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Paul Dennis – @paulden2310

Paul discusses former Gulls manager Cyril Knowles

Lets go back to the early 1970s and little did I realise as I started out on my Torquay United journey that the subject of that popular catchphrase was later to become our manager!

Cyril Knowles played as a swashbuckling left back for Tottenham Hotspur and was part of a sporting family as his father also named Cyril played Rugby League in the 1930s and 40s, and his younger brother Peter was a prolific striker for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Peter shocked the football world by turning his back on the game after becoming a Jehovahs Witness. Wolves kept his registration for years after hoping that he would have a change of mind. He never did.

Cyril played over 400 times for Spurs between 1964 and 1976 and in 1981 Cyril was appointed assistant manager of Middlesbrough, the club where he started his playing career. Two years later he moved to Darlington as manager and in his second season guided them to promotion from division four. He kept them there for two seasons before falling back down again and resigning his position.

For Torquay United season 86-87 ended with the drama of a police dog biting Jim McNichol and Paul Dobson scoring the last minute goal to preserve their Football League status. The services of manager Stuart Morgan were not retained and Cyril Knowles was appointed manager of the Gulls at the start of the 1987-88 season, and what a season it turned out to be!

The opening game against Wrexham and we go a goal down which after the defeats of last season didn’t fill Gulls fans with optimism! Then the spirit that we would see for the next ten months kicked in. By half time we had fought back to lead 2-1 and at the sound of the final whistle it was an amazing 6-1 to the Gulls! A first day hat trick for eventual season top scorer Paul Dobson, a brace for loanee Alan McLoughlin and a goal for centre back David Cole.

Another big home win in September as Darlington were beaten 5-0 followed up by 2-1 wins at home against Bolton Wanderers and away at Wolverhampton Wanderers, two names not familiar to Fourth division fixture lists! The pattern of one goal wins continued with a local derby win at Exeter City courtesy of a Jim McNichol header confirming his complete recovery from his meeting with our friend Bryn! This game also saw the substitute debut of 16 year old Lee Sharpe.

After reaching the dizzy heights of second place in mid-October they settled into the play off places right to the end of that season. A ruthless 6-1 thrashing of doomed Newport County included a brace by Lee Sharpe, one of which was a coolly taken penalty. This game was an exception as out of the 21 wins that season, 14 were by one goal margins, although there was that 5-0 demolition of Rochdale in the Autumn.

So to another end of season last day drama, but instead of relegation this time we were fighting for promotion. Beat Scunthorpe United and the Gulls were up but of course this is Torquay United and a 1-2 home defeat meant we would meet the same opponents again in the play-offs!

A hard fought 2-1 home win was followed by a dogged 1-1 draw in what would be the last game played at Scunthorpe’s Old Show Ground before they moved to their new stadium at Glanford Park. In those days there wasn’t a Wembley day out final but a two legged affair with United losing the first leg 2-1. So to Plainmoor and a dramatic match was played out in terrible weather, conditions making it a slog in the mud with the game ending 3-3. The promotion dream was snuffed out. But who would have thought that Torquay would have come so close after the previous season?

There was also a rare run in the FA Cup and a third round tie away to cup holders Coventry City, although they lost 0-2 the Gulls gained the respect of the football world for their tremendous and gallant performance.

Cyril Knowles created a team that was as hard as nails with characters such as goalkeeper Kenny Allen and a defence made up of Jim McNichol, Tom Kelly, Jon Impey and Phil Lloyd who was signed from his old club Darlington. A midfield of Sean Haslegrave and Derek Dawkins providing the grit and the great Mark Loram adding the style. Paul Dobson last season’s last minute hero was way ahead of any other goal-scorer with 22. The season also saw the start of Lee Sharpe’s career and the signing of controversial and cult hero Dave Caldwell.

So after another dramatic season 88-89 was greeted with a great deal of optimism. In true Gulls fashion the first two games were both lost but a three match winning run saw a place just outside the play off positions. This inconsistency would be a factor all season long. The team had lost last season’s top scorer Paul Dobson, Kenny Allen and John Impey and key midfielder Sean Haslegrave, whose age had caught up with him and he made only two appearances.

New summer signings were full back Paul Holmes and tough tackling midfielder Sean Joyce both from Doncaster Rovers with Paul Dobson moving in the other direction. Losing Dobson was a definite miss as this seasons top league scorer turned out to be Dean Edwards on 8!

The highest league position reached was 5th at the turn of the year but a win was always followed by a couple of defeats that had United slipping down the table but never badly enough to worry about relegation. What was on the players mind though was the incredible run in the Sherpa Van Trophy and United’s first ever visit to Wembley, for more about that please check out my previous Torquay Talk article and my tears that day!

Another run to the third round of the FA Cup ended away to Sheffield Wednesday and a 5-1 defeat after Dean Edwards had put United ahead. I have to admit to an awful gut feeling while walking through the Leppings Lane tunnel where so much tragedy unfolded a few months later.

One of the worst results that season was a horrific defeat at home 0-4 to Exeter City with debutant goalkeeper Mark Coombe having a “mare” !

Cyril suffered that season when he lost the core of his successful sides and the replacements were not up to the job. I am convinced that the players minds were on that trip to Wembley as it was such a rare thing in those days for 4th division teams to play there so who could blame them?

Season 89-90 would see the end of Cyril Knowles’ tenure as Plaimoor boss, as a poor start to the season saw United in 23rd place at the end of September. Cyril resigned his position on the 2nd of October bringing an end to two amazing seasons of Cup runs, a promotion chase and so many dramatic games. The likes of which I had never seen in my previous eighteen years as a supporter. Players such as Mark Loram, Paul Dobson, Jim McNichol, Phil Lloyd, Dave Caldwell and Lee Sharpe were real legends who are still talked about today.

In December pf 1990 Cyril was appointed manager at bottom of the table Hartlepool. He worked his magic again as he guided them to finish 12 points clear of relegation. The next season was even better as he managed them to third place and promotion.

Unfortunately tragedy would strike Cyril, as in February of 1991 he was diagnosed as having a brain tumour. His coach Alan Murray took temporary charge of the team but at the end of the season he was given the job permanently because Cyril was recovering from brain surgery.

Sadly Cyril did not recover from the cancer and he lost his fight for life on the 30th August 1991 at the comparatively young age of 47.

Those who saw him play or manage their club will not forget Cyril.

Nice One Cyril Nice One Son