Taunton Town connections and recollections

[Easterfield]

10 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

Going way off topic here I know, but Chris Souness would have played alongside Phil Hunt at Taunton. Souness was a very underrated striker for many years at South Western and Western League level. Believe as well that he played in three Western League title winning sides over four seasons with three different clubs (Saltash in 86/87,  Liskeard 87/88 and Taunton 89/90). If correct,this must be some sort of record. 

Yes, I remember Chris Souness. 

He would have been a Keith Bowker signing. Bowker would have been living near Exeter and most of his recruitment woujld have been westwards. Terry Rowles then came in from Clevedon and concentrated on North Somerset and Bristol players. Next Russell Musker was there for a long, long time with many of his players coming from South Devon. 

Just found a retrospective article from the Somerset County Gazette about the  1998-2000 period when Taunton won successive Western League titles. Apparently they put £35,000 "price tags" on both Lynch and Laight but there were no serious offers. Lynch was "attracting interest" (to what extent may have been another matter) from Exeter City, Forest Green Rovers, Gillingham and Leyton Orient. On a Torquay United message board a reliable poster recently reported a conversation in which Antony Lynch claims to have played a coyple of Football League games for Torquay (both away); not seen either appearance in the records. His recollection is that Exeter and Taunton both outbid Torquay and he chose Taunton of the two.

That might suggest Exeter's offer wasn't much more than Torquay's and predated the time of the £35,000 valuation. When Lynch did leave Taunton in 2001 it was for Tiverton. He returned to Taunton within eighteen months having scored twelve league and five cup goals for Tiverton - see  http://www.tivvyarchive.co.uk/player.php?player=44

Mark Loram had a long non-league career because his Football League career had petered out, but not because of injurues, before he was twenty-seven. Then he went on playing until well into his forties. The impression was that a match and a pint was a match and a pint regardless of the level.  He was at Taunton for years and, before that, at Elmore when they briefly had money and notoriery - in 1994/95 Elmore lost the Western League to Tiverton by a single point finishing twenty-nine points ahead of Taunton in their "transitional" season. There was some sort of incident at the league's annual dinner - or so I've been told - and a number of players were less than welcome in the Western League for a while. I believe Mark Loram spent some time at Penzance the following season.  

 

    

[Ian Pethick]

On 05/06/2022 at 09:07, Easterfield said:

Yes, I remember Chris Souness. 

He would have been a Keith Bowker signing. Bowker would have been living near Exeter and most of his recruitment woujld have been westwards. Terry Rowles then came in from Clevedon and concentrated on North Somerset and Bristol players. Next Russell Musker was there for a long, long time with many of his players coming from South Devon. 

Just found a retrospective article from the Somerset County Gazette about the  1998-2000 period when Taunton won successive Western League titles. Apparently they put £35,000 "price tags" on both Lynch and Laight but there were no serious offers. Lynch was "attracting interest" (to what extent may have been another matter) from Exeter City, Forest Green Rovers, Gillingham and Leyton Orient. On a Torquay United message board a reliable poster recently reported a conversation in which Antony Lynch claims to have played a coyple of Football League games for Torquay (both away); not seen either appearance in the records. His recollection is that Exeter and Taunton both outbid Torquay and he chose Taunton of the two.

That might suggest Exeter's offer wasn't much more than Torquay's and predated the time of the £35,000 valuation. When Lynch did leave Taunton in 2001 it was for Tiverton. He returned to Taunton within eighteen months having scored twelve league and five cup goals for Tiverton - see  http://www.tivvyarchive.co.uk/player.php?player=44

Mark Loram had a long non-league career because his Football League career had petered out, but not because of injurues, before he was twenty-seven. Then he went on playing until well into his forties. The impression was that a match and a pint was a match and a pint regardless of the level.  He was at Taunton for years and, before that, at Elmore when they briefly had money and notoriery - in 1994/95 Elmore lost the Western League to Tiverton by a single point finishing twenty-nine points ahead of Taunton in their "transitional" season. There was some sort of incident at the league's annual dinner - or so I've been told - and a number of players were less than welcome in the Western League for a while. I believe Mark Loram spent some time at Penzance the following season.  

 

    

Yes, remember the incident at the Western League dinner. Gareth Morgan (former England schoolboy international, and prolific scorer at Minehead and Elmore) was another participant in the fracas, and had to serve a lengthy suspension before appearing for Taunton. Elmore certainly had one or two "characters" in the team, Damon Palfrey was another that comes to mind.

You're right, Chris Souness was a Keith Bowker signing for Taunton. He was one of several players (Billy Ferris, Phil Hunt, Nigel Pugh, Nigel Jarvis and Andy Jago amongst them) that were with him at Bideford before they financially imploded during the 86/87 season.

