1927–28 Torquay United F.C. season

Torquay United

1927–28 season
Chairman	Charles Hore
Manager	Percy Mackrill
Third Division South	22nd
FA Cup	Did not enter
Top goalscorer	Bert Turner (11)
Highest home attendance	10,749 v Exeter City, 27 August 1927
Lowest home attendance	2,156 v Brighton & Hove Albion, 1 October 1927
Average home league attendance	4,175
Home colours
← 1926–27 1928–29 →

The 1927–28 Torquay United F.C. season was Torquay United's first season in the Football League and their first season in Third Division South. The season runs from 1 July 1927 to 30 June 1928.

Overview

Under the guidance of player-manager Percy Mackrill, Torquay United won the Western section of the Southern League in 1927 in only their sixth season as a professional football club. This achievement (along with an impressive three-leg resistance against high-flying Reading in the 1925–26 FA Cup) earned Torquay election to the Football League in time for the 1927–28 Third Division South season, at the expense of Aberdare Athletic.^[1]

After an encouraging Football League debut - a 1–1 draw against Exeter City in front of over 10,000 supporters at their Plainmoor home ground - Torquay then suffered a humiliating 9–1 defeat away to eventual champions Millwall two days later. Although United did manage to restore some dignity in their next game with a 3–1 win away to fellow strugglers Merthyr Town, the season would prove to be a challenge for the debutants. Among the few highlights of a tough campaign were Bert Turner's hat-trick during the 4–2 win over Norwich City in January and the home and away victories over Brentford and Queens Park Rangers. Incidentally, Torquay were excused from this season's FA Cup as the additional qualifying rounds which had already been allocated to them before their election would have caused a significant disruption to their League fixtures.^[1]

Notable players during Torquay's first League season included the aforementioned Turner (top scorer with 11 goals), outside right Jim Mackey who played in all but two games and goalkeeper Archie Bayes who, despite missing out on the debut match against Exeter City, played a total of 37 games during the season. Significant contributions were also made by centre forwards Bob Ringland (9 goals in 14 appearances) and Lew Griffiths (8 goals in 12 appearances). However, of these players, only Mackey would still be lining up for Torquay during the following season.^[2]

With only 8 wins from 42 games, Torquay United ended their first season in the Third Division South in last place and had to seek re-election in order to remain in the Football League for the 1928–29 season.^[1]

League statistics

Third Division South

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Promotion
18	Walsall[a]	42	12	9	21	75	101	0.743	33
19	Bristol Rovers	42	14	4	24	67	93	0.720	32
20	Coventry City	42	11	9	22	67	96	0.698	31
21	Merthyr Town	42	9	13	20	53	91	0.582	31	Re-elected
22	Torquay United[b]	42	8	14	20	53	103	0.515	30

Results summary

Overall								Home						Away
Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
42	8	14	20	53	103	0.515	30	4	10	7	27	36	18	4	4	13	26	67	12

Results by round

Match of the season

TORQUAY UNITED 1–1 EXETER CITY
Third Division South
Plainmoor, 27 August 1927

Millsom Cook Smith Wellock Wragge Connor Mackey Turner Jones McGovern Thomson

TORQUAY UNITED

EXETER CITY

TORQUAY UNITED:
GK	1	Laurie Millsom
RB	2	George Cook
LB	3	George Smith
RH	4	Maurice Wellock
CH	5	Frank Wragge
LH	6	Jack Connor
OR	7	Jim Mackey
IR	8	Bert Turner
CF	9	Jimmy Jones
IL	10	Tom McGovern
OL	11	Dan Thomson

Torquay United's very first match in the Football League was a Devon derby with nearest rivals Exeter City. Percy Mackrill fielded a side which would have been largely unfamiliar to supporters who had watched the Magpies in the Southern League. Fourteen new players were signed by Torquay before their first League campaign began and ten of those made their debuts in the first match of the season.^[3] Only Laurie Millsom had previously played for the Magpies before and he was only selected due to an injury to first choice keeper Archie Bayes (a Torquay veteran himself).^[1]

Player-manager Mackrill declined to select himself at left back, instead choosing George Smith to partner George Cook in defence. Centre half Frank Wragge anchored the midfield with captain Jack Connor on his left and (despite being an experienced forward) Maurice Wellock playing as a right wing half. Meanwhile, Welsh centre forward Jimmy Jones was flanked by inside forwards Tom McGovern and Bert Turner while Dan Thomson and Jim Mackey adopted the outside forward positions.^[2]

