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2 (main) questions about the SWL


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1. When did Millbrook move to Mill Park?

I recently bought a Millbrook programme on ebay and in 1980/81 they were playing at Insworke Park which I believe had low telephone wires. Does this ground still survive in any form or are there any pictures of it?

2. Where did Plymouth Command play in their time in the SWL?

I thought it was Brickfields but according to the Millbrook programme they were fixtured to play at Fisgard with a 7.30 kick off so presumably it had floodlights. Is Fisgard still there?

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Plymouth clubs in the South Western League (1951-2007)

1951-65 Plymouth Argyle "A"

1953-54 United Sevices (Milbay Park)

1978-80 Louis International (Brickfields)

1978-85 Plymouth Civil Service (Beacon Down)

1976-84 Plymouth Command

1987-89 Oak Villa (Tamar Valley)

1991-95 Devon & Cornwall Police (Milbay Park)

1997-07 Plymouth Parkway

2006-07 Plymouth Argyle youth

Plymouth City had one season in the Western League 1970-71

Edited by Mike Odgers
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Looking back through old SWL handbooks 1980's -Millbrook  never declared a ground on their club directory -in the 1990-91 edition  "The Mill " was recorded- did that mean they ground shared with Torpoint ?

Plymouth Command have always  declared Brickfields as their ground with HMS Drake as their correspondence address-Is Brickfields part of HMS Drake?

Edited by Mike Odgers
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The Brickfields is a separate entity but I wondered if Fisgard, or HMS Fisgard was part of HMS Drake. I assumed Millbrook played at The Mill/Mill Park for the duration of their SWL career owing to the telephone wires at Insworke Park. I don't know how they they lay in regards to the pitch, but Mike with you Falmouth allegiance, I'm sure that Mill Park was their base for those games.

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Apart from karaoke I thought there might have been a few more ex SWL players who played in the early 1980s who might have known the answer

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  • 2 weeks later...

Millbrook played at Insworke Park until they were elected into the south Western league in I think season 1980/1981. The pitch was called The Mill for a few seasons but confusion with Torpoints ground also called the Mill led to Millbrook changing the name to Mill Park which has now been changed to Jenkins Park in memory of Reg Jenki9ns who was both a player and manager of the club after his football league career ended. As regards Fisguard the pitch Plymouth Command played on waswhere the old golf driving range now stands and did indeed have floodlights and also a bit of a slope!!

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Millbrook did play at Insworke Park in 1980/81. I have a programme detailing that fact. Thank you for the Fisgard information. I assume when you say the old golf driving range you mean in Plymouth.

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Millbrook never played South western league football at Insworke Park as the pitch was not to the required standard. All their South Western league games since they joined the league have been played on their present pitch. No the old golf driving range was on the right hand side of the road halfway between Antony and Torpoint

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The programme notes for Millbrook vs Plymouth Argyle (Saturday 30th August 1980) start "Today we welcome South Western League newcomers Plymouth Argyle to Insworke Park for their first ever visit."

The Millbrook squad was: J. Horne; G. Rhodes, D. Harding, S. Cardew, D. Graddon, R. Thompson, A. Shannon, R. Roberts, S. Sibbald, S. Pearce, M. Searle, I. Crawford.

Argyle: Dainteth; Jarvis, Upton, Murphy, Leach, Grigg, Norrish, Morris, Jeffries, Powell, Dennis, Shannon, May.

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The programme notes for Millbrook vs Plymouth Argyle (Saturday 30th August 1980) start "Today we welcome South Western League newcomers Plymouth Argyle to Insworke Park for their first ever visit."

The Millbrook squad was: J. Horne; G. Rhodes, D. Harding, S. Cardew, D. Graddon, R. Thompson, A. Shannon, R. Roberts, S. Sibbald, S. Pearce, M. Searle, I. Crawford.

Argyle: Dainteth; Jarvis, Upton, Murphy, Leach, Grigg, Norrish, Morris, Jeffries, Powell, Dennis, Shannon, May.

​I think Murphy in the Argyle team was Ben Murphy who I played at Torquay with.

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Was he the same Ben Murphy who played for Bideford in the early 1970's and later became a popular pub entertainer in the South West.?

Looking at the dates, I would say  No.

​Yes Mike, Ben did go to Bideford and a few other teams and did play for argyle at some time

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I will always remember that name Ben Murphy

1973-74 F A Cup 3rd Qual.Rd  Second replay

It was a Wednesday afternoon (couldn't use the newly installed Bickland Park floodlights because of the 3 day week and power cuts)-Falmouth of the SWL were leading Southern League side Bideford 2-1 and well into injury time.

It must have been at least 5 minutes over with every home supporter whistling for Bill Pearce to end the tie but along came Mr Murphy to equalise-extra time came with Falmouth down to 10 with manager Richard Gray in goal for the concussed Phil Hewlett and with no extra scoring it went to a third replay again without a result

The tie was finally settled at Home Park on a Saturday night with Bideford winning 2-1 which went into the record books as the third longest F A Cup tie in history -playing 6 Hours of football

 

A footnote to the Bideford  F A Cup run -in the following 4th.Qual.Rd. it took four games to eliminate Trowbridge before bowing out v Bristol Rovers in the 1st.Rd.

This made it 13 F A Cup matches in one season which is a F A Cup record never to be beaten

Edited by Mike Odgers
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