[Easterfield]

43 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Yes, remember the incident at the Western League dinner. Gareth Morgan (former England schoolboy international, and prolific scorer at Minehead and Elmore) was another participant in the fracas, and had to serve a lengthy suspension before appearing for Taunton. Elmore certainly had one or two "characters" in the team, Damon Palfrey was another that comes to mind.

You're right, Chris Souness was a Keith Bowker signing for Taunton. He was one of several players (Billy Ferris, Phil Hunt, Nigel Pugh, Nigel Jarvis and Andy Jago amongst them) that were with him at Bideford before they financially imploded during the 86/87 season.

Gareth Morgan would have been at West Somerset school when he played for England Schools at sixth form level. Normally that would have suggested a career outside the game (rather than inside) and playing a high level of non-league. I suspect he probably found a job locally after school and never strayed too far from Minehead.  He played for a number of clubs but kept on returning to Minehead as they became weaker and weaker.

All those names are coming back to me now. Nigel Jarvis, who had been a youth player at Argyle, was from Totnes and played a number of first-team games for Torquay United when they were in a particulatly bad way in the mid 1980s.     

The whole Elmore thing was a one-off. 16th one season; then 2nd; then 16th again. The manager - Eamonn Collins - was a controversial figure himelf and, at one time, was under investigation for ticket touting at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Maybe he cut his teeth at Elmore; one of their games against Tiverton was all-ticket!

I was accustomed to following professional teams before I moved to Taunton and continued to do so even when watching Taunton fairly regularly. I guess the thing I noticed most was the higher turnover of players, chiefly becasuse few were on contracts and some doubled-up with clubs in other leagues. I'd love to see a list of who has played for Taunton over the last thirty-five years; there would be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds. I suspect dozens, especially in the 1990s, also played for Cornish teams.       

[Ian Pethick]

9 minutes ago, Easterfield said:

Gareth Morgan would have been at West Somerset school when he played for England Schools at sixth form level. Normally that would have suggested a career outside the game (rather than inside) and playing a high level of non-league. I suspect he probably found a job locally after school and never strayed too far from Minehead.  He played for a number of clubs but kept on returning to Minehead as they became weaker and weaker.

All those names are coming back to me now. Nigel Jarvis, who had been a youth player at Argyle, was from Totnes and played a number of first-team games for Torquay United when they were in a particulatly bad way in the mid 1980s.     

The whole Elmore thing was a one-off. 16th one season; then 2nd; then 16th again. The manager - Eamonn Collins - was a controversial figure himelf and, at one time, was under investigation for ticket touting at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Maybe he cut his teeth at Elmore; one of their games against Tiverton was all-ticket!

I was accustomed to following professional teams before I moved to Taunton and continued to do so even when watching Taunton fairly regularly. I guess the thing I noticed most was the higher turnover of players, chiefly becasuse few were on contracts and some doubled-up with clubs in other leagues. I'd love to see a list of who has played for Taunton over the last thirty-five years; there would be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds. I suspect dozens, especially in the 1990s, also played for Cornish teams.       

I could spend hours talking about this time in Western League football. I used to follow Liskeard from the late seventies up until they left the league in 1995. Don't know if it was an age thing, or a lack of football in the COVID lockdown period, but have recently got very nostalgic for this era. The Blues, Saltash and Falmouth had some wonderful players, managers and teams in this era, and I'm also thinking of the likes of Bideford, Barnstaple, Exmouth, Dawlish, Taunton, Tiverton, Mangotsfield, Weston Super Mare and Clevedon. I really think that the 10-12 years from 1980 onwards was a golden era in South West non league football, not just at Western League but also South Western League level. But then again, nostalgia is a funny thing.

[Easterfield]

4 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

 I really think that the 10-12 years from 1980 onwards was a golden era in South West non league football, not just at Western League but also South Western League level. But then again, nostalgia is a funny thing.

I saw relatively little football in the South West between 1974 and 1988 chiefly watching Football League (divisions 1 to 4) in various parts of the country together with a largely dreary collection of Torquay United away matches. Bur there was always the Sunday Independent, received through the post on a weekly basis, to keep me in touch.  Remembering Gus Honeybun as part of a Cornwall and Devon childhood in the 1960s and 1970s has become rather cliched; I'd put a stronger case for Westward Sports Desk (how we identified ever such a slight bias whenever Don Arnold mentioned Argyle) and - over a longer period of time - the Sunday Independent. There was nothing quite like the paper, at its peak, in most parts of the country.   

