1929–30 Torquay United F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Torquay United 1929–30 Frank Womack Charles Dear Third Division South 19th FA Cup First Round Joe Pointon (18) Joe Pointon (18) 8,299 v Plymouth Argyle, 4 September 1929 (Third Division South) 2,730 v Watford, 28 December 1929 (Third Division South) 4,271 _black_stripes _3stripesonwhite _black_stripes _2whitestripes 000000 ffffff white 000000 1928–29 1930–31 The 1929–30 Torquay United F.C. season was Torquay United's third season in the Football League and their third consecutive season in Third Division South. The season runs from 1 July 1929 to 30 June 1930. Overview Needing a replacement for Percy Mackrill, who had left the club before the end of the previous season, Torquay United appointed former Birmingham City full back Frank Womack as their new manager.Edwards, Leigh; Gibbes, Jon; Lovis, John (1999). Torquay United, The Official Centenary History, 1899–1999. Yore Publications. 1-874427-38-0 Womack soon set about putting a together a new squad in an effort to improve upon the lowly finishes of Torquay's first two seasons in the League. Debutants on the opening day of the season included centre half Harry Bruce, inside forward Harry Keeling and the ex-Sheffield United FA Cup winner David Mercer. However, the Magpies made a slow start to the campaign, losing their opening four games, and it was not until the introduction of forwards Joe Pointon and Les Robinson that results slowly began to improve. Effectively displacing Keeling and United mainstay Dan Kelly from the team, Pointon and Robinson ended up scoring a total of 34 goals between them by the end of the season. Robinson became the first Torquay player to score four goals in a League match in the 5–2 win over Walsall in November and, not to be outdone, Pointon repeated the feat in a famous 7–0 victory over Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic the following March. Indeed, it was Pointon and Robinson who scored the goals at Gillingham to secure Torquay's first and only away win of the season.Edwards, Leigh (1997). The Definitive Torquay United F.C.. The Association of Football Statisticians. 1-899468-09-9. However, United's fortunes took a turn for the worse in the New Year when a January storm tore off the entire roof of the Grandstand at Plainmoor. With Torquay's finances already in a perilous state, there was a real possibility of the club going out of business altogether.Holgate, Mike (1999). Torquay United Football Club 1899–1999. Tempus Publishing. 0-7524-1814-9 But, with the help of public donations and some hastily arranged friendlies, Torquay just about managed to avoid financial ruin, although a run of three consecutive 5–0 defeats to Clapton Orient, Brentford and Brighton did not help to improve the spirits of the team or its supporters. Nevertheless, reason for optimism arrived with that emphatic 7–0 win over Bournemouth at Plainmoor. The match marked the debut of a 17-year-old winger from Dartmouth named Ralph Birkett. Although only making a handful of appearances for the Magpies before the end of the season, he would eventually become one of the finest players ever to appear for Torquay United. Ironically, the match also saw the final appearance of another local hero Sid Cann. The Torquay born full back had put in some impressive performances since joining United and the club had no option but to accept an offer to sell the young defender, as well as fellow full back Fred Corbett, to First Division side Manchester City. Despite the emphatic win over Bournemouth, Torquay were still struggling at the bottom of the table as the season drew to a close. Defeat in the final game of the season against local rivals Exeter City would have seen United again having to apply