Torquay United Fans Forum

I should also have mentioned RM that we appeared on Match of the Day again on 31 October 1970. The visitors to Plainmoor that day were Division 3 (League 1) leaders Fulham who had lost only one of their first fourteen games, but we beat them 3-1 in front of a crowd of about 7500. The following week we had an even bigger attendance of over 28000 when we visited Villa Park following the relegation of Villa to that level for the first time, and once again we showed we were no respecter of reputations with a 1-0 win.

[quote="Roy McFarland"]Apologies and I'm going to blame it on my age and being in a hurry but when I said "I didn't realise" I really should have phrased it "I can't understand how" [color=#FF0000]What surprises me is that the BBC would use a top of the table Division 3 clash as one of their matches rather than a Division one game. But having said that ( I'm now going around in circles again it's definitely my age) the Beeb did have a tendency in those days to show lower league matches. It must have been in their contract.[/color]Frank says that John Bond (the father of Spurs coach Kevin Bond - who was in charge of Tottenham last night in their Europa League game in Russia due top Harry's absence)was dropped for the Bury game because he'd not travelled down the night before the match from his London home. I always rated John Bond as a manager, despite an unsuccessful spell in charge of Man City.

BTW I didn't realise what a big part the church played in Frank's life.[/quote]
Hi Roy yes you are absolutely right it was in the contract that the BBC had to show one game from either Division 3 or Division 4 each season. There was only one game shown on Match of the Day then so it certainly put us in the national spotlight and we got many favourable comments. You did ponder in your earlier post where we would be now had we gone up to what is now the Championship in 1968. We will never know but I would suspect that the answer is about where we are now ;-)

Apologies and I'm going to blame it on my age and being in a hurry but when I said "I didn't realise" I really should have phrased it "I can't understand how" What surprises me is that the BBC would use a top of the table Division 3 clash as one of their matches rather than a Division one game. But having said that ( I'm now going around in circles again it's definitely my age) the Beeb did have a tendency in those days to show lower league matches. It must have been in their contract.

Frank says that John Bond (the father of Spurs coach Kevin Bond - who was in charge of Tottenham last night in their Europa League game in Russia due top Harry's absence)was dropped for the Bury game because he'd not travelled down the night before the match from his London home. I always rated John Bond as a manager, despite an unsuccessful spell in charge of Man City.

BTW I didn't realise what a big part the church played in Frank's life.

[quote="Roy McFarland"]Just finished the book while on holiday. Some great tales from his Torquay days.
[color=#FF0000]I didn't realise we'd been on Match of the Day in the 1960's.[/color]
It sounds as if we really should have got promoted into what was then the Second Division now the Championship. I wonder where as a club we'd be now if we'd gone up then??[/quote]
Where have you been recently Roy? Loads of threads in the last six months have mentioned the 3-0 Match of the Day win against Bury on 16 March 1968 ... and don't get Trojan started on our promotion near miss again! ;-) :no: ;-)

I'm reading his book at the moment. Up to the bit when he is about to get the sack at Man Utd

Just finished the book while on holiday. Some great tales from his Torquay days.

I didn't realise we'd been on Match of the Day in the 1960's.

It sounds as if we really should have got promoted into what was then the Second Division now the Championship. I wonder where as a club we'd be now if we'd gone up then??

They've still got to show him the upstairs bedrooms and loft conversion.

A long conversation? ;-)

He had a look round my house when we were selling a few years ago. Lovely bloke, had a decent chat with him about where Buckle was going wrong lol

Top man and a true legend.

I notice Frank O'Farrell got a mention in today's Daily Mail.. What a legend he still comes to all the home games.


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