We've Richard Rundle to thank for old league tables. Here's one selected, of course, entirely at random. The composition of the two divisions is intriguing:  https://fchd.info/lghist/west1988.htm

And the South Western for the same season: https://fchd.info/lghist/sw1988.htm

[Buckland Jim]

3 hours ago, Easterfield said:

I saw relatively little football in the South West between 1974 and 1988 chiefly watching Football League (divisions 1 to 4) in various parts of the country together with a largely dreary collection of Torquay United away matches. Bur there was always the Sunday Independent, received through the post on a weekly basis, to keep me in touch.  Remembering Gus Honeybun as part of a Cornwall and Devon childhood in the 1960s and 1970s has become rather cliched; I'd put a stronger case for Westward Sports Desk (how we identified ever such a slight bias whenever Don Arnold mentioned Argyle) and - over a longer period of time - the Sunday Independent. There was nothing quite like the paper, at its peak, in most parts of the country.   

We've Richard Rundle to thank for old league tables. Here's one selected, of course, entirely at random. The composition of the two divisions is intriguing:  https://fchd.info/lghist/west1988.htm

And the South Western for the same season: https://fchd.info/lghist/sw1988.htm

Odd how Swanage used to be in the Western League back then, that part of Dorset is definitely Wessex League territory. 

[Ian Pethick]

5 minutes ago, Buckland Jim said:

Odd how Swanage used to be in the Western League back then, that part of Dorset is definitely Wessex League territory. 

Always used to be one of the best away days of the season though.

[Easterfield]

6 hours ago, Buckland Jim said:

Odd how Swanage used to be in the Western League back then, that part of Dorset is definitely Wessex League territory. 

Caught Swanage at Taunton just before they left the Western for the Wessex which was still a relatively new league at the time. They've now been in the Dorset for twenty years. I looked in at the ground three or four summers ago and it was wonderfully dilapidated and overgrown. But I read this week that it's being tidied up with new floodlights as well.

Going back to 1988 and the nearest Southern League club to Cornwall and Devon (with Weymouth in the Conference and Yeovil in the Isthmian) would have been Dorchester Town; fifty-five miles from Exeter. There were usually players from Devon who played at Dorchester and Weymourh in those days; something that may not happen so much these days with alternatives closer to home.

[Buckland Jim]

4 hours ago, Easterfield said:

Caught Swanage at Taunton just before they left the Western for the Wessex which was still a relatively new league at the time. They've now been in the Dorset for twenty years. I looked in at the ground three or four summers ago and it was wonderfully dilapidated and overgrown. But I read this week that it's being tidied up with new floodlights as well.

Going back to 1988 and the nearest Southern League club to Cornwall and Devon (with Weymouth in the Conference and Yeovil in the Isthmian) would have been Dorchester Town; fifty-five miles from Exeter. There were usually players from Devon who played at Dorchester and Weymourh in those days; something that may not happen so much these days with alternatives closer to home.

Yes of course, forgot the Wessex League wasn't established until the 80's, that would explain that. 

 

[Ian Pethick]

23 hours ago, Easterfield said:

Caught Swanage at Taunton just before they left the Western for the Wessex which was still a relatively new league at the time. They've now been in the Dorset for twenty years. I looked in at the ground three or four summers ago and it was wonderfully dilapidated and overgrown. But I read this week that it's being tidied up with new floodlights as well.

Going back to 1988 and the nearest Southern League club to Cornwall and Devon (with Weymouth in the Conference and Yeovil in the Isthmian) would have been Dorchester Town; fifty-five miles from Exeter. There were usually players from Devon who played at Dorchester and Weymourh in those days; something that may not happen so much these days with alternatives closer to home.

Complete aside again, why were Yeovil in the Isthmian league? Seems to me that the Southern League would have been the logical place them to play. Would have been very convenient for them though as, around about this time, Graham Roberts was manager and he was London based, as were most of his squad.

[Easterfield]

3 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

Complete aside again, why were Yeovil in the Isthmian league? Seems to me that the Southern League would have been the logical place them to play. Would have been very convenient for them though as, around about this time, Graham Roberts was manager and he was London based, as were most of his squad.

Yeovil Town were twice relegated from the Conference in 1985 and 1995; back up after three seasons the first time; two the second.

Although they'd been in the Southern in pre-Conference days there was no stipulation that they need return to that league. They applied to the Isthmian and were accepted. It was a while before there was a geographical demarcation between the two leagues; in the past the Isthmian was amateur and the Sourhern was semi-professuonal. Yeovil went against the historical grain probably because they saw the Isthmian as the easier to win.

It was Brian Hall (not the ex-Liverpool and Argyle player) who, the first time around, started the business of a London manager recruiting London players.