for re-election to the Football League. As it was, a 2–1 victory over the Grecians was enough to see Torquay finish in 19th place, only narrowly avoiding the need for re-election. Although, safe for another season, it was clear that Frank Womack and Torquay United still had plenty of hard work ahead of them. League statistics Third Division South 1929–30 Football League#Third Division South Third Division South y TOR Results summary 9 6 6 50 38 1 5 15 14 56 rsssf.com October 2016 Results by round table b Round Ground A/H/H/A/A/A/H/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/H/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/H/A/A/H Result L/L/L/L/D/D/W/L/W/L/D/D/L/W/D/L/D/W/L/L/W/W/L/L/L/L/L/D/D/L/W/L/L/W/D/L/L/D/W/L/D/W Position 18/19/22/22/22/22/21/21/16/19/19/17/18/17/16/17/16/16/16/19/16/15/15/15/18/18/19/19/19/19/19/19/19/19/19/19/19/20/19/19/19/19 Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss green1 red1 statto.com June 2011 Match of the season TORQUAY UNITED 7–0 BOURNEMOUTH & BOSCOMBE ATHLETICThird Division SouthPlainmoor, 8 March 1930 335px 0.44 0.10 350 Bayes 0.27 0.35 350 Womack 0.61 0.35 350 Fowler 0.16 0.60 350 High 0.45 0.60 350 Cann 0.71 0.60 350 Smith 0.08 0.82 350 Birkett 0.23 0.94 350 Kelly 0.43 1.03 350 Pointon 0.61 0.94 350 Keeling 0.80 0.82 350 Waller none center _black_stripes _3stripesonwhite _black_stripes _2whitestripes 000000 ffffff ffffff 000000 TORQUAY UNITED none center _red_stripes _redstripes2 _red_stripes _band_red body=white white 000000 000000 BOURNEMOUTH TORQUAY UNITED:GK1ENG Archie BayesRB2ENG Frank WomackLB3ENG Jack FowlerRH4ENG Stan HighCH5ENG Sid CannLH6ENG Bob SmithOR7ENG Ralph BirkettIR8SCO Dan Kelly CF9ENG Joe Pointon IL10ENG Harry KeelingOL11ENG Harry Waller Having not won a match since the previous December, few would have expected Torquay United (currently lying 19th in the Third Division South table) to get much out of the visit of 6th placed Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. The Plainmoor faithful had already witnessed a 5–0 thrashing from Clapton Orient back in January, and the travelling fans were treated to two more defeats by the same scoreline in their next two away matches. Not many then would have been expecting the Magpies to record their biggest League victory to date when the Cherries came to town. Helping himself to four of the seven goals that day was centre forward Joe Pointon, doubling his tally for the season so far, although he would go on to score another ten goals before the end of the campaign. Dan Kelly and Harry Waller scored the other three between them while the Torquay defence held firm behind them, despite the 41-year-old Frank Womack selecting himself at right back. (In fact, this was manager Womack's sixth match in succession and he ended up playing in every game for the rest of the season, even appearing as an inside forward when Torquay were themselves victims of a 7–0 humiliation at Walsall in April). The match also has a unique place in history as it was the only time that two of Torquay's greatest ever home-grown players appeared together. Born in Babbacombe, Sid Cann had joined the Magpies the previous season at the age of 16 and quickly developed into an extremely effective full back, eventually displacing the more experienced Willie Brown from the team. In his second season, he had proved his versatility by being able to fill in at centre half, a role he fulfilled in this game. Unfortunately, this was to be Cann's last match for the Magpies before leaving for Manchester City. Ironically, the same game saw the debut of another local lad with Ralph Birkett, a 17-year-old amateur from Dartmouth United, appearing on the right wing. Birkett had a storming debut for Torquay setting up four of United's goals and