EX-GULLS AND ARGYLE XI by Steve Harris

TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

After yesterday’s friendly against Plymouth Argyle, we will now look at an XI comprised entirely of players to have donned both the Yellow of Torquay and the Green of Argyle during the last 35 years.

GK: Kenny Veysey

Former Gulls’ goalkeeping coach Kenny returned to Plainmoor for a second spell during the 1997-98 season after spells with Oxford United, Exeter City, Sheffield United and Dorchester Town. He helped the Gulls to reach the Division Three Play-Off final in 1998, but missed the final through suspension. Kenny remained with Torquay for a further season before he was released by Wes Saunders at the end of the 1998-99 campaign when he joined Plymouth before retiring through injury a year later.

RB: Kevin Hodges

The Pilgrims’ record appearance holder Kevin originally joined Torquay from Argyle on loan during the 1991-92 campaign before making the move permanent during the following season. After finishing his playing career with the Gulls, Kevin coached the club’s youth side before becoming manager in 1996. During his two years in charge at Torquay, Kevin led the Gulls to brink of promotion from Division Three as they were beaten in the 1998 Play-Off final by Colchester United before he took charge of the Pilgrims. His reign in charge at Home Park lasted until 2000 when he was replaced by Paul Sturrock. He has since held a number of different roles in the game, which have included a brief spell as assistant manager at Yeovil Town and head of youth with the Pilgrims and is currently serving as assistant manager to Robbie Herrera at Dorchester Town.

CB: Danis Salman

After making his league debut for Brentford as a 15-year-old, Danis Salman went on to help Millwall win promotion to the top-flight of English football for the first time in 1988, where he appeared alongside the likes of Teddy Sheringham and Tony Cascarino. He found his way to the South West in 1990 when he joined Plymouth and he remained with the Pilgrims until 1992 after he was released by Peter Shilton. Danis later joined Torquay as a replacement for Wes Saunders at the start of the 1992-93 campaign and made 22 appearances before leaving at the end of the season. He worked as a match analyst for the Press Association at Home Park and also wrote a column in the Plymouth Herald until 2019.

CB: Craig Taylor

The brother of current Torquay assistant manager, Shaun Taylor, Craig Taylor arrived at Home Park from Swindon Town in the 1999-00 season and he remained with the Pilgrims until 2003 when he made the move to Plainmoor following a successful loan spell. Whilst at Plainmoor, Craig became the first player to lead the Gulls to automatic promotion in 38 years as he captained Torquay to automatic promotion in the 2003-04 season. Craig remained with the Gulls for three more years before he was released.

Craig Taylor+Steve Woods — Photo Courtesy of the Herald Express

LB: John Uzzell

During his 12-year stint with Plymouth Argyle, John Uzzell helped the Pilgrims to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1984 and win promotion to the ‘old’ Division Two in 1986. During his brief stay at Plainmoor, John helped the Gulls to win promotion from the ‘old’ Division Four in 1991 before he was forced to retire following a challenge with Gary Blissett in a match between the Gulls and Brentford that left him with a fractured cheekbone and eye socket. He was seen in the Plainmoor press box in his latter role as a match analyst for the Press Association until 2016.

RM: Martin ‘Buster’ Phillips

Hailed as ‘Britain’s first £10million footballer’ by Alan Ball when he was a youngster at Exeter City, Buster Phillips followed Ball from St James’ Park to Maine Road as he joined Manchester City in 1995. He remained with City until 1998 when he linked up with Ball again at Portsmouth before he returned two years later to sign for Argyle. Whilst at Home Park, he played a role in the Pilgrims’ Division Three and Division Two title successes under Paul Sturrock in 2002 and 2004 before moving to Plainmoor. Buster’s stay with Torquay lasted for three years, during which time he made 70 appearances and scored six goals before he was forced to retire after being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2007.

CM: Steve McCall

After making his name with Ipswich Town in the early 1980’s where he won a UEFA Cup Winners’ medal in 1981, Steve McCall found his way to the South West in 1992 when Peter Shilton persuaded him to join the Pilgrims from Sheffield Wednesday. He formed an impressive cemtral midfield partnership with Steve Castle and was part of the Pilgrims’ side that narrowly missed out on promotion to Division One in the 1993-94 season. Two years later, Steve made the move from Home Park to Plainmoor when he joined Kevin Hodges’ coaching team, which he combined with playing in the Gulls’ midfield. He played a key role in helping Torquay reach the 1998 Division Three Play-Off final before following Hodges back to Home Park to become his assistant on the eve of the 1998-99 season.