[john black]

Easterfield,just read one of your previous posts,and you were quite riight Mark Loram the ex Tourquay and qpr star had a season with the high flying magpies in the 1995/1996 season and became a firm favorite with large penlee park crowds.Also in the team was ex burnley player Andy Wharton.Fantastic times.

[Easterfield]

1 hour ago, john black said:

Easterfield,just read one of your previous posts,and you were quite riight Mark Loram the ex Tourquay and qpr star had a season with the high flying magpies in the 1995/1996 season and became a firm favorite with large penlee park crowds.Also in the team was ex burnley player Andy Wharton.Fantastic times.

Excellent. 1995/96 would fit the bill exactly. Looking at those names I'm not sure who would have delivered Lors safely to Penzance and, more importantly, got him home afterwards. Darren Cann would have been a possibility but I'm not sure if he was playing for Penzance at the time. 

Towards the end of his time at Plainmoor, Mark Loram spent a month or so on loan at Stockport County.  Alex Ferguson, who was always worried about Lee Shapre going off the rails, realised that Sharpe knew Loram from Torquay. Consequently he advised his player not to seek the company of the Stockport loanee. I'm not sure if this story is strictly true but it's a good one anyhow. Graham Taylor was another known admirer of Lors but never showed any interest in signing him.

Andy Wharton had a month or two on loan at Torquay but I think that was an entirely different episode in his life. How did he end up at Penlee Park?

[Ian Pethick]

27 minutes ago, Easterfield said:

Excellent. 1995/96 would fit the bill exactly. Looking at those names I'm not sure who would have delivered Lors safely to Penzance and, more importantly, got him home afterwards. Darren Cann would have been a possibility but I'm not sure if he was playing for Penzance at the time. 

Towards the end of his time at Plainmoor, Mark Loram spent a month or so on loan at Stockport County.  Alex Ferguson, who was always worried about Lee Shapre going off the rails, realised that Sharpe knew Loram from Torquay. Consequently he advised his player not to seek the company of the Stockport loanee. I'm not sure if this story is strictly true but it's a good one anyhow. Graham Taylor was another known admirer of Lors but never showed any interest in signing him.

Andy Wharton had a month or two on loan at Torquay but I think that was an entirely different episode in his life. How did he end up at Penlee Park?

Andy Wharton was one of a group of Torquay based players under (I think) Pete Buckingham at Bideford in the early 90's, before they all departed after one of their seemingly regular financial implosions. He then briefly played for Jimmy Hargreaves at Liskeard as captain for season 93/94 in the Western League, when a virtually new squad was put together. He lasted about 2 months, and was  one of the worst left backs I had seen at the club. Well past his best.

To keep the Taunton connection going, Liskeard signed Nigel Pugh and Mickey Fallon from them that season, as well as their former centre half Neil Penwill returning to Lux Park from Launceston during the campaign. Also, much travelled midfielder/forward Wayne Stamenkovic left to go to the Somerset club before the 94/95 season.

Taunton beat Liskeard in the Les Phillips League Cup semi final that season as well.

[Easterfield]

3 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Andy Wharton was one of a group of Torquay based players under (I think) Pete Buckingham at Bideford in the early 90's, before they all departed after one of their seemingly regular financial implosion. 

To keep the Taunton connection going, Liskeard signed Nigel Pugh and Mickey Fallon from them that season, as well as their former centre half Neil Penwill returning to Lux Park from Launceston during the campaign and Wayne Stamenkovic left to go to the Somerset club before the 94/95 season.

If Andy Wharton was living in Torquay he probably chaperoned Mark Loram to and from Penzance.

Wayne Stamenkovic was another from Torquay.  

[Mike Odgers]

Wayne Stamenkovic-Wow thats a name to conjour with-He played at Falmouth in their last two seasons in the Western League 1981-83 under manager Jimmy Hargreaves making 93 appearances-33 goals

In my notes joined from Brixham United formerley Leicester City apprentice.

Where did he go from there?

[john black]

3 hours ago, Easterfield said:

If Andy Wharton was living in Torquay he probably chaperoned Mark Loram to and from Penzance.

Wayne Stamenkovic was another from Torquay.  

your correct ,but they both served the club well,,...and the people of PZ loved them.

[john black]

Darren cann also a excellent center back for the magpies,,surely should of played league soccer.

[Ian Pethick]

2 hours ago, Mike Odgers said:

Wayne Stamenkovic-Wow thats a name to conjour with-He played at Falmouth in their last two seasons in the Western League 1981-83 under manager Jimmy Hargreaves making 93 appearances-33 goals

In my notes joined from Brixham United formerley Leicester City apprentice.

