Torpoint Athletic F.C.

History

Players within the club wanted to compete at a higher level and Torpoint applied to join the South Western League. The club has been a member of this league ever since. Season 1962/63 saw Torpoints’ first campaign in the league. The club was fortunate to have many local players within the team John Bolton, Lou Dearden, Ben Lines, Malcolm Prout, Gary Selley and Barry Stephens. In addition there was also Brain Mallett and Mike Waterfield who moved to Torpoint to live. Torpoint returned to the winning ways of the pre war years winning the South Western League Championship on two occasions 1964/65 and 1966/67. The club won the Charity Cup on three occasions 1966, 1967 and 1968. Torpoint Athletic lost in the final of the South Western League Cup in 1965/66 and the Cornwall Senior Cup in 1967/68. The club competed in the FA Amateur Cup reaching the second round on several occasions. In this competition the club played teams from the London Athenian League and the Isthmian League. Some of the teams they played were Corinthian Casuals, Cray Wanderers, Harwich and Parkstone, Leyton (twice) and Walton and Hersham (three times). Altogether eleven enjoyable years were spent at Defiance Field. The ground had an end to end slope with good playing surface that encouraged good football. The support was good with crowds often of over a thousand watching matches, especially during the Amateur Cup runs. However, it was always a wish of the club to return to what many considered to be the traditional home of local football in Torpoint "The Mill". In 1970 the option to buy "The Mill" was offered to the club. The committee led by Chairman Mr Reg. Devonshire and Secretary Keith Lillyman formed the "Two Hundred Club". This weekly and monthly draw helped the club raise the finance required. In 1971 Torpoint Athletic purchased "The Mill". The grand opening of the pitch took place on Wednesday August 11, 1971. Torpoint Athletic played a County Eleven losing the match by three goals to two.The move back to its traditional home did not bring a host of trophies. In 1972/73 they lost one nil to Wadebridge Town in the Cornwall Charity Cup. Torpoint finished third in 1977/78 and fourth in 1978/79. George Preece won the clubs’ award for most goals in both seasons. During the seventies many local lads represented the club. Phil Cardew, Steve Cardew, Neil Edwards, Terry Metters, Ritchie Roberts, Alan Shannon and Mike Vigus to name but a few. One such player, Roy Carter went on to play league football for Hereford, Swindon, Exeter, and Newport. Robbie Russell went on to make the professional ranks with Cowdenbeath. In 1980/81 the club again lost in the final of the Cornwall Charity Cup by three goals to one to Truro City. The next season 1981/82 the club finished a creditable third place in the league. That season they scored 106 goals, with Terry Metters getting 26 of them. The team finished the campaign with 51 points, just two points behind the champions. During the nineties the club competed in the FA Vase competition. They played against sides such as Chippenham Town, Diss Town, Eastleigh, Exmouth and Tunbridge Wells. In the season 1995/96 the club had its best run in the competition losing to Raunds Town two nil in the fifth round. Unfortunately as the competition requires clubs to have floodlights Torpoint have been out of the FA Vase until 09/10 season. The season 1995/96 was one of the most successful in the clubs history. Under the managership of Phil Cardew and his assistant Roy Carter the club finished as runners up in the South Western League. In addition they won the Cornwall Senior Cup and the Cornwall Charity Cup. Season 2003/04 saw the South Western League side team win the South Western League Cup, for the first time in our history, defeating Penzance in the final at Bodmin courtesy of a Chris Menhennick goal. In the last season of the South Western League the 06/07 season, Torpoint got promoted in last minute of the game when Darren Hicks scored to beat Penryn Athletic 3-2 in a very exciting game . In the 2008/09 the first team came 9th in the second season of the Peninsula Premier League, The East Cornwall side won the League for the second time in two seasons. The Duchy side got to the area final of The Cornwall Junior Cup .Also that season also saw us put up our the Floodlights -lights and do some ground improvements which means we can now be in the FA Vase & FA Cup. In the 2009/2010 season first team finished 8th with our new manager Stuart Dudley, we entered the FA Vase, the first time for a while, but went out to Tavistock in the 2nd qualifying round. The East Cornwall side won the League for the third time and got to the final of their League cup. The Duchy team won their League Cup and finished high up in the Duchy Premier League. In the 2010/2011 under the manager of Stuart Dudley, we had one of the best seasons for a good 15 years, we got to the Quarter Finals of the FA Carlsberg Vase, a SWPL League Record at that time. The Club also got to the 1st Qualifying round of the FA Cup. The team also finish 4th in the league. The East Cornwall side came runners-up in the league and the Duchy lads won the Cornwall Junior Cup, the Duchy Premier Division Championship and came runners-up in the KMD Developments Cup. In 2011/12 Torpoint Athletic finished in 12th place after changing managers mid-season from Scott Bamford to Ricky Cardew. Torpoint got to the prelimary round of the FA Cup losing at home to Bridgewater Town and lost in the 2nd Round of the FA Vase away to Bournemouth Poppies. The ECPL team won the league unbeaten and cam runners-up in the League Cup. In the 2012/13 under the manager-ship of Darren Edwards and Karl Curts the SWPL side came 14th and the ECPL side managed by Ian Stephens, came runners-up the ECPL League Cup and came 4th in the league. In the 2013/14 side under the management team of Bradley Yeo and Darren Potter they finished 10th in the league and got to the Throgmorton Cup Quarter Final losing 1-0 home to St Austell, they also lost 2-0 to St Austell in the 3rd Round of the Cornwall Senior Cup. The ECPL won the League Cup, the Evely Cup and came runners-up in the league. The Duchy side finished mid-table. In the 2014/15 season SWPL side came 13th in the SWPL and got to the 2nd round of the League Cup and Senior Cup. They also competed in the FA Cup and Vase. The ECPL won the league and came runners-up in the League Cup and Divisional Cup and the Duchy side came third in the Duchy Premier Division. Last season the SWPL side under the management team of Dan Cole and Iain Tattersall, Torpoint finished in 8th position, the best finish we had since 2010/11. Torpoint got through to the FA Vase 2nd round proper, they also got through to the 3rd round of the Cornwall Senior Cup and the also competed in the League Cup. The ECPL side were crowned league champions once again with Karl Curtis and Dean Cardew at the helm. They also came runners-up in the League Cup and won the Fred Binks Cup beating Edgcumbe at The Kimberly Stadium. The Duchy side finished 5th in the Premier Division and got to the 3rd round of the Cornwall Junior Cup.

Ground

Torpoint Athletic play their home games at The Mill, Mill Lane, Torpoint, PL11 2RE, Europe

Staff

Club Chairman: Paul Whitworth

Club Vice Chairman: Craig Bence

Club Secretary: Craig Bence

Club Treasurer: Alan Gates

Football Secretary: Robbie Morris

Football Treasurer: Craig Bence

Programme Editor: Robbie Morris

Press Officer: Robbie Morris

Football Co-ordinator: Bryan Cowd

SWPL Manager: Dan Cole

SWPL Manager: Dean Cardew

ECPL Manager: Andy Harris

ECPL Assistant Manager: Simon King

Duchy Manager: Justin Norman

Honours