Torquay's debut Football League game ended in a 1–1 draw, with Bert Turner scoring the home side's goal from the penalty spot and Exeter's Billy Vaughan scoring a late equaliser for the visitors.^[1]

Results

Third Division South

Club statistics

First team appearances

Nat	Pos	Player	Third Division South
			Apps	Goals
	GK	Archie Bayes	37	0
	GK	Laurie Millsom	5	0
	DF	George Cook	29	0
	DF	Jack Price	26	0
	DF	Percy Mackrill	6	0
	DF	George Smith	6	0
	MF	Claude Gough	28	0
	MF	Frank Wragge	27	0
	MF	Jack Connor	24	0
	MF	Charlie Davis	18	0
	MF	Hugh Good	16	0
	MF	David Daniel	15	2
	MF	Frank Clarke	6	0
	FW	Jim Mackey	40	3
	FW	Bert Turner	38	11
	FW	Maurice Wellock	27	3
	FW	Jack Pattison	26	5
	FW	Jimmy Jones	20	6
	FW	Tom McGovern	18	1
	FW	Bob Ringland	14	9
	FW	Lew Griffiths	12	8
	FW	Dan Thomson	11	2
	FW	Herbert Budd	7	2
	FW	Alwyn Thomas	5	0
	FW	George Orrick	3	0
	FW	Alf Knapman	1	0

Source:^[2]

Top scorers

Place	Position	Nation	Name	Third Division South
1	FW		Bert Turner	11
2	FW		Bob Ringland	9
3	FW		Lew Griffiths	8
4	FW		Jimmy Jones	6
5	FW		Jack Pattison	5
6	FW		Jim Mackey	3
=	FW		Maurice Wellock	3
8	FW		Herbert Budd	2
=	MF		David Daniel	2
=	FW		Dan Thomson	2
11	FW		Tom McGovern	1
			Own goals	1
			TOTAL	53

Source:^[2]

Transfers

In

First appearance	Nat.	Pos.	Name	From
27 August 1927		MF	Jack Connor	Newport County
27 August 1927		DF	George Cook	Preston North End
27 August 1927		FW	Jimmy Jones	Aberdare Athletic
27 August 1927		FW	Jim Mackey	West Stanley
27 August 1927		FW	Tom McGovern	Queen of the South
27 August 1927		DF	George Smith	Walsall
27 August 1927		FW	Dan Thomson	Bournemouth & Boscombe
27 August 1927		FW	Bert Turner	Brierley Hill Alliance
27 August 1927		FW	Maurice Wellock	Oldham Athletic
27 August 1927		MF	Frank Wragge	Stafford Rangers
3 September 1927		MF	Charlie Davis	Bath City
3 September 1927		DF	Jack Price	Brentford
17 September 1927		MF	Claude Gough	Queens Park Rangers
3 December 1927		FW	George Orrick	Bristol City
17 December 1927		FW	Herbert Budd	Bude
27 December 1927		FW	Bob Ringland	Cupar (Ireland)
14 January 1928		FW	Len Knapman	Unattached
18 February 1928		MF	Hugh Good	Bristol City
31 March 1928		MF	Frank Clarke	Coventry City

Out

Last appearance	Nat.	Pos.	Name	To
17 September 1927		DF	George Smith	Exmouth Town
17 December 1927		FW	George Orrick	Shiney Row Swifts
27 December 1927		MF	David Daniel	Released
31 December 1927		FW	Dan Thomson	Walsall
14 January 1928		FW	Jimmy Jones	Worcester City
14 January 1928		FW	Alf Knapman	Dartmouth United
7 April 1928		MF	Frank Clarke	Leamington Town
7 April 1928		FW	Maurice Wellock	Peterborough & Fletton United
9 April 1928		MF	Claude Gough	Clapton Orient
9 April 1928		FW	Bob Ringland	Broadway United
28 April 1928		FW	Tom McGovern	Sheppey United
5 May 1928		MF	Jack Connor	Released
5 May 1928		DF	George Cook	Carlisle United
5 May 1928		MF	Hugh Good	Raith Rovers
5 May 1928		FW	Lew Griffiths	Crystal Palace
5 May 1928		FW	Jack Pattison	Taunton United
5 May 1928		FW	Bert Turner	Bristol Rovers
5 May 1928		MF	Frank Wragge	Walsall

Source:^[2]

References

External links

• "Torquayunited.com". Archived from the original on 27 December 2009.
• "TFF History Room". Archived from the original on 26 February 2011.
• "TUFC History". Archived from the original on 12 May 2008.
• "Football Club History Database".
• "Statto.com". Archived from the original on 27 August 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
• "Historical Football Kits".