Where did he go from there?

Kmow he had spells at Bideford, Barnstaple and Saltash in the 80's, then Ottery St Mary during their brief time in the Western League, before arriving at Liskeard in the early 90's. This was initially during Keith Manley's brief spell in charge, then as part of Jimmy Hargreaves' Senior Cup winning side.

He started off as a pacy striker, before dropping back into a central midfield role.

[Ian Pethick]

3 hours ago, Easterfield said:

If Andy Wharton was living in Torquay he probably chaperoned Mark Loram to and from Penzance

Lot of pubs between Torquay and Penlee Park!!

[Easterfield]

32 minutes ago, john black said:

Darren cann also a excellent center back for the magpies,,surely should of played league soccer.

Darren Cann was thrown in at the deep end into a very poor Torquay United first team at a time the whole club was in a mess. Chris Myers, the other 18-year-old in the team, pulled through and had a decent Football League career (as well as managing Dawlish Town at their peak) whilst Canny didn't play professional football again. Was probably the sort of player who would have benefitted from a higher standard of non-league football closer to home.  Won the FA Vase with Taunton at a time he may have been playing in the Southern Premier or higher.      

6 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Lot of pubs between Torquay and Penlee Park!!

Especially if you go via Brixham.

[Easterfield]

2 hours ago, Mike Odgers said:

Wayne Stamenkovic-Wow thats a name to conjour with-He played at Falmouth in their last two seasons in the Western League 1981-83 under manager Jimmy Hargreaves making 93 appearances-33 goals.

That must have been when Jimmy Hargreaves went off to become youth development officer at Torquay United:  https://torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/2573/jimmy-hargreaves

First batch of trainees, under Jimmy Hargreaves, included Mark Loram.   

[john black]

Only one Mark Loram...read the tq webb.

[Easterfield]

31 minutes ago, john black said:

Only one Mark Loram...read the tq webb.

Having watched my fair share of Torquay United and Taunton Town games I probably saw him as much as anybody else! Seen him for a few other clubs as well; certainly Dartmouth and possibly Upton Atheltic (have also seen Darren Bastow - ex-Argyle - for the latter; another Torquay character for you). I'm sure Lors was at least forty-five when I last saw him play.

He could, of course, really have "made it".  Transferred to QPR as a teenager he once made it to the subsitutes bench (when there may only have been one substitute?) but kept disappearing back home. Returned to Torquay on loan and helped saved them from relegation. Back permanently Loram was a star with Torquay but always had the tinge of a "wasted talent". Clubs looked at him, but did they pull back or wasn't he interested?  The impression was that he was unconcerned; who could really say? The "waywardness" became too much for Torquay in the end and Lors left the professional game relatively early; a sort of Devonian George Best. But the remarkable thing was that he then had a prolonged non-league career playing for all manner of clubs at different levels.    

With respect to Torbay-born players Mark Loram could possibly have achieved something like the success of Oliie Watkins. The irony is that, with Watkins, everybody praises his attitude and commitment. With Lors it was a matter of praising his somewhat mercurial talent.

Doubt somehow that Ollie will be turning out for Newton Abbot Spurs in his dotage, but you never know.   

[Soccer Follower]

Didn't Mark Loram finish up playing for Brixham?

 

[Easterfield]

8 hours ago, Soccer Follower said:

Didn't Mark Loram finish up playing for Brixham?

 

Mark Loram was from Brixham and played youth football for Brixham Grasshoppers and then Brixham Villa. As a player who was often registered with different clubs in different leagues he'd play for Brixham United in the South Devon League from time to tiime (not sure if he ever appeared for the "new" Brixham club which was formed when he was in his forties).  

Don't know when he last played for the old Brixham United but I think he may have had a few games for them at the ridiculously early age of twenty-six when he left the professional game. I remember at the time thinking it was "full circle" far too soon.

I suppose the facts and figures point to Dan Gosling being Brixham's best-ever footballer although those of a certain outlook might point to Lors instead.

[john black]

yes your right on all aspecs.... i know some people travelled down from TQ to penlee park just to watch him play !!.

[Ian Pethick]

8 hours ago, Easterfield said:

Having watched my fair share of Torquay United and Taunton Town games I probably saw him as much as anybody else! Seen him for a few other clubs as well; certainly Dartmouth and possibly Upton Atheltic (have also seen Darren Bastow - ex-Argyle - for the latter; another Torquay character for you). I'm sure Lors was at least forty-five when I last saw him play.