the youngster signed a professional contract with the club shortly afterwards. While Cann's move to a First Division side was a major accomplishment for a Torquay player, Birkett would go on to eclipse his achievements when, after three full seasons for United, he would sign for Arsenal and then Middlesbrough before eventually appearing for England in 1935. Results Third Division South 1929–30 Football League 31 Aug 1929 Watford 2–0 Torquay United Vicarage Road 11,558 L 4 Sep 1929 Torquay United 3–4 Plymouth Argyle Hill Keeling Craig (pen.)Matthews Bowden Leslie Plainmoor 8,299 L 7 Sep 1929 Torquay United 1–3 Coventry City Hill Plainmoor 5,250 L 11 Sep 1929 Plymouth Argyle 5–0 Torquay United Leslie McKenzie Sloan Black Home Park 9,827 L 14 Sep 1929 Clapton Orient 1–1 Torquay United Pointon Millfields Road 12,561 D 18 Sep 1929 Exeter City 0–0 Torquay United St James Park 5,745 D 21 Sep 1929 Torquay United 2–1 Brentford Robinson Plainmoor 5,012 W 28 Sep 1929 Bristol Rovers 2–0 Torquay United Eastville Stadium 6,581 L 5 Oct 1929 Torquay United 5–2 Brighton & Hove Albion Cann (pen.) (pen.)Pointon Robinson Plainmoor 3,934 W 12 Oct 1929 Swindon Town 2–1 Torquay United Robinson County Ground 6,058 L 19 Oct 1929 Southend United 1–1 Torquay United Robinson The Kursaal 8,269 D 26 Oct 1929 Torquay United 2–2 Luton Town Hill Keeling Plainmoor 4,755 D 2 Nov 1929 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 4–1 Torquay United Smith (pen.) Dean Court 6,770 L 9 Nov 1929 Torquay United 5–2 Walsall Robinson Hill Plainmoor 4,463 W 16 Nov 1929 Queens Park Rangers 1–1 Torquay United Waller Loftus Road 2,360 D 23 Nov 1929 Torquay United 2–4 Fulham Cann (pen.) Robinson Plainmoor 4,380 L 7 Dec 1929 Torquay United 2–2 Crystal Palace Hill Plainmoor 3,400 D 14 Dec 1929 Gillingham 0–2 Torquay United Robinson Pointon Priestfield 3,310 W 21 Dec 1929 Torquay United 0–1 Northampton Town Plainmoor 3,730 L 25 Dec 1929 Newport County 2–1 Torquay United Morris Thomas Corbett Somerton Park 3,337 L 26 Dec 1929 Torquay United 3–2 Newport County Kelly Robinson Martin Seymour Plainmoor 5,928 W 28 Dec 1929 Torquay United 4–0 Watford Robinson Kelly Hill Plainmoor 2,730 W 4 Jan 1930 Coventry City 4–1 Torquay United Hill Highfield Road 12,782 L 11 Jan 1930 Norwich City 2–0 Torquay United The Nest 8,864 L 18 Jan 1930 Torquay United 0–5 Clapton Orient Plainmoor 4,132 L 25 Jan 1930 Brentford 5–0 Torquay United Griffin Park 10,497 L 8 Feb 1930 Brighton & Hove Albion 5–0 Torquay United Goldstone Ground 9,964 L 15 Feb 1930 Torquay United 1–1 Swindon Town Keeling Plainmoor 3,473 D 22 Feb 1930 Torquay United 1–1 Southend United Robinson Plainmoor 3,429 D 1 Mar 1930 Luton Town 3–1 Torquay United Hill Kenilworth Road 7,239 L 8 Mar 1930 Torquay United 7–0 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic Pointon Waller Kelly Plainmoor 3,443 W 22 Mar 1930 Torquay United 1–3 Queens Park Rangers Hill Plainmoor 4,335 L 29 Mar 1930 Fulham 1–0 Torquay United Craven Cottage 11,038 L 2 Apr 1930 Torquay United 2–1 Bristol Rovers Pointon Plainmoor 3,267 W 5 Apr 1930 Torquay United 2–2 Norwich City Kelly Pointon Plainmoor 3,921 D 9 Apr 1930 Walsall 7–0 Torquay United Fellows Park 2,492 L 12 Apr 1930 Crystal Palace 4–2 Torquay United Keeling Pointon Selhurst Park 9,555 L 19 Apr 1930 Torquay United 1–1 Gillingham Keeling Plainmoor 3,472 D 21 Apr 1930 Torquay United 4–0 Merthyr Town Hill Pointon Plainmoor 3,337 W 22 Apr 1930 Merthyr Town 3–0 Torquay United Penydarren Park 1,612 L 26 Apr 1930 Northampton Town 2–2 Torquay United Pointon Keeling County Ground 4,100 D 3 May 1930 Torquay United 2–1 Exeter City Pointon Plainmoor 4,993 W FA Cup 1929–30 FA Cup 30 Nov 1929 First Round Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 2–0 Torquay United Dean Court L Club statistics First team