and read some of the memories - particularly of Carlisle away. My God, what a game. I'm surprised nobody has also mentioned how high Hilly could jump. Never ceased to amaze me in all his time with us, that.

Plainmoor87 · Post by **Plainmoor87** » 03 Apr 2015, 00:34

Actually, it struck me having seen players of the like of Sturridge and Roberts in the list, that until quite recent retirements a team of former Gulls operating in the football league / premier league could be quite handy!
1 kelvin davis ( Southampton)
2 Adam smith ( Bournemouth)
3 Liam rosenior (hull)
4 Garry monk ( Swansea)
5 Mike Williamson ( Newcastle)
6 Ben Pringle ( Rotherham)
7 eunan okane ( Bournemouth)
8 Ashley Barnes ( burnley)
9 Jason Roberts ( reading)
10 Jamie ward ( Derby)
11 muzzy caryol Middlesbrough)

Not a bad side!

Rjc70 · Post by **Rjc70** » 03 Apr 2015, 00:46

Not bad at all, that present day/recently retired side. Ashley Barnes' progress must have been pretty hard for any who saw his loan spell with us to predict.

I'm hoping it is Rodney now - all of the top three will be in my 10 if it is. A simple pleasure, I know. I can't recall a player who so excited the Plainmoor crowd as Rodney in such a long time.

Plainmoor87 · Post by **Plainmoor87** » 03 Apr 2015, 01:47

I think Rodney deserves it - that night against Scarbrough with his two ruthless and single minded assaults on goal, the actual assault on him leading to the Scarbrough red card, that wonder goal from Steve McCall which was just a thing of aesthetic beauty and the team goal for Gibbs - together with the atmosphere was just sublime. Kind of summed up his contribution to the club that night - if only we had hung onto Jason Roberts for the run in ..

Plainmoor87 · Post by **Plainmoor87** » 03 Apr 2015, 01:49

Remember Elliot Benyon giving Barnes an absolute roasting for his attitude and team ethic in a game when he was on loan here ...how fortunes change!

wivelgull · Post by **wivelgull** » 03 Apr 2015, 09:42

As a diehard Robin-Stubbs-supporting senile delinquent from the pop. I wouldn't be too dismayed if Rodney came in at Number One. O.K., we all know the deficiencies of this poll (i.e. it mainly reflects the views of those aged between 15 and 40) but even us remberers of the Cowshed would not deny Rodney a place in the pantheon.

Plymouth Gull · Post by **Plymouth Gull** » 03 Apr 2015, 11:14

Just edging out Alex Russell and making second place was another key component of the 2004 promotion campaign under Leroy. Without this man I am sure we wouldn't have been near the top three that year, such was his importance. It'sâ€¦

2. David Graham - 157 points

Time spent at club: 2001-2004, 2007
Gulls Appearances: 137
Gulls Goals: 49

Scottish forward David Graham began his career in his home country, coming through at Rangers youth academy. He was unable to impact on their first team, and so joined Dumfermline in 1998, making just under 40 league appearances in three years. In 2001, David had a short loan at Inverness, before moving south to join Torquay on loan. He scored twice in five games as the club stayed up ahead of Barnet. That summer, Graham made the move to Torquay a permanent one, and went on to make 98 league starts for the club over three seasons, with another 17 coming off the bench. In this spell, he found the net 45 times. 03/04 was his most successful season, as he scored 23 goals as United won promotion to League One. His ability to score saw him earn a move to Wigan Athletic for over £200,000 that summer.

Unfortunately his spell with the Latics wasn't as good as hoped, and a year later he moved to Sheffield Wednesday for £250,000. Over his two years at Hillsborough, David spent time on loan with Huddersfield, Bradford and Torquay once again, although his second spell was nowhere near as good as his first. Upon leaving Wednesday, Graham went to Gillingham for a spell before ending up at Lincoln on a month-to-month contract.

It's a shame his career went so downhill after leaving United, he was one of my favourite players as a kid, and still to this day I don't think I've seen a better finisher at Plainmoor.

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