He could, of course, really have "made it".  Transferred to QPR as a teenager he once made it to the subsitutes bench (when there may only have been one substitute?) but kept disappearing back home. Returned to Torquay on loan and helped saved them from relegation. Back permanently Loram was a star with Torquay but always had the tinge of a "wasted talent". Clubs looked at him, but did they pull back or wasn't he interested?  The impression was that he was unconcerned; who could really say? The "waywardness" became too much for Torquay in the end and Lors left the professional game relatively early; a sort of Devonian George Best. But the remarkable thing was that he then had a prolonged non-league career playing for all manner of clubs at different levels.    

With respect to Torbay-born players Mark Loram could possibly have achieved something like the success of Oliie Watkins. The irony is that, with Watkins, everybody praises his attitude and commitment. With Lors it was a matter of praising his somewhat mercurial talent.

Doubt somehow that Ollie will be turning out for Newton Abbot Spurs in his dotage, but you never know.   

Darren Bastow, that's another story. Argyle debut at 17 (believe that the then Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan enquired about him), retired at 19. Think he's still playing for Upton Athletic alongside the numerous other Bastows at the age of 42.

[Dave Deacon]

41 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Darren Bastow, that's another story. Argyle debut at 17 (believe that the then Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan enquired about him), retired at 19. Think he's still playing for Upton Athletic alongside the numerous other Bastows at the age of 42.

Interesting to see the word “retired” used when suggesting his departure from Argyle. Elsewhere there would seem there was disciplinary issues when with the club and so could it have been that in fact he was released from the club?

[Buckland Jim]

1 hour ago, Way Of The Park said:

Darren Bastow, that's another story. Argyle debut at 17 (believe that the then Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan enquired about him), retired at 19. Think he's still playing for Upton Athletic alongside the numerous other Bastows at the age of 42.

Didn't he also turn down a trial with Derby County so he could stay in Torbay? 

[Ian Pethick]

54 minutes ago, Dave Deacon said:

Interesting to see the word “retired” used when suggesting his departure from Argyle. Elsewhere there would seem there was disciplinary issues when with the club and so could it have been that in fact he was released from the club?

Used the word "retired" in the broadest possible way.

[Easterfield]

1 hour ago, Way Of The Park said:

Darren Bastow, that's another story. Argyle debut at 17 (believe that the then Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan enquired about him), retired at 19. Think he's still playing for Upton Athletic alongside the numerous other Bastows at the age of 42.

All kinds of similarities between Darren Bastow and Mark Loram. Both appeared to be fitted with South Devon homing devices, a degree of ill-discipline and a love for playing football at whatever level for as long as they could. If QPR was Mark Loram’s big opportunity as a young man; Darren Bastow’s was the trial at Derby County.    

I remember seeing Darren Bastow play for Upton Athletic when he was in his mid-twenties. At first glance he was every inch a “park player” both in shape and a general appearance that suggested he was much older. The first time I saw him he didn’t do much; the next time you could see his ability. I last saw him during that odd 2020/21 season when some football went on until the end of June. Playing at the back for Upton, carrying an injury but still showing flashes of being something else. 

Checking Full Time, Darren Bastow didn’t play last season so it’s possible I saw one of his final games. Jordan Bastow was the only Bastow in last season’s team which is a far cry from when Upton Athletic were at their peak and Bastows made up half the team in addition to various club officials. And not just one generation either; I guess the Bastow involvement at the club stretched over at least thirty years.

Successful times too; in terms of what happened on the pitch Upton Athletic were very much the town of Torquay’s second club with a string of South Devon League and Devon Premier Cup titles. The Devon and Exeter League site - https://defleague.co.uk/cups/devon-premier/ - has a list of Devon Premier Cup winners and you can see Upton Athletic were successful in 1992 when the Devon League was formed. That suggests the club were not only worthy of a place in the new league but may well have won it. 

But they didn’t have the facilities; Cricketfield Road was a slope in a corner of a cricket field that Stu Bowker would know only too well. Upton Athletic stayed put; another trajectory may have eventually led to the Peninsula League. The irony is that, now the club has a far better pitch at Armada Park, younger generations of Bastows appear to have taken up other activities and the club has fallen from its old perch.

Something that has, in many ways, been mirrored by Watcombe Wanderers who took up the mantle of Torquay’s second-best team and also played on a lousy pitch. Watcombe also won the Devon Premier Cup and, unlike Upton, sorted out a better ground at Milber (near Newton Abbot) and joined the second-time-around Devon League. But that’s not gone well and they’re back in the South Devon League.   

That leaves Waldon Athletic as the only Torquay club to play in the Peninsula League; a single season before the last reorganisation. Waldon are now back in the South Devon too.

Returning to Taunton Town and it was Ian Bastow - the other Bastow to play in the Football League - who was in the Taunton team that won the FA Vase.

