21 Bovey Tracey Mar 26_Layout 1 26/03/2014 09:38 Page 4
Today’s
visitors
Bovey Tracey
Bovey’s greatest success to date was
winning the local Herald Cup in 1960/61
under the guidance of Don Welsh, the
ex-England, Torquay United and Charlton
Athletic wing half, who at the time was the
landlord of the Cromwell Arms. Bovey
have also appeared in this final, on four
other occasions – in 1931/32, 1938/39,
1993/94 and 2003/04, all ending in defeat.
HISTORY
Although football has been played in Bovey
since the late 1890’s the present club was
formed about 1950 by the merger of Bovey
Town and Bovey St Johns who played at the
Recreation Ground. This merger was much
the work of Frank French, who was at the
time the local policeman.
The earliest documented game was on
the 11 November 1899, when Bovey
entertained Torquay United for a friendly
in what was Torquay’s first season.
In 1979 the football club made their
biggest purchase to date with they
bought land at Mill Marsh Park (our
current ground), however, part of this
land was sold under a compulsory
purchase order in 1984 to assist in the
construction of the ‘Bovey Bypass’
The game was, refereed by a local man,
who apparently made a series of
debatable decisions in Bovey’s favour.
Bovey took the lead from a dubious
penalty and, when Torquay equalised a
minute from the end, the referee
promptly played 20 minutes of injury
time, then awarded another controversial
penalty and blew the final whistle as
soon as Bovey had scored.
The 2006/07 season was a great
success, winning the Belli Cup,
runners-up in the Premier Division
and semi-finalists in both the Herald
Cup and Devon Premier Cup.
The 2007/08 season saw Bovey’s greatest
success to date. They retained the Belli
Cup, won the South Devon Premier
League title, and ultimately promotion to
the South West Peninsula Leag Ք