CM: Chris Hargreaves

Chris Hargreaves arrived at Plymouth Argyle in 1998 after spells with his home town club Grimsby Town, Scarborough, Hull City, West Bromwich Albion and Hereford United. His stay at Home Park lasted for two years before he was on his travels again joining Northampton Town in 2000. He returned to Devon in 2007 when he joined Torquay where he would play an influential role in helping the Gulls win promotion back into the Football League in 2009, scoring their opening goal in the 2009 Conference Play-Off final against Cambridge United. He stayed at Plainmoor until midway through the 2009-10 season when he re-joined Oxford United, the team he originally joined the Gulls from. After a spell as manager of United between 2014 and 2015, Chris is currently academy manager at Bristol Rovers and also works a pundit for BT Sport’s Vanarama National League coverage.

LM: Brian McGlinchey

Ulsterman Brian McGlinchey started his career with Manchester City before he appeared for Port Vale and Gillingham prior to his move to Home Park in 2000. He played a key role in helping the Pilgrims to win promotion from Division Three in 2002 before he made the move to Plainmoor during the 2003-04 season following an initial loan spell. He proved to the missing piece in the jigsaw for Leroy Rosenior’s side as they clinched automatic promotion on the final day of the season. He remained with Torquay for a further two years before he was forced to retire through injury. Brian currently works as a mortgage advisor and often appears as a co-commentator on Pilgrims’ matches for BBC Radio Devon.

FC: Tommy Tynan

One of the finest centre-forwards never to play in the top-flight, Tommy Tynan had confirmed his status as a Plymouth Argyle legend by the time he was persuaded to make the move to Plainmoor by Dave Smith in 1990. Once at Plainmoor, Tommy continued to find the back of the net and scored his 300th career goal in a league game against Carlisle United in October 1990. Following the appointment of John Impey as manager in succession to Smith later in the 1990-91 season, Tommy fell out of favour and left Plainmoor at the end of the campaign and later had spells with Doncaster Rovers and Goole Town.

FC: Martin Gritton

Glasgow born, but Cornwall raised, Martin Gritton was given his first taste of professional football in 1999 when Kevin Hodges handed him his first professional contract after he spotted him playing in the South Western League for Portheleven, for whom he combined studying at the University of Portsmouth.

Three years later, he became one of Leroy Rosenior’s first signings as Torquay United manager and formed a potent partnership with fellow Scot David Graham and finished the 2002-03 season as Torquay’s leading scorer with 16 goals. In the following season, he helped the Gulls win automatic promotion from Division Three for the first time in 38 years. Martin left Plainmoor in December 2004 to join Grimsby Town, but returned for a six-month loan spell in the 2010-11 season after appearing for Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Macclesfield and Chesterfield. After winding down his career with Chester FC, Yeovil Town, Stockport County and Truro City, Martin currently works in Sports PR and can often be heard summarising Torquay and Argyle away games on BBC Radio Devon in London and the South East and the South.

TORQUAYTALK

TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

After yesterday’s friendly against Plymouth Argyle, we will now look at an XI comprised entirely of players to have donned both the Yellow of Torquay and the Green of Argyle during the last 35 years.

GK: Kenny Veysey

RB: Kevin Hodges

CB: Danis Salman

CB: Craig Taylor

LB: John Uzzell

RM: Martin ‘Buster’ Phillips

CM: Steve McCall

CM: Chris Hargreaves

LM: Brian McGlinchey

FC: Tommy Tynan

FC: Martin Gritton

Here is a full list of all the players to have played for both Torquay and Plymouth:

Steve Adams

Paul Adcock

Peter Anderson

Frank Arundel

Gordon Astall

Nicky Banger

Jason Banton

Ashley Barnes

Geoff Barnsley

Durrell Berry

Fred Binney

Kevin Blackwell

Nathan Blissett

Guy Branston

Joe Broad

Ken J Brown

Eric Burgess

Micky Cave

Gary Clayton

Jack Conner

Russell Coughlin

Chris Curran

Peter Darke

Arron Davis

Ryan Dickson

Vincent Dorel

Ernie Edds

Stewart Evans

Alex Fletcher

Howard Forinton

George Foster

Darren Garner

Paul Gibbs

Mike Green

Martin Gritton

Dave Hancock

Leon Hapgood

Chris Hargreaves

Ashley Hemmings

Kevin Hodges

Lee Hodges

Cliff Jackson

Reg Jenkins

Brian Johnson

Scott Laird

Ryan Law

Chris Leadbitter

Tony Levy

Klaidi Lolos

Osvaldo Lopes

John Matthews

Steve McCall

Brian McGlinchey

Ronan Murray

Garry Nelson

Ray Newland

Anthony O’Connor

Scott Partridge

Andy Petterson

Lee Phillips

Martin Phillips

David Pook

Bob Preston

Anthony Pulis