  

[Easterfield]

53 minutes ago, Buckland Jim said:

Didn't he also turn down a trial with Derby County so he could stay in Torbay? 

Yes. It was often a case of not turning up for training and matches and (just like Loram at QPR) being in Torbay when he should have been elsewhere. There were also invitations to train with Torquay United who were literally on his dootstep. But to no avail. There was an incident with the law around the time he left Argyle (Lors had been involved in various misdemenaours around that age too) but I don't think there was anything after that.

A big thing with Mark Loram was his willingness to travel all over the place to play football. I'm sure Darren Bastow played for teams other than Upton Athletic but really his football after Argyle amounted to Upton Athletic pretty much all the way.         

[Ian Pethick]

Loving this thread. Lots of memories flooding back.

Right, after Wayne Stamenkovic, another player with Falmouth, Liskeard and Taunton connections, Steve Mallett.

Full back or centre midfield, one of the best players I have seen in the Western League. One of those consistent, 8 or 9/10 every week, types.

[Easterfield]

On 07/06/2022 at 10:10, Way Of The Park said:

I really think that the 10-12 years from 1980 onwards was a golden era in South West non league football, not just at Western League but also South Western League level. But then again, nostalgia is a funny thing.

There are several remarkable sequences of  Western League champions. First, there's this one which came, of course, after four successive South Western League titles:

1974-75	Falmouth Town
1975-76	Falmouth Town
1976-77	Falmouth Town
1977-78	Falmouth Town

Then there's this one:  

1983-84	Exmouth Town
1984-85	Saltash United
1985-86	Exmouth Town
1986-87	Saltash United
1987-88	Liskeard Athletic
1988-89	Saltash United
1989-90	Taunton Town

Finally this one;

1993-94	Tiverton Town
1994-95	Tiverton Town
1995-96	Taunton Town
1996-97	Tiverton Town
1997-98	Tiverton Town
1998-99	Taunton Town
1999-00	Taunton Town
2000-01	Taunton Town

I'll admit to have forgotten Saltash won three titles; I'd have said two (making the excuse I was living in Lancashire for two of them). I do remember Taunton pipping Liskeard in 1990 and waiting for the Orchard FM news bulletin (there was no other way) for the result of the deciding game. But it's those eight seasons of Taunton and Tiverton domination I remember the most if not all the details or the exaxt tallies. What a remarkable rivalry that was. 

 

[Ian Pethick]

1 minute ago, Easterfield said:

There are several remarkable sequences of  Western League champions. First, there's this one which came, of course, after four successive South Western League titles:

1974-75	Falmouth Town
1975-76	Falmouth Town
1976-77	Falmouth Town
1977-78	Falmouth Town

Then there's this one:  

1983-84	Exmouth Town
1984-85	Saltash United
1985-86	Exmouth Town
1986-87	Saltash United
1987-88	Liskeard Athletic
1988-89	Saltash United
1989-90	Taunton Town

Finally this one;

1993-94	Tiverton Town
1994-95	Tiverton Town
1995-96	Taunton Town
1996-97	Tiverton Town
1997-98	Tiverton Town
1998-99	Taunton Town
1999-00	Taunton Town
2000-01	Taunton Town

I'll admit to have forgotten Saltash won three titles; I'd have said two (making the excuse I was living in Lancashire for two of them). I do remember Taunton pipping Liskeard in 1990 and waiting for the Orchard FM news bulletin (there was no other way) for the result of the deciding game. But it's those eight seasons of Taunton and Tiverton domination I remember the most if not all the details or the exaxt tallies. What a remarkable rivalry that was. 

 

 

The Ashes title win in 1989 and The Blues success in 1988 came at a heavy financial cost for both clubs. Both suffered a mass exodus of players immediately afterwards and entered a period of rebuilding. Brian Hodge retired in the wake of Liskeard's win, and a few weeks later crossed the divide to join Saltash. I loathed that lot at Kimberley with a passion but that side that won the league under Hodge was one hell of a side. Big, physical, a bit nasty when they needed to be, but they could play. The perfect mixture for a title winning side.

Still remember that night at Lux Park in May 1990 when Liskeard needed to beat Exmouth. Must have had around a 1,000 in attendance that night. Score at 1-1, late in the game, Bradley Swiggs pulled down in the box, ref points to the spot, unfortunately the Exmouth keeper guessed right and dived to his left to save Steve Daly's placed penalty. 

A bitter and disappointed me thinks that Liskeard blew the league, rather than Taunton winning it. Was the winter of the great storms, one of these resulted in the floodlights at Lux Park toppling over and the covered stand ending up in the cricket field next door. Couldn't play midweek fixtures for many weeks, the congested end of season schedule just saw us run out of steam.