appearances NatPosPlayerTotalThird Division SouthFA CupAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsEnglandGKArchie Bayes18018000EnglandGKHarold Gough18017010England GKLaurie Millsom707000EnglandDFJack Fowler29028010EnglandDFSid Cann28327310EnglandDFFred Corbett22121110EnglandDFFrank Womack20019010EnglandDFGeorge Goucher606000EnglandMFBob Smith41141100EnglandMFHarry Bruce29028010EnglandMFStan High28028000ScotlandMFBill Hunter606000England MFCecil White505000EnglandMFBill Clitheroe101000EnglandMFHarry May101000EnglandFWJoe Hill33832810EnglandFWHarry Waller30529510EnglandFWDavid Mercer29028010EnglandFWJoe Pointon2818271810EnglandFWLes Robinson2416231610EnglandFWHarry Keeling22722700ScotlandFWDan Kelly19519500ScotlandFWAndrew Martin13013000England FWJack Burn707000EnglandFWRalph Birkett606000EnglandFWHarry Rice303000 Source: Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameThird Division SouthFA CupTotal1 FW ENG Joe Pointon 18 0 182 FW ENG Les Robinson 16 0 163 FW ENG Joe Hill 8 0 84 FW ENG Harry Keeling 7 0 75 FW SCO Dan Kelly 5 0 5= FW ENG Harry Waller 5 0 57 DF ENG Sid Cann 3 0 38 DF ENG Fred Corbett 1 0 19 MF ENG Bob Smith 1 0 1 Own goals 0 0 0 TOTAL 64 0 64 Source: Transfers In First appearanceNat.Pos.NameFrom31 August 1929ENGMFHarry BruceGillingham31 August 1929ENGMFStan HighLeicester City31 August 1929ENGFWHarry KeelingNotts County31 August 1929SCOFWAndrew MartinRochdale31 August 1929ENGFWDavid MercerShirebrook4 September 1929ENGFWJack BurnWorcester City4 September 1929ENGFWHarry RiceShrewsbury Town4 September 1929ENGDFFrank WomackWorcester City7 September 1929ENGMFHarry MayUnattached11 September 1929ENGFWJoe PointonBrighton & Hove Albion11 September 1929ENGFWLes RobinsonThames18 September 1929ENGDFFred CorbettWorcester City19 October 1929ENGDFGeorge GoucherNottingham Forest26 December 1929SCOMFBill HunterWalsall8 March 1930ENGFWRalph BirkettDartmouth United29 March 1930ENGMFCecil WhiteLeeds United Out Last appearanceNat.Pos.NameTo7 September 1929ENGMFHarry MayReleased11 September 1929ENGFWHarry RiceEvesham Town9 November 1929SCOFWAndrew MartinReleased7 December 1929ENGFWJack BurnHereford United18 January 1930SCOMFBill HunterReleased25 January 1930ENGDFFred CorbettManchester City15 February 1930ENGMFBill ClitheroeReleased1 March 1930ENGFWLes RobinsonReleased8 March 1930ENGDFSid CannManchester City29 March 1930ENGGKHarold GoughRetired19 April 1930SCOFWDan KellyYork City19 April 1930ENGMFCecil WhiteWigan Borough3 May 1930ENGGKArchie BayesRetired3 May 1930ENGMFHarry BruceColwyn Bay3 May 1930ENGDFGeorge GoucherShirebrook3 May 1930ENGFWJoe HillNewark Town3 May 1930ENGFWDavid MercerReleased3 May 1930ENGFWJoe PointonBristol Rovers Source: References External links http://www.torquayunited.com/page/History/0,,10445,00.html Torquayunited.com dead https://web.archive.org/web/20091227032211/http://www.torquayunited.com/page/History/0%2C%2C10445%2C00.html 27 December 2009 http://torquayfansforum.com/index.cgi?board=tufchistory TFF History Room dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110226004959/http://www.torquayfansforum.com/index.cgi?board=tufchistory 26 February 2011 http://www.tufchistory.ulmb.com/ TUFC History dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080512082229/http://tufchistory.ulmb.com/ 12 May 2008 https://www.fchd.info/lghist/fl1930.htm Football Club History Database http://www.statto.com/football/teams/torquay-united/1929-1930 Statto.com 14 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20100107003204/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/torquay-united/1929-1930 7 January 2010 live dmy-all http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Torquay_United/Torquay_United.htm Historical Football Kits Torquay United F.C. Category:Torquay United F.C. seasons