[Easterfield]

1 hour ago, Way Of The Park said:

Still remember that night at Lux Park in May 1990 when Liskeard needed to beat Exmouth. Must have had around a 1,000 in attendance that night. Score at 1-1, late in the game, Bradley Swiggs pulled down in the box, ref points to the spot, unfortunately the Exmouth keeper guessed right and dived to his left to save Steve Daly's placed penalty. 

Steve Mallett - yes, just about remember the name.

Liskeard v Exmouth. That would have been it. Remember thinking it wouldn't be easy for Liskeard and a draw was possible. Taunton's first title for over twenty years and only their second.

One of my concerns about the big storms was making it to Torquay's FA Cup 4th round game at Blackpool. Their performance proved to be totally becalmed.

Saw Saltash at Mangotsfield around about then. Pretty sure John Impey was playing for them not long before his unlikely stint as a promotion-winning Football League manager (with a happier outcome against Blackpool as it happens).

[Easterfield]

I'd watched little non-league football before moving to Taunton early in the 1988/89 season; first game at Wordsworth Drive was an FA Cup tie against Poole Town. Of course the Western League was a different league in those days which shoudn"t be read as an adverse reflection on today's football. You're not really comparing like with like; more a case of comparing two things that happen to have the same name.

I'd always seen West Country non-league football as extending to a line linking the "big three" of Bath, Yeovil Town and Weymouth. Include Dorchestet in that line and, at most times - certainly in the late 1980s, all the best teams to the west were in the Western League. Nowadays you've probably found a dozen teams west of that line before you count the best of the Western League. Impossible to be sure how good some of those teams were (whilst the weaker teams would have been very ordinary). There may have been championship-winning teams that were of today's Southern Premier standard (how would they compare to the current Plymouth Parkway team?). The very best Taunton and Tiverton teams may have been a notch higher; the possible comparison being the best Truro City teams of later years. In 1998/99 Taunton beat Kettering Town (who finished second in the Conference) in the FA Cup and narrowly lost to Cheltenham Town (who won the Conference) in the next round.

The Taunton-Tiverton rivalry was astonishing although the downside was that it reduced most of the other teams to onlookers (prompting Clevedon, Mangotsfield and Weston to try to escape to the Southern whenever Taunton and Tiverton prevaricated). It wasn't just the league - one Taunton v Tiverton game was watched by 2,800 - but also the FA Vase records of both teams (three wins and two other final appearances between them; a semi-final against each other) and Tiverton's record in the FA Cup

The irony is that it became rather dull once Taunton were promoted. After the initial excitement they probably didn't anticipate sixteen years until the next promotion. It started to get bogged down but the Western had changed behind Taunton's back and a return would have been a dispiriting experience.

And, after all the Vase excitement, the cups were as dull as ditchwater until fairly recently culminating in the FA Cup first round games against Barrow. But since the 2018 promotion it's been 2nd place, two abandoned seasons and winning the league. Odd how those times will be seen with a hole in the middle. 

[Easterfield]

Saw Taunton Town's first ever National League (South) game yesterday; a 0-0 draw against Welling United. 

Welling were the better team on the ball and had some accomplished players. But Taunton were as organised and resilient as last season and, even with several new players, stuck to last season's tried and tested 3-5-2 formation.  That's the Rob Dray way it appears.

I wondered how Taunton may recruit over the summer. They've certainly gone for depth because they've allocated squad numbers to twenty-six players. There's no reserve team - one or two players may be non-contract and dual-registered (not entirely sure about that) - but that's a sizeable squad. If it remains at that size, Taunton should be able to put out a plausible team even for those awkward midweek trips when players are unavailable. Forty-six league fixtures this season, remember.

With respect to quality it's hard to gauge. There's certainly plenty of experience. Taunton's "recruitment area" these days is very much Severnside stretching into South Wales. With only Bath and Chippenham in the same league - with Weston recent past members - there's only so many National League (South) players in the area who are not currently engaged by either Bath or Chippenham. Taunton have gone for a mixture of players who have been at Bath and Chippenham plus others from the league below. 

They're pitching in a tough market and they've gone about it in quite a dfferent way to Truro City who targetted the best players in Cornwall and Devon. With Taunton's management living in Bristol and Somerset - and facing competition in the west from Parkway and Truro - the only Devon players in yesterday's squad were those retained from last season: the defenders Nick Grimes and Jake Wannell from Exeter with attacker Jared Lewington from Torquay on the bench.

Not a great deal of interest, I guess, from the Cornwall